Consolidation in the spine medtech space has been a constant in recent years from large mergers to smaller company acquisitions.
For spine surgeons the transforming landscape presents opportunities for innovation, but also some challenges.
Ask Spine Surgeons is a weekly series of questions posed to spine surgeons around the country about clinical, business and policy issues affecting spine care. Becker’s invites all spine surgeon and specialist responses.
Next question: Are certificate-of-need laws helping or hurting spine surgery access in your region?
Please send responses to Carly Behm at cbehm@beckershealthcare.com by 5 p.m. CDT Tuesday, April 29.
Editor’s note: Responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: Are spine and orthopedic tech mergers bettering the industry and presenting more challenges?
Mohammed Faraz Khan, MD. New Jersey Brain & Spine (Paramus): Spine and orthopedic tech mergers are reshaping the industry by driving innovation, improving efficiency, and expanding access to comprehensive surgical solutions. Larger companies can invest more in research and streamline product development, potentially improving outcomes and lowering costs. However consolidation also brings challenges. It may reduce competition, limit surgeon choice, and lead to higher prices over time. Merging different technologies and company cultures can delay progress and complicate integration. While these mergers offer benefits through scale and coordination, it’s essential that innovation, surgeon input, and patient care remain priorities to ensure long-term positive impact in the field.
Brian Gantwerker, MD. The Craniospinal Center of Los Angeles: Consolidation is a constant companion in the spine industry. Mergers and acquisitions tend to shelve or freeze some product lines. However, sometimes they can spark innovation by putting former rivals in the same room and having an aligned set of goals. I think the real thing stymying industry is the emergence of Medicare Advantage plans which siphons away tax dollars from patients and the federal government and funds c-suite salaries and shareholder payouts.
Anthony Giuffrida, MD. Cantor Spine Center at the Paley Orthopedic & Spine Institute (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.): Interventional spine and orthopedic tech mergers are significantly bettering the industry by accelerating innovation and fostering the development of safer, less destructive approaches to spine medicine. As companies merge, they’re aligning visions to reimagine spine care with a focus on precision, minimal invasiveness, and improved patient outcomes. These collaborations enable faster deployment of advanced technologies such as AI-assisted diagnostics, image-guided navigation, and novel minimally invasive procedures. These advancements collectively push the field toward treatments that preserve anatomy and reduce spine surgical morbidity.
An example of this transformative momentum is the Global Spine Initiative, a growing collaboration of spine surgeons and interventionalists with a shared mission. This initiative represents the cultural and clinical shift happening within the spine community: a movement away from siloed approaches and toward integrated care models that prioritize individualized, minimally invasive solutions. It emphasizes collaboration across specialties to ensure patients receive the right intervention at the right time, backed by science and driven by outcomes.
While medtech mergers can introduce operational and strategic challenges, they are ultimately a catalyst for meaningful progress. Spine companies are now better positioned to challenge outdated paradigms and invest in scalable, outpatient-friendly technologies that prioritize function over fusion. This shift is helping to standardize care, lower costs, and expand access to less invasive procedures all while reinforcing a higher standard of safety and efficacy. The future of spine is interventional, and strategic partnerships and mergers are laying the foundation for that transformation.
Christian Zimmerman, MD. St. Alphonsus Medical Group and SAHS Neuroscience Institute (Boise, Idaho): This seems to be another ‘stay-tuned’ moment in healthcare. The technological revolution of MIS and computer assisted spine surgery is front and center, but the exigent issue of cost and reimbursement remains monotonous. Operative technology like AI, are tools to complement patient management, not replace anatomical knowledge and clinical acumen. Yet, these tools created for complimentary use are becoming more popular and with that, the dependency and predilection of use dictates schedules and decision processes. The industry of medicine is one of uncertainty, brought about by factors beyond physician control or undoing. The turnaround or its further chaos may lie in technology.
