Increasing incidences of osteoarthritis in the baby boomer population and obesity in the general population will fuel growth in the knee-replacement implant market, according to a report released by industry analyst GlobalData. Based on data and information obtained from proprietary databases, primary and secondary research, and in-house analysis, "Knee Replacement Implants: Global Pipeline Analysis, Competitive Landscape, and Market Forecasts to 2017" presents the key trends affecting the knee implant market as well as analytical content on the market dynamics.

The report forecasts that the knee implant market will experience a compound annual growth rate of 6.8% from 2010 to 2017, and will rise to an estimated $10.9 billion in 2017 from $6.9 billion in 2010. And accounting for roughly 56% of this global knee-replacement implant market is the United States. Contributing factors to the lucrative state of the domestic market include awareness of treatment options, high obesity rates, and climbing incidences of osteoarthritis in the elderly population, according to the report.

Leading the market last year was Zimmer Holdings with 26% of the knee implant market share, followed closely behind by DePuy Inc. with 24% and Stryker Corp. with 21%. Other companies, including Smith & Nephew and Biomet, with 12% and 11% of the market, respectively, comprise the remaining 29%. These market rankings are subject to change, however, as the knee implant sector is extremely competitive, the report notes.