Medtronic has strengthened its position in the spine surgical market with several key moves in recent months:
1. The FDA cleared Medtronic's UNiD Spine Analyzer v4.0 planning platform in July. The technology uses machine learning to help surgeons plan and customize lumbar spine surgeries and predicts spinal compensation mechanisms six months after the operation. It is the first and only predictive technology the FDA cleared for spine surgery, according to Medtronic.
2. Medtronic received FDA clearance and breakthrough device designation for its LigaPass 2.0 ligament augmentation system in June. LigaPass was developed by Medicrea, which Medtronic acquired in late 2020, and is the only FDA-cleared device for ligament augmentation in spine surgery, according to the company.
3. The UNiD Spine Analyzer and LigaPass technologies can be integrated with Medtronic's Mazor X Stealth to make the spine robot more attractive to surgeons. The spinal surgical robotics market is anticipated to heat up in the coming years, and Medtronic plans to continue to be at its forefront. The market is valued at $124 million, but is expected to increase at 16 percent to 20 percent annually over the next five years, according to The Motley Fool.