The market potential is fully demonstrated, and the development of my country's orthopedic surgery robot industry is entering the fast lane

Orthopedics is one of the earliest fields involved in surgical robots, and it is also a hot spot in the current research and development and industrialization of surgical robots
.
Orthopedic surgical robots are mainly used in trauma orthopedics, spine surgery and joint surgery, among which robot-assisted joint replacement surgery is relatively popular
.
In the increasingly fierce competition pattern, domestic enterprises have increased their independent research and development efforts and won the favor of capital
.
Based on China's huge population base, the acceleration of social aging, the gradual sinking of high-quality medical resources, and the promotion of the national artificial joint procurement policy, the market demand for orthopedic surgical robots in China is expected to be released in large quantities, and the industry will usher in a Rapid development
.
Fierce competition on the track At present, the field of orthopaedic surgery robots presents a market pattern of multiple wrestling
.
Stryker, Johnson & Johnson, Zimmer Biomet, Smith & Nephew, Medtronic,
etc.
In recent years, many domestic companies have also entered the field of orthopedic surgical robots, such as Tianzhihang, MicroPort Medical, Weigao Group, and Rosenbot
.
Among them, Tianzhihang, whose main business is orthopedic surgical robots, is a leading enterprise in this field in China; Weigao Group and other listed companies have continuously expanded their business areas in recent years, and have also begun to actively develop orthopedic surgical robots
.
It is worth noting that, unlike multinational giants who conduct track layouts through acquisitions, domestic orthopaedic surgical robot companies mainly through joint hospitals, universities and scientific research institutions, etc.
, continue to strengthen technical cooperation and focus on independent research and development
.
High degree of capital attention China's orthopedic surgery robot industry started relatively late, and due to the high technical threshold in this field, it is still in the early stage of industrialization
.
However, it is worth noting that in recent years, the popularity of China's orthopedic surgery robot financing market has continued to increase, and the number of billion-dollar financing has continued to grow
.
In July 2020, Tianzhihang was listed on the Science and Technology Innovation Board for the first time, raising 452 million yuan
.
Yuanhua Intelligent, an innovative enterprise established in 2018, focuses on the research and development of orthopedic surgical robots
.
In March 2021, Yuanhua Intelligent completed 200 million yuan in Series A financing; in January 2022, the company announced the completion of several hundred million yuan in Series B financing
.
Enterprises in the field of orthopedic surgical robots in China are favored by capital, and it is expected that the number and amount of financing in this field will continue to rise in the future
.
However, public information shows that the financing in the field of orthopedic surgery robots in China is mainly concentrated in the A round and the B round, and the number of seed rounds and angel rounds is relatively small, and the entry threshold for start-ups is relatively high
.
Rapid market growth In recent years, China's orthopedic surgical robot market has grown rapidly
.
According to data released by Frost & Sullivan, in 2016, the domestic orthopaedic surgical robot market size was only about US$4.
1 million; in 2019 and 2020, the market size of the industry reached about US$47.
2 million and US$42.
5 million respectively; in 2021, the market size Expected to be around $80.
4 million (see chart for details)
.
Data released by Frost & Sullivan also shows that in the context of a substantial increase in the number of orthopedic surgeries, it is estimated that by 2026, the market size of orthopedic surgical robots in China will reach about 330 million US dollars, and the market penetration rate will increase to about 3.
1%
.
Huge development potential At present, driven by multiple policies, capital, and markets, China's orthopedic surgery robot industry is developing rapidly.
The huge market space needs to be further explored, and the industry is ushering in new development opportunities
.
The drop in the price of consumables promotes the release of demand Robot-assisted joint replacement surgery has attracted much attention in clinical practice due to its advantages of higher implant positioning accuracy and consistency, and faster postoperative recovery of patients
.
However, the penetration rate of knee replacement surgery in China is still at a low level, mainly due to the high price of artificial joints
.
In September 2021, the state organized the centralized procurement of artificial joints to open bids in Tianjin
.
According to the data released by the National Medical Insurance Bureau, in this centralized procurement of artificial joints, the average price of artificial hip joints dropped from 35,000 yuan to about 7,000 yuan, and the average price of artificial knee joints dropped from 32,000 yuan to about 5,000 yuan.
82% off the price
.
It is foreseeable that the sharp drop in the price of artificial joints will help fill the unmet demand for treatment, and the penetration rate of joint surgery will increase accordingly
.
In addition, with the price reduction of orthopedic consumables, the overall orthopedic medical device industry may usher in new adjustments
.
The trend of population aging drives market expansion.
According to the "China Development Report 2020: Development Trends and Policies of Population Aging in China" released by the China Development Research Foundation, in 2020, the number of people aged 65 and above in China will be about 180 million, accounting for about 180 million.
It is estimated that by 2035 and 2050, the number of people aged 65 and over in China will reach 310 million and nearly 380 million, accounting for 22.
3% and 27.
9% of the total population, respectively
.
The aging degree in China continues to deepen, and the incidence of orthopedic diseases is highly correlated with age.
Therefore, the number of patients with orthopedic diseases will continue to increase, the number of related operations will further increase, and the market size of orthopedic surgical robots will also expand accordingly
.
At the same time, with the change of research and development technology, the product performance of orthopedic surgical robots gradually matures, and the acceptance of patients will be further improved
.
In addition, the increase in per capita disposable income and health care consumption expenditure will also drive the continuous increase in the popularity of orthopedic surgical robots, and China's market in this field will steadily expand
.
The advantages of human-machine synergy stimulate the market to sink.
At present, orthopedic surgical robots often appear in large hospitals
.
In fact, the popularity of orthopedic surgical robots will also benefit the grassroots market
.
The chief surgeon of joint replacement surgery usually needs to have 12 to 15 years of clinical experience, and in the grassroots medical institutions with relatively scarce human resources, there are very few doctors who can perform joint surgery.

.
Robot-assisted surgery can quantify empirical treatment operations to a certain extent, which can help shorten the learning curve of clinicians for related operations, and can effectively make up for the lack of experience
.
In addition, the human-machine collaborative medical model not only helps to solve the problems of insufficient intraoperative operation accuracy and difficult popularization of complex surgical procedures, but also provides better operating comfort and convenience for clinicians
.
In short, with the popularization of precision medicine and intelligent surgery, the market potential of orthopedic surgery robots in China will be further released, and the industry will continue to maintain a rapid development momentum
.
(Author Unit: Flint Creation)