Knee Replacement Surgery Market Size, Growth, Share & Trends Analysis

The most significant driver is the rapidly growing patient population for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, along with approximately 1.5 billion older adults projected by 2050. Increasing obesity rates and sedentary lifestyles are also boosting the prevalence of degenerative knee conditions worldwide. Technological innovations, especially customized implants, AI-based pre-surgical planning, and robotic-assisted surgical systems, enhance precision, improve outcomes, and extend implant lifespan, encouraging wider adoption. Additionally, governments and insurers in developed markets are providing favorable reimbursement for minimally invasive and robotic knee replacement surgeries, which further drives market penetration. Meanwhile, medical tourism hubs like India, Thailand, and Turkey are becoming attractive growth markets due to lower procedure costs and expanding private hospital infrastructure..

Despite growth, the market still faces ongoing challenges. High surgical costs remain a barrier, especially in emerging economies with limited reimbursement coverage. Implant recalls and product failures have created reputational risks for OEMs, emphasizing the need for strict quality control. The availability of skilled surgeons is another obstacle, particularly in lower-income regions where access to advanced surgical training and robotics platforms is limited. Increasing competition from alternative treatments like regenerative medicine, stem cell therapy, and cartilage restoration procedures also threatens by delaying or replacing the need for knee replacement. Additionally, economic pressures in developed countries are boosting price negotiations, restricting OEMs’ ability to increase margins.

Significant opportunities exist in expanding adoption across emerging markets where procedure volumes are still low despite large patient pools. The development of smart implants with embedded sensors for real-time patient monitoring and post-surgical recovery tracking is expected to create new revenue streams for OEMs and digital health providers. Outpatient knee replacement procedures, supported by enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols, offer growth potential for ambulatory surgical centers. Partnerships between MedTech companies and insurers to provide bundled payment models will also boost adoption. Additionally, advances in biomaterials—such as 3D-printed implants and bioresorbable polymers—provide opportunities to differentiate product portfolios in a competitive market.

A key challenge is ensuring affordability and equitable access in low- and middle-income countries where patient need is high, but healthcare resources are limited. Implant price caps in markets such as India are restricting profitability and forcing companies to redesign go-to-market strategies. OEMs are also under increasing scrutiny for sustainability practices, including waste generated from implant packaging and surgical kits. Another challenge involves clinical evidence generation: payers are demanding long-term data on implant survival and patient outcomes, requiring OEMs to invest in costly registries and real-world evidence platforms. Finally, cyber risks associated with connected surgical robots and AI-driven planning systems present an emerging challenge as digitalization accelerates in the operating room.