Sports Medicine Market Size and Share
Market Definition
Arthroscopic enabling equipment and implantables. Orthobiologics, wearables and braces are not included in this chapter.
April 2025
Mike Evers, Senior Market Analyst
Welcome to our overview of the sports medicine market. This page supplements the sports medicine chapter in THE ORTHOPAEDIC INDUSTRY ANNUAL REPORT®. The segment is fast-growing and of strategic importance to the biggest orthopedic companies.
Sports medicine sales nearly reached $7.2 billion in 2024, accounting for about 12% of the $62 billion global orthopedic market. Sports medicine is highly consolidated and mostly controlled by two incumbent players, but the segment’s higher growth rate and ASC focus make it an attractive adjacency for other large strategics.
Procedure volumes largely normalized in 2024, while weather-related supply chain disruptions and international headwinds offset some growth.
Market Forecast
Sports medicine contends with short-term challenges in supply constraints and VBP in China but remains one of the more compelling opportunities in orthopedics.
We expect the sports medicine segment to generate just over $7.5 billion in 2025 and grow to $8.8 billion by 2028. We anticipate favorable patient demographics and maturing regenerative products to drive market growth after short-term disruption mitigates.
Exhibit 1: Worldwide Sports Medicine Sales by Year ($millions)
Get More Orthopedic Market Data. Download the Orthopedic Companies Sales Matrix for our most complete and granular numbers. It contains worldwide orthopedic sales for 75 public and private companies by segment from 2016 through 2024.
Here are some of the sports medicine market dynamics we considered in our forecasts:
Small Companies Target Big Indications. Sports medicine has hundreds of small companies that focus on procedures with high repair volumes and incidences of retears, including ACL and rotator cuff. These companies are developing fresh techniques and technologies that simplify surgery and optimize the healing environment. Innovation in sports medicine is expected to come from startups that sell their platform technologies to strategics to scale.
Early Innings for Regenerative. Companies across the revenue spectrum are positioning themselves to leverage regenerative products that could comprise a market worth over $1 billion in a few years. Anika Therapeutics is leaning on its decades of expertise with hyaluronic acid to develop products like its Integrity rotator cuff implant that reached full market release in mid-2024. Incumbents such as Smith+Nephew remain active as well, with its CartiHeal acquisition expected to be a growth contributor in 2025 and beyond.
Sports Medicine VBP Expands in China. VBP in China expanded to sports medicine joint repair products in 2024. In the second half of 2025, resection blades and wands are likely to be added. Smith+Nephew estimated a $25 million headwind, about 4% of its arthroscopic enabling technologies business, from both direct price impact and sales channel adjustments.
Sales by Region
Sports medicine sales exceeded $4.7 billion in the United States and accounted for more than 66% of the segment’s revenues in 2024. The aftermath of Hurricane Helene in late 2024 closed one of Baxter’s facilities and created a sharp supply bottleneck for arthroscopic fluid. The fluid shortage forced some hospitals to be judicious about procedures in the months following the storm.
Outside the United States, sales reached $2.4 billion. China remains a significant headwind for sports medicine players. VBP will impact capital like resection blades and ablation wands in the second half of 2025. Off-tender volume has overwhelmingly gone to domestic Chinese companies, leaving globalized players at a significant sales deficit.
Exhibit 2: Sports Medicine Sales by Region ($millions)
| Region | FY24 | FY23 | $ Chg | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | $4,756.1 | $4,485.4 | $270.7 | 6% |
| OUS | $2,406.7 | $2,290.1 | $116.6 | 5.1% |
| EMEA | $1,382.4 | $1,273.8 | $108.6 | 8.5% |
| APAC | $616.0 | $616.6 | ($0.6) | (0.1%) |
| ROW | $408.3 | $399.8 | $8.5 | 2.1% |
| Total | $7,162.8 | $6,775.6 | $387.2 | 5.7% |
Exhibit 3: Sports Medicine Market Share by Region ($millions)
Top Companies
Sports medicine features two companies, Arthrex and Smith+Nephew, with more than $1 billion in annual sales that comprise 56% of the segment’s global revenue.
Stryker and Johnson & Johnson MedTech are the only other players with double-digit market share in sports medicine. The top four players combined control 80% of the market.
Exhibit 4: Sports Medicine Players Over $100 Million and All Others
| Company | FY24 | FY23 | $ Chg | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthrex | $2,412.2 | $2,286.4 | $125.8 | 5.5% |
| Smith+Nephew | $1,613.9 | $1,533.5 | $80.4 | 5.2% |
| Stryker | $967.9 | $887.0 | $80.9 | 9.1% |
| J&J MedTech | $726.1 | $707.2 | $19.0 | 2.7% |
| CONMED | $496.0 | $486.7 | $9.3 | 1.9% |
| Zimmer Biomet | $206.7 | $192.8 | $13.9 | 7.2% |
| Vericel | $197.3 | $164.8 | $32.5 | 19.7% |
| KARL STORZ | $162.6 | $153.2 | $9.3 | 6.1% |
| All Others | $380.1 | $364.0 | $16.1 | 4.4% |
| Total | $7,162.8 | $6,775.6 | $387.2 | 5.7% |
Exhibit 5: Sports Medicine Market Share by Company ($millions)
Arthrex, like many of its peers, is working to overcome the capacity constraints of ASCs. It’s Arthrex Surgery Center Innovation program, ASC X, helps stakeholders around the world plan, design, build and operate highly advanced and efficient ASCs. The model gives Arthrex significant leverage with ASCs when it comes to choosing vendors to outfit operating rooms with equipment and provide implants and instruments for surgeries.
Smith+Nephew’s sports medicine franchise isn’t as impacted by the company’s ongoing operational issues that have led to calls from some investors for the company to divest its other orthopedic businesses.
In sports medicine’s mid-tier, Stryker is on the cusp of $1 billion in annual revenue. Robust demand for its O.R. infrastructure and renovations, as well as the 1788 camera platform and shoulder repair products, drove the company’s growth. CONMED remains mired in supply chain challenges, while Zimmer Biomet saw impressive growth within its SET category. Vericel’s MACI product continued its incredible performance in 2024 with nearly 20% growth.
Important Developments in the Sports Medicine Market
International Tip of the Spear. As the orthopedic market settled in 2024, the top players found significant growth opportunities in markets outside the United States. According to Stryker, international sales of its flagship 1788 camera drove growth across its entire portfolio. China, however, will remain a headwind in sports medicine as additional products will be exposed to volume-based procurement there in the second half of 2025.
Endoscopy Enabling MIS in Other Segments. Improving technology within sports medicine isn’t only driving sales within the segment, its helping companies expand their reach across orthopedics. Arthrex, the leading sports medicine company, recently launched its endoscopic spine portfolio. Enhanced visualization during minimally invasive surgery could reduce the number of spinal fusions done through large, open incisions and ultimately spread to more complex cases as surgeons gain proficiency.
Giving Surgeons More Information. Enabling technology has yet to generate the same level of interest in sports medicine as it has in joint replacement and spine. However, the planning software and navigation options commonly associated with robotics have proven useful in sports medicine, according to Dr. Nathan Skelley, a fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon at Sanford Health and the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. He said Stryker’s HipMap revolutionized his approach to hip arthroscopy.
Further Reading
Thanks for visiting! Need more insight into the sports medicine market? Questions and comments are always welcome. You can reach me by email. Until then, here are a few sports medicine posts I found interesting.
February 10, 2025
,
Carolyn LaWell
October 25, 2024
,
Carolyn LaWell
April 2, 2025
,
Julie A. Vetalice
March 25, 2025
,
Julie A. Vetalice
Our overview of the $7.2 billion sports medicine market includes up-to-date information on forecasted growth, the top companies and industry-driving trends.
Market Definition
Arthroscopic enabling equipment and implantables. Orthobiologics, wearables and braces are not included in this chapter.
April 2025
Mike Evers, Senior Market Analyst
Welcome to our overview of the sports medicine market. This page supplements the sports medicine chapter in THE ORTHOPAEDIC INDUSTRY ANNUAL REPORT®. The segment is fast-growing and of strategic importance to the biggest orthopedic companies.
Sports medicine sales nearly reached $7.2 billion in 2024, accounting for about 12% of the $62 billion global orthopedic market. Sports medicine is highly consolidated and mostly controlled by two incumbent players, but the segment’s higher growth rate and ASC focus make it an attractive adjacency for other large strategics.
Procedure volumes largely normalized in 2024, while weather-related supply chain disruptions and international headwinds offset some growth.
Market Forecast
Sports medicine contends with short-term challenges in supply constraints and VBP in China but remains one of the more compelling opportunities in orthopedics.
We expect the sports medicine segment to generate just over $7.5 billion in 2025 and grow to $8.8 billion by 2028. We anticipate favorable patient demographics and maturing regenerative products to drive market growth after short-term disruption mitigates.
Exhibit 1: Worldwide Sports Medicine Sales by Year ($millions)
Get More Orthopedic Market Data. Download the Orthopedic Companies Sales Matrix for our most complete and granular numbers. It contains worldwide orthopedic sales for 75 public and private companies by segment from 2016 through 2024.
Here are some of the sports medicine market dynamics we considered in our forecasts:
Small Companies Target Big Indications. Sports medicine has hundreds of small companies that focus on procedures with high repair volumes and incidences of retears, including ACL and rotator cuff. These companies are developing fresh techniques and technologies that simplify surgery and optimize the healing environment. Innovation in sports medicine is expected to come from startups that sell their platform technologies to strategics to scale.
Early Innings for Regenerative. Companies across the revenue spectrum are positioning themselves to leverage regenerative products that could comprise a market worth over $1 billion in a few years. Anika Therapeutics is leaning on its decades of expertise with hyaluronic acid to develop products like its Integrity rotator cuff implant that reached full market release in mid-2024. Incumbents such as Smith+Nephew remain active as well, with its CartiHeal acquisition expected to be a growth contributor in 2025 and beyond.
Sports Medicine VBP Expands in China. VBP in China expanded to sports medicine joint repair products in 2024. In the second half of 2025, resection blades and wands are likely to be added. Smith+Nephew estimated a $25 million headwind, about 4% of its arthroscopic enabling technologies business, from both direct price impact and sales channel adjustments.
Sales by Region
Sports medicine sales exceeded $4.7 billion in the United States and accounted for more than 66% of the segment’s revenues in 2024. The aftermath of Hurricane Helene in late 2024 closed one of Baxter’s facilities and created a sharp supply bottleneck for arthroscopic fluid. The fluid shortage forced some hospitals to be judicious about procedures in the months following the storm.
Outside the United States, sales reached $2.4 billion. China remains a significant headwind for sports medicine players. VBP will impact capital like resection blades and ablation wands in the second half of 2025. Off-tender volume has overwhelmingly gone to domestic Chinese companies, leaving globalized players at a significant sales deficit.
Exhibit 2: Sports Medicine Sales by Region ($millions)
| Region | FY24 | FY23 | $ Chg | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US | $4,756.1 | $4,485.4 | $270.7 | 6% |
| OUS | $2,406.7 | $2,290.1 | $116.6 | 5.1% |
| EMEA | $1,382.4 | $1,273.8 | $108.6 | 8.5% |
| APAC | $616.0 | $616.6 | ($0.6) | (0.1%) |
| ROW | $408.3 | $399.8 | $8.5 | 2.1% |
| Total | $7,162.8 | $6,775.6 | $387.2 | 5.7% |
Exhibit 3: Sports Medicine Market Share by Region ($millions)
Top Companies
Sports medicine features two companies, Arthrex and Smith+Nephew, with more than $1 billion in annual sales that comprise 56% of the segment’s global revenue.
Stryker and Johnson & Johnson MedTech are the only other players with double-digit market share in sports medicine. The top four players combined control 80% of the market.
Exhibit 4: Sports Medicine Players Over $100 Million and All Others
| Company | FY24 | FY23 | $ Chg | % Chg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arthrex | $2,412.2 | $2,286.4 | $125.8 | 5.5% |
| Smith+Nephew | $1,613.9 | $1,533.5 | $80.4 | 5.2% |
| Stryker | $967.9 | $887.0 | $80.9 | 9.1% |
| J&J MedTech | $726.1 | $707.2 | $19.0 | 2.7% |
| CONMED | $496.0 | $486.7 | $9.3 | 1.9% |
| Zimmer Biomet | $206.7 | $192.8 | $13.9 | 7.2% |
| Vericel | $197.3 | $164.8 | $32.5 | 19.7% |
| KARL STORZ | $162.6 | $153.2 | $9.3 | 6.1% |
| All Others | $380.1 | $364.0 | $16.1 | 4.4% |
| Total | $7,162.8 | $6,775.6 | $387.2 | 5.7% |
Exhibit 5: Sports Medicine Market Share by Company ($millions)
Arthrex, like many of its peers, is working to overcome the capacity constraints of ASCs. It’s Arthrex Surgery Center Innovation program, ASC X, helps stakeholders around the world plan, design, build and operate highly advanced and efficient ASCs. The model gives Arthrex significant leverage with ASCs when it comes to choosing vendors to outfit operating rooms with equipment and provide implants and instruments for surgeries.
Smith+Nephew’s sports medicine franchise isn’t as impacted by the company’s ongoing operational issues that have led to calls from some investors for the company to divest its other orthopedic businesses.
In sports medicine’s mid-tier, Stryker is on the cusp of $1 billion in annual revenue. Robust demand for its O.R. infrastructure and renovations, as well as the 1788 camera platform and shoulder repair products, drove the company’s growth. CONMED remains mired in supply chain challenges, while Zimmer Biomet saw impressive growth within its SET category. Vericel’s MACI product continued its incredible performance in 2024 with nearly 20% growth.
Important Developments in the Sports Medicine Market
International Tip of the Spear. As the orthopedic market settled in 2024, the top players found significant growth opportunities in markets outside the United States. According to Stryker, international sales of its flagship 1788 camera drove growth across its entire portfolio. China, however, will remain a headwind in sports medicine as additional products will be exposed to volume-based procurement there in the second half of 2025.
Endoscopy Enabling MIS in Other Segments. Improving technology within sports medicine isn’t only driving sales within the segment, its helping companies expand their reach across orthopedics. Arthrex, the leading sports medicine company, recently launched its endoscopic spine portfolio. Enhanced visualization during minimally invasive surgery could reduce the number of spinal fusions done through large, open incisions and ultimately spread to more complex cases as surgeons gain proficiency.
Giving Surgeons More Information. Enabling technology has yet to generate the same level of interest in sports medicine as it has in joint replacement and spine. However, the planning software and navigation options commonly associated with robotics have proven useful in sports medicine, according to Dr. Nathan Skelley, a fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon at Sanford Health and the University of South Dakota School of Medicine. He said Stryker’s HipMap revolutionized his approach to hip arthroscopy.
Further Reading
Thanks for visiting! Need more insight into the sports medicine market? Questions and comments are always welcome. You can reach me by email. Until then, here are a few sports medicine posts I found interesting.
February 10, 2025
,
Carolyn LaWell
October 25, 2024
,
Carolyn LaWell
April 2, 2025
,
Julie A. Vetalice
March 25, 2025
,
Julie A. Vetalice
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