Market Trends of Medical Walkers Industry
Orthopedics by Application Segment is Expected to Witness Growth Over the Forecast Period
The orthopedics segment is expected to witness growth over the forecast period among all other application segments. Medical walkers are special devices used for temporary walking disabilities. People with orthopedic ailments, especially those who have joint and hip surgeries or have serious orthopedic disorders need support for walking most often use these devices. These can also be used by amputees using artificial limbs, and temporary ambulation with plaster casts.
The increasing number of orthopedic conditions globally is anticipated to drive the demand for medical walkers. An increase in the number of patients suffering from spinal cord injury (SCI) is likely to be the key factor contributing to the growth of the segment. According to an article published in NLM Journal in August 2021, motor vehicle collisions account for 38% of new SCI each year, 30% of SCI are due to falls, 13% due to violence, 9% from sports injuries, and 5% from medical and surgical etiologies in the United States. Additionally, as per the source mentioned above, there are approximately 17,000 new cases of SCI each year, and roughly 282,000 people are estimated to be living with SCI in the United States. Hence, the high burden of SCI in countries across the globe is anticipated to drive the demand for the use and availability of medical walkers. Therefore, it is anticipated to drive the segment's growth.
Furthermore, hip and knee replacements are among the most frequently performed surgeries globally. Osteoarthritis, which leads to disability is the main indication for hip and knee replacement (joint replacement surgery) procedures. As per OCED data updated in November 2021, age is the major factor for osteoarthritis and is more common in women and increases after 50 years of age. This target population most often requires medical walkers for better mobility in their day-to-day life. Thus, it is expected to contribute to the growth of the segment. Thus, due to the aforesaid factors, the segment is expected to witness significant growth over the forecast period.
North America is Expected to Dominate the Medical Walkers Market in the Forecast Period
North America holds a significant share of the market and is expected to continue to hold a major share of the medical walkers market over the forecast period. An increasing number of emergency cases, a surge in orthopedic illness, and an increasing geriatric population in the region are major factors attributed to the growth of the market in the region.
Injuries caused by falls, traffic accidents, and age-related factors are major causes of disability across North America, and this is creating demand for assisting devices such as medical walkers for better mobility of patients. According to CDC data updated in March 2022, the number of emergency department visits was 130 million and the number of injury-related visits was 35 million in the United States in 2021. This number of emergency visits coupled with an increased number of injuries is expected to lead to increased adoption of medical walkers in the country. Thereby, contributing to the growth of the market during the forecast period.
Additionally, a knee replacement surgery involves replacing some or all the damaged joint with prosthetic materials and is generally performed to relieve severe pain generally caused by Arthritis. The number of procedures for knee replacement is recently increased in the United States and Canada. As per the Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches data published in November 2021, almost 800,000 knee replacements are performed each year in the United States alone, and the number is estimated to increase year on year.
In addition, as per a report published by CIHI in June 2022, approximately 110,000 joint replacements were performed in 2020-2021, among which 55,300 were hip replacements and 55,285 were knee replacements. This high number of knee and hip replacement surgeries is predicted to create demand for the availability of assisting devices such as medical walkers. Hence, it is expected to accelerate the studied market growth in the region.
New product development, distribution channel enhancement, and collaboration are some of the key strategic initiatives undertaken by regional market players. For instance, in September 2021, TOPRO acquired the entire share capital of AssiTech. The acquisition will complete the existing product offering of the company. Therefore, owing to the aforementioned factors, the North American region is expected to have significant growth over the forecast period.
