In the financial reports for the second quarter of the 2010 fiscal year, these companies cited declining product prices as an explanation for sales growth. Frank Cammisa Jr., MD, a physician with the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, said in the report that many patients are recommended for the spinal fusion surgery before it is necessary, leading insurance companies to question whether the surgery is appropriate. If the insurance company deems the procedure inappropriate, the patient can be denied surgery.
The Wall Street Journal reports 25-55 percent of preauthorization requests for spinal fusion are modified, which means spine surgery devices are not always being used.
Read The Wall Street Journal report on spine device companies.
Read other coverage on spine device manufacturers:
– Trends, Developments and Legal Issues in the Orthopedic and Spine Device Market
– 3 Hot Spine Device Trends
– Orthopedic Device Manufacturers’ Second Quarter Fiscal Reports Mixed
