Peking Union Medical College Hospital Transfers Hip Replacement Patent for RMB 550,000 to Aikang Yicheng

A hip replacement patent sold for 550,000!

Recently, Peking Union Medical College Hospital plans to transfer the patent for the "Hip Joint Replacement Intraoperative Angle Positioning Device" to AK Medical Holdings Limited (hereinafter referred to as "AK Medical") for 550,000 yuan. According to the public announcement by Peking Union Medical College Hospital, the individuals responsible for this achievement are Xisheng Weng and Yanyan Bian.

Reportedly, the "Angle Positioning Device for Hip Replacement Surgery" includes positioning components, anteversion angle measurement components, abduction angle measurement components, first adjustment components, second adjustment components, and reference components. This device can assist physicians in accurately measuring the abduction and anteversion angles of the acetabulum during surgery, making the procedure more precise and effectively reducing errors.

Total hip arthroplasty, as an effective treatment method, can significantly alleviate pain caused by hip diseases, correct deformities, and restore joint function. Because of this, the procedure is also regarded as one of the most successful operations of the twentieth century.

The ideal orientation of artificial hip prostheses must achieve a sufficient range of motion for the hip joint while maintaining low liner wear to reduce long-term revision rates. Specifically, in total hip arthroplasty, it is necessary to ensure proper positioning and implantation angles of the prosthesis. Only when the corresponding relationship of the prosthesis is well maintained can wear be effectively reduced, and hip impingement damage and dislocation be prevented.

Among these, the acetabular and femoral anteversion angles, as well as the acetabular abduction angle, are important measurement parameters and key indicators for evaluating the proper placement of acetabular prostheses. An appropriate acetabular abduction angle can prevent hip impingement and dislocation, maintaining the range of motion and stability of the artificial joint.

The posterior rim of the acetabulum appears linear proximally and curved distally. Meanwhile, the morphology of the anterior rim of the acetabulum also varies, including curved, straight, and irregular shapes, making it difficult to measure the anteversion angle of the acetabulum. Currently, during hip replacement surgery, surgeons typically can only estimate measurements by visual assessment during the operation.

However, there is currently a lack of professional measurement tools to accurately measure and determine the acetabular angle. Doctors often have to rely on visual estimation or experience for the connection between joints, which can lead to relatively large deviations. This increases the likelihood of errors during joint assembly, affecting the recovery of surgical joint function and potentially causing prosthesis loosening or dislocation. In severe cases, patients may require revision surgery, adding to their suffering and financial burden while also increasing the risk of various skeletal complications that can impact patient health.

This patented technology transferred by Peking Union Medical College Hospital happens to solve this problem. It allows physicians to perform surgery on patients with clear knowledge of the acetabular abduction angle and anteversion angle, further improving the success rate and accuracy of the surgery while reducing the incidence of complications.

With the intensification of aging trends, the number of patients with orthopedic diseases continues to rise, driving a sustained increase in demand for the artificial joint industry. At the same time, the early implementation of standardized and normalized training for joint replacement surgeries, along with the increase in surgical volumes at secondary and county-level hospitals, has become one of the main drivers of growth in this industry.

Driven by Multiple Factors, the Scale of China’s Joint Market Continues to Expand. According to data released by VCBeat, the number of hip joint surgeries increased from 168,000 cases in 2011 to 566,000 cases in 2019, with an annual compound growth rate of 18.9%. From 2012 to 2021, the scale of China’s joint market grew from 2.7 billion yuan to 11.2 billion yuan, with an annual compound growth rate of 13.3%.

After the implementation of national procurement for joint products, the process of domestic substitution in the joint sector has been significantly accelerated. In 2023, the National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) approved a total of 143 Class III medical device registration certificates for hip and knee joint prostheses, including 95 domestic certificates and 48 import certificates. According to the 2023 approval results for artificial joint product registrations, the proportion of approved hip joint registrations has reached 67.83%.

The main participants in this track currently include AK Medical, Chunli Medical, Dabo Medical Technology, Beijing Wego Yahua Artificial Joint Development, MicroPort Orthopedics, and Wuhan Mindray Technology.

The enterprise planning to purchase the patent from Peking Union Medical College Hospital this time is AK Medical.

Founded in 2003, this company is one of the earliest enterprises globally to commercialize additive manufacturing technology (3D printing technology) and apply it to implants for joint replacement, spine, trauma repair, and more. The company owns the 3D printing precision construction technology platform (3D Accurate Constructive Technology), the Supravit vacuum plasma spraying technology platform, the navigation/robotic intelligent technology platform (VTS/IBot), and the physician-engineer interactive personalized customization platform (Innovative Custom Orthopedic Solution).

According to data from the official website of AK Medical, AK Medical currently ranks among the top ten in the global hip joint market. In 2023, AK Medical made breakthroughs in the field of innovative hip joint products as its iBot hip joint surgical robot successfully obtained registration approval. Meanwhile, the 3D-printed acetabular cup and interbody fusion device, as second-generation 3D-printed products, were also approved for marketing. Based on the retention of 3D-printed trabecular bone technology, this product innovatively incorporates bioactive substances and features a unique micro-nano structure, successfully achieving a technological upgrade from bio-inertness to bioactivity.

It can be seen that, after long-term accumulation and precipitation, Chinese enterprises have been seizing the opportunity for development in recent years, rapidly occupying the domestic market with strong growth momentum.

Although China's orthopedic medical device industry started relatively late, it has grown rapidly. Driven by the dual opportunities of market expansion and import substitution, along with the centralized procurement policy boosting the market share of domestic brands, the volume of products entering hospitals has significantly increased. In the long term, leading domestic companies in the joint sector have broad business growth potential and promising development prospects, indicating a hopeful future for the localization process.