Derived from Strategic Transactions, Informa’s premium source for tracking life sciences deal activity, the Venture Funding Deals column provides a comprehensive monthly review of emerging life science companies that have received venture funding, including companies within the In Vitro Diagnostics, Medical Devices, and Pharmaceuticals sectors. This month’s column covers deals announced May through June.

Amidst low growth and a potential rebound in the $9 billion global spine market, the pure-play spine companies, including NuVasive, Globus, K2M and LDR, continue to outperform and grab share from the diversified giants. Medtech Insight founder and former CEO Sharon O'Reilly reports on these companies and more from the 2015 North American Spine Society (NASS) conference in Chicago, where the latest news centered around ancillary approaches to fusion, patient-specific tools, robotics, biologics, expandable cages, MIS and cervical discs.

In spite of increasing price pressure, the $9 billion global spine market is projected to see low-single-digit growth in the next few years. Driving growth are the pure-play spine companies targeting high-growth segments such as minimally invasive surgery, expandable interbody cases, cervical discs, and deformity.

Forget about inflating balloons to treat vertebral fractures: the PVA Pod System from Crosstrees Medical Inc. is a woven-fabric container that is positioned in the spine, and enables orthopedic surgeons or interventional radiologists to precisely control delivery of cement while reducing the threat of cement leakage.