Top 5 Sports Medicine Companies Honored at 2024 Future Healthcare 100 Awards: Fangrun Medical Among Leaders with Innovative Minimally Invasive Solutions

As an integrated and interdisciplinary clinical discipline that combines medicine with sports, sports medicine not only applies modern medical theories, methods, and technologies to research and prevent sports injuries and related diseases but also uses scientifically proven exercise methods to treat chronic conditions caused by lack of physical activity. This achieves the goals of preventing and treating injuries, promoting health, restoring bodily functions, and maintaining a healthy state.

Sports Medicine-Related Diseases Include Sports Injuries, Overuse Injuries, and Degenerative Diseases. In 2022, the number of people affected by sports medicine-related diseases in China was approximately 160 million, including over 20 million with sports injuries and about 140 million with other sports medicine-related conditions. In the future, with the continuous increase in sports participation rates among Chinese residents and the deepening degree of population aging, it is estimated that by 2030, the number of people affected by sports medicine-related diseases in China will reach approximately 190 million, with a compound annual growth rate of about 2.0% from 2022 to 2030.

At the national level, support for sports medicine continues to increase. The "Outline of the Sports Power Construction Plan" released by the State Council in 2019 explicitly proposed strengthening the construction of sports medicine service systems; the "Healthy China 2030 Planning Outline" in 2022 pointed out the need to develop the sports medicine industry and provide high-quality sports medical services to the public; in recent years, the state has successively introduced a number of supportive policies, such as incorporating sports medicine specialty construction into the healthcare system reform and supporting the training of high-end talents in sports medicine; local governments have also successively issued local sports medicine industry development plans. Under innovative concepts, a large number of new materials, technologies, and products have been applied in the field of sports medicine.

VCBeat hopes to use two dimensions—medical technology innovation and service model innovation—as references to identify high-growth innovators in the field of sports medicine. On the evening of May 9, 2024, VB100 and VCBeat officially announced the 2024 Future Healthcare 100 Strong selection and revealed the results.Top 5 Enterprises in Sports Medicine。

Forerunner Medical, established in 2009, is headquartered in the medical device industrial base of Zhangjiang Science City, Shanghai. It is a platform enterprise dedicated to the research, development, and production of innovative minimally invasive medical devices. The company owns three high-barrier core technology platforms: plasma ablation technology, radiofrequency ablation, and implants. Its business spans five major fields: sports medicine, spinal minimally invasive procedures, otolaryngology, tumor intervention, and respiratory intervention.

This company is committed to breaking the technological monopoly of foreign giants on low-temperature plasma equipment and radiofrequency medical devices. After more than 10 years of research, development, and market promotion, Forerunner Medical has successfully mastered core technologies, becoming a standard-setter in China’s plasma equipment and radiofrequency ablation treatment device industries. It has shattered the market monopoly held by foreign enterprises, particularly in the fields of sports medicine and cancer treatment, emerging as the leader in domestically produced low-temperature plasma and radiofrequency medical devices.

The low-temperature plasma surgical system integrates multiple functions such as vaporization, fusion cutting, shaping, thermal contraction, and hemostasis, which traditional instruments do not possess. The small and delicate diameter of the blade head, with various angles, can reach areas that traditional instruments cannot, such as the posterior horn of the meniscus. It does not produce solid particle residue, reduces the amount of irrigation, ensures a clear surgical field, and simplifies the operation process. Intraoperative hemostasis is safe and effective. All types of blade heads have excellent hemostatic functions and can be safely and effectively applied to hemostasis within joints, thereby shortening operation time and reducing surgical trauma.

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The working temperature of the plasma radiofrequency treatment device is 40°C ~ 70°C, with a thermal damage depth < 1 mm. It does not affect the metabolism of surrounding tissue cells and will not harm deep tissues while cleaning the joint cavity. Bipolar radiofrequency can thoroughly remove the synovium, which helps reduce the occurrence of joint hematomas and promotes the rehabilitation of joint function.

In the industry, Forerunner Medical was the first to enter the energy device field and has developed multiple plasma hosts and electrodes. Its products are widely used in sports medicine, minimally invasive spine surgery, and otolaryngology. In the sports medicine plasma knife market, Forerunner Medical ranks second among domestic and international brands and first among Chinese-produced brands.

Currently, Forerunner Medical has obtained 20 NMPA registrations, more than 100 national patents (including subsidiaries), and has received CE product certification as well as ISO13485 quality system certification. Among numerous products, the performance and quality of the low-temperature plasma joint electrodes in sports medicine have reached the level of imported products. In the field of sports medicine, apart from plasma scalpels, Forerunner Medical also offers a series of implant products such as titanium alloy suture anchors, titanium alloy ligament fixation screws, PEEK suture anchors, PEEK interference screws, adjustable loop titanium plates with sutures, and non-absorbable ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sutures, continuously improving comprehensive solutions for sports medicine and breaking the monopoly of imported products. In the field of tumor treatment, the company’s thyroid radiofrequency ablation system is the first domestically produced product to obtain registration certification. It is reported that Forerunner Medical's core products are used in thousands of hospitals across China and are sold in many countries and regions worldwide, including Europe, Southeast Asia, and Australia.

1. Six Key Directions for Medical Science and Technology Innovation:

Intelligent Diagnosis System for Sports Injuries: AI-Assisted Diagnosis Based on Imaging and Sports Biomechanics;

Sports Performance Evaluation System: Intelligent evaluation of athletes' physical fitness, technical movements, etc.;

Sports Health Management Platform: Aggregating sports medicine big data to provide personalized fitness solutions;

Sports Medical Robots: Used in surgery, rehabilitation, and other procedures to improve precision;

Motion Detection Monitoring Devices: Such as wearable sensors, pressure pads, etc., for real-time monitoring of the motion process;

Sports Gene Testing: Sports Genomics for Personalized Training Guidance.

2. Seven Key Service Areas:

Diagnostic and Treatment Services for Sports Injuries: Timely and Efficient Care for Sports Trauma;

Medical Security Services for Professional Athletes: Providing Comprehensive and Personalized Medical Support for Professional Athletes;

Athlete Training and Competition Management: Development of Scientific Training Programs, Physiological Monitoring, etc.;

Sports Medicine for Adolescents and Puberty: Assessment of Motor Development, Physical Fitness Training, etc.;

Mass Sports and Fitness: Prevention of Sports Injuries, Rehabilitation Guidance, etc.;

Exercise Intervention in Chronic Disease Treatment: Implementing sports medicine interventions for diabetes, obesity, etc.;

Sports Medicine Education and Training: Cultivating a Professional Sports Medicine Talent Team.