Technology is changing the competitive dynamics of the orthopedic market, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the spine segment.
Our first chart of the month for 2025 shows the worldwide spinal hardware sales for the segment’s four largest companies by revenue: Medtronic, Globus Medical, Stryker and J&J MedTech. Combined, these companies account for more than 62% of global spine implant sales, which we project surpassed $10.8 billion in 2025.
Spine enabling technology had been a two-horse race between Medtronic and Globus Medical until recently. With its successful integration of NuVasive, Globus added the one thing it lacked to truly compete with Medtronic: scale.
Now all four of these players have surrounded their spine portfolios with technology ecosystems. ATEC, a fast-growing but distant number five player, will soon add a robot to its own growing technology portfolio. As the interplay between digital technology and implants grows, it could become harder for smaller companies to compete.
“You must innovate with enabling technology and implants; you can’t have one without the other,” said Skip Kiil, Medtronic President of Cranial and Spinal Technology. “A third of our industry is made up of small companies that are focused on the metal side of the business, and our perspective is that there’s not a lot of utility in that. You need enabling technology, including navigation, robotics, AI, machine learning and big data, as well as implants.”
Technology is changing the competitive dynamics of the orthopedic market, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the spine segment.
Our first chart of the month for 2025 shows the worldwide spinal hardware sales for the segment's four largest companies by revenue: Medtronic, Globus Medical, Stryker and J&J MedTech. Combined, these...
Technology is changing the competitive dynamics of the orthopedic market, and nowhere is that more apparent than in the spine segment.
Our first chart of the month for 2025 shows the worldwide spinal hardware sales for the segment’s four largest companies by revenue: Medtronic, Globus Medical, Stryker and J&J MedTech. Combined, these companies account for more than 62% of global spine implant sales, which we project surpassed $10.8 billion in 2025.
Spine enabling technology had been a two-horse race between Medtronic and Globus Medical until recently. With its successful integration of NuVasive, Globus added the one thing it lacked to truly compete with Medtronic: scale.
Now all four of these players have surrounded their spine portfolios with technology ecosystems. ATEC, a fast-growing but distant number five player, will soon add a robot to its own growing technology portfolio. As the interplay between digital technology and implants grows, it could become harder for smaller companies to compete.
“You must innovate with enabling technology and implants; you can’t have one without the other,” said Skip Kiil, Medtronic President of Cranial and Spinal Technology. “A third of our industry is made up of small companies that are focused on the metal side of the business, and our perspective is that there’s not a lot of utility in that. You need enabling technology, including navigation, robotics, AI, machine learning and big data, as well as implants.”
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Mike Evers is a Senior Market Analyst and writer with over 15 years of experience in the medical industry, spanning cardiac rhythm management, ER coding and billing, and orthopedics. He joined ORTHOWORLD in 2018, where he provides market analysis and editorial coverage.
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