Data-driven insights on ultrasound and X-ray
The following data and insights were provided by Omdia through their Interventional, Mobile & Mini C-Arm X-Ray Equipment Report – 2020 (published November 2020) and Ultrasound Market Report – Point-of-Care – 2019. Omdia provides accurate and unbiased healthcare technology market research and data, helping healthcare equipment manufacturers and software solution providers alike to navigate rapid and continuous changes.
Orthopaedic and rehabilitation ultrasound unit shipment has grown, owing to factors that include improved education and reimbursement; ageing populations with high incidences of MSK ailments; the growing popularity of ultrasound-guided surgeries—especially for joint replacement; and growing interest and research into new applications.
Rehabilitation will outpace orthopaedics because of the growing popularity of ultrasound guidance for biologic and regenerative medicine.
Source: Omdia
The increased popularity of ultrasound-guided minimally invasive surgery is driving orthopaedic ultrasound revenue growth in North America.
Minimally invasive surgery has become common because it can improve outcomes and reduce healthcare providers’ costs.
A major public orthopaedic hospital in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Minimising incisions reduces surgical risks, post-operative pain, and hospital stays, improving results for the patient and increasing patient throughput for the healthcare provider.
Surgeons prefer to use ultrasound guidance during minimally invasive surgeries because it provides real-time anatomical imaging and improved surgical manoeuvrability and tissue differentiation.
Ultrasound-guided surgery will continue to encourage ultrasound growth during the forecast period, but many surgical suites in the US are already equipped with ultrasounds, so demand will be primarily for replacement systems.
In Latin America, hyperinflation, widespread corruption, political uncertainty, and lack of ultrasound infrastructure have hindered the MSK ultrasound market because limited funding has not been spent on nonessential systems.
This market is forecast to remain small because rehabilitation MSK is well beyond the scope of government efforts to improve healthcare infrastructure.
Asia-Pacific orthopaedic ultrasound unit shipments are projected to grow primarily because of ageing populations in mature markets.
In South Korea and Japan, populations are rapidly ageing, which has caused an increased incidence of MSK ailments.
To address this, MSK hospitals have become widespread in South Korea and Japan. Joint replacement surgeries for elderly patients are a common procedure in MSK hospitals, and many people even elect to have these surgeries preemptively.
Ultrasound guidance was proven effective to improve procedural outcomes for joint replacement surgeries because they provide surgeons with enhanced visualisation during procedures.
As a result, equipment purchasers for MSK hospitals eagerly purchased ultrasound systems to improve their practices.
Additionally, South Korea expanded reimbursements to include many MSK procedures under President Moon Jae-in’s healthcare initiatives, which encouraged orthopaedic unit shipment growth.
Populations are expected to continue to rapidly age throughout the forecast period and will drive Asia-Pacific orthopaedic ultrasound unit shipment growth.
Populations are rapidly ageing in South Korea and Japan
Smaller C-arm systems are used in clinics and medical facilities. Applications for mini C-arms include sports medicine, orthopaedic, and podiatric imaging for extremities such as the hand or foot.
FPDs used with mini C-arm systems are typically 6’’ x 6’’ in size or smaller. Image intensifiers used with mini C-arm systems are typically 6-inch or smaller in diameter.
C Arm X-ray pushed into surgery
The mini C-arm category includes C-arms used during procedures involving the bones and muscles. Systems within this category must have the capability and power to penetrate dense anatomy, while also having the functionality to precisely accentuate bony anatomy.
These systems produce high-quality images for routine procedures. Examples of orthopaedic use of mobile C-arm equipment: placement of screws and fractures. This category also includes C-arms used in wound and injury surgeries.
Mini C-arms are a small niche market, with these systems being used for orthopaedic applications.
The best possible image quality, while using the lowest dose rate possible, remains a key consideration when purchasing mini C-arm equipment.
In mature markets, demand has firmly shifted to FPD technology with an increasing focus on radiation dose reduction. CMOS technology is forecast to grow.
Growth in demand for these systems will increase from outpatient facilities and clinics as ambulatory care centres increase which are able to provide surgeries at a lower cost than the hospital environment.
The demand for mini C-arms is limited in emerging markets. Importance is placed on purchasing imaging equipment that can be used for a wide variety of applications.