Stryker is acquiring rival Wright Medical in a $4bn deal catapulting the company to a top position in the trauma and extremities market. The agreement, announced on 4 November, is Stryker’s biggest acquisition this year.

The worldwide joint-replacement implants market is expected to hit $20bn by 2022, according to a new report from Meddevicetracker. The growth is driven by the rising number of elderly patients, whose natural joints have been damaged by arthritis, and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, and sport-related injuries. But a look at the market and the three largest segments – shoulder, knee and hip replacements – show that new technological advancements and improved surgical techniques are increasingly making joint replacement surgeries an option for younger people as well. Here's an overview and key insights from two orthopedic surgeons on the current market and key growth drivers and limiters.

Permira has signed a deal to acquire a majority stake in orthopedics group Corin from a group of investors for an undisclosed price.

In reinventing itself as a niche specialist in the orthopedic market, Wright Medical is putting efforts into maintaining leadership in the upper and lower extremities and building on its biologics strengths – a sales platform that was reinforced highly synergistically on the acquisition of Tornier. But for however long Wright Medical can remain independent, how does it balance value-based health care with strategic development plans?