World Wound Management Products

Global demand to rise 5.3% annually through 2016
The Freedonia Group projects world demand for wound management products increasing 5.3 percent annually to $38.6 billion in 2016. Based on the advanced nature of medical delivery systems and the widespread insurance coverage of residents for primary health care procedures, the United States, Western Europe, and Japan will combine for nearly 60 percent of this total. Demand in the developing countries as a whole will expand faster as the availability and accessibility of basic health care services improve.

Wound closures to remain largest selling product group
Wound closures will remain the largestselling group of wound management products, with world demand expanding 4.3 percent annually to $15.2 billion in 2016. Applications in surgery and trauma procedures, coupled with the increasing availability of high value-added absorbable sutures and staples and tissue sealants, will foster gains. By contrast, advances in minimally invasive medical technologies will hold down overall growth in world demand for wound closures, especially in the developed countries.

Increasing applications in the treatment of minor-to-moderate injuries will boost global demand for bandages 4.5 percent annually to nearly $10 billion in 2016. Adhesive bandages and tapes will continue to command the largest share of sales based on widespread use in first aid and sports medicine. Compression and related bandages for the immobilization of orthopedic injuries will command the greatest demand among other products in this group. Overall world growth opportunities for bandages will be moderated by the multiple supplier availability and limited pricing flexibility of most widely employed types.

Worldwide demand for wound dressings will increase 6.6 percent annually to $5.7 billion in 2016. Broad indications in the treatment of surgical incisions, minor-tomoderate burns, and acute and chronic skin abrasions, lacerations, and ulcers will underlie gains. Infection prevention standards promoting more frequent changing, coupled with the expanding availability of advanced biological and synthetic products, will underlie the favorable global projections for wound closures.

Bioengineered growth factors and negative pressure devices will realize the fastest growth in demand among other wound management products. Both products are effective in stimulating natural wound healing processes. As a result, they will gain applications in the primary and secondary treatment of serious wounds.