Plate and Screw Market Size, Share, & Trends Analysis | Global | 2025-2031 | Includes: Anatomical Screws, and 1 more

The global plate and screw market was valued at $2.4 billion in 2024. The market is projected to grow, reaching $2.8 billion by 2031.

This report covers the full suite of products in the global plate and screw market, including anatomical plates and screws and generic plates and screws. Anatomical constructs include fixation systems designed for specific bones such as the clavicle, proximal humerus, elbow, distal radius, hand, proximal femur, distal femur, proximal tibia, distal tibia, and foot. Generic plates and screws include titanium and stainless steel designs available in mini, small, and large fragment systems.

The report quantifies unit sales, average selling prices (ASPs), market values, growth rates, and company shares, and provides analysis of market drivers and limiters, recent mergers and acquisitions, and competitive developments. Historical data are provided to 2021, with forecasts through 2031.

Market Overview

Plates and screws remain the cornerstone of internal fixation in orthopedic trauma surgery. Their versatility across fracture types, anatomical locations, and patient profiles keeps them among the most widely used implants worldwide. While innovation in orthopedic trauma now extends across intramedullary nails, external fixators, and bioabsorbable materials, plates and screws continue to anchor treatment protocols due to their familiarity, proven biomechanics, and accessibility.

Globally, surgeons are transitioning from generic flat plates toward anatomically specific, pre-contoured designs that restore natural bone geometry more effectively. These systems minimize intraoperative bending and reduce operative time, leading to faster procedures and improved patient recovery. As hospitals and surgeons prioritize predictable outcomes, adoption of anatomical systems continues to rise, even as growth moderates from its initial acceleration in the early 2010s.

Material trends also shape the market. Titanium has steadily gained share from stainless steel because of its high biocompatibility, lighter weight, and lower imaging artifact. Titanium's improved affordability further supports this shift, particularly in mini and small fragment systems. However, stainless steel maintains strong demand in large-fragment plates and screws where higher weight-bearing strength remains advantageous.

Industry research continues to focus on new materials and hybrid alloys that optimize the balance of strength, corrosion resistance, and modulus of elasticity. Innovations in composite structures, coating technologies, and surface texturing are aimed at improving bone-implant integration and long-term stability.

Globally, market performance varies by region. Mature markets in North America and Western Europe show slower value growth due to pricing pressures from centralized procurement and established penetration. Meanwhile, Asia-Pacific and Latin America display faster unit expansion supported by increasing access to trauma care and surgeon training.

Market Drivers

Anatomic Plates and Screws

The proportion of anatomically specific, pre-contoured plates continues to expand. Designed to match the natural curvature and anatomy of each bone, these plates minimize intraoperative contouring and reduce the risk of malalignment. They also support faster recovery through improved fixation stability and optimal load transfer.

Surgeons favor anatomical systems because they simplify surgery and shorten time under anesthesia, especially in complex fractures of the distal radius, clavicle, proximal humerus, and lower limb. The transition toward these implants, though slower than in previous years, remains a consistent driver of value growth due to their higher ASP compared to generic plates.

Preference for Internal Fixation

Orthopedic surgeons continue to favor internal fixation over external fixation in a broad range of indications. Internal fixation provides more stable constructs and better cosmetic outcomes, while allowing for earlier patient mobilization. This trend benefits both the plate and screw segment and complementary categories such as intramedullary nails and cannulated screws. Locking plates, hybrid systems, and variable-angle technology have further expanded the range of indications for internal fixation, reinforcing this shift in clinical preference.

Titanium Plates and Screws

Titanium's biocompatibility and corrosion resistance make it ideal for long-term implantation. Its lighter weight improves patient comfort, while its favorable modulus of elasticity reduces stress shielding compared to stainless steel. Although titanium costs more, declining raw material prices and improved processing technologies have narrowed the gap, supporting broader adoption.

Titanium is now standard in many mini and small fragment systems, while stainless steel remains preferred in large fragment plates that must sustain higher loads. Because titanium devices command higher ASPs, their growing share supports steady value growth across the total market.

Material Innovation and Product Modularity

Research into new alloys and polymer composites continues to refine plate and screw design. Companies are experimenting with surface coatings and porosity adjustments to enhance osseointegration. Increasing modularity in systems-such as variable-angle screw holes, hybrid locking mechanisms, and combination plate sets-gives surgeons more intraoperative flexibility, which improves procedural efficiency and expands case suitability.

Market Limiters

ASP Decreases

Despite innovation, global ASPs for orthopedic implants face downward pressure. Hospitals and health systems are increasingly driven by cost-containment initiatives. Group purchasing organizations (GPOs), government tender systems, and public awareness of implant pricing are compressing margins in mature markets.

Countries such as China have introduced value-based procurement (VBP) frameworks that sharply reduce allowable implant prices through competitive bidding. Similar trends are spreading in Western Europe and North America, where procurement networks consolidate orders and negotiate lower prices. Over the forecast period, these pressures will limit revenue growth even as unit demand rises.

Competing Fixation Technologies

Growth in alternative fixation methods-notably intramedullary nails and external fixation-poses competitive challenges. Intramedullary nails allow early weight-bearing for long bone fractures and are favored for certain indications where they deliver superior outcomes. External fixation remains popular for temporary stabilization in severe trauma and for minimally invasive cases that require lower blood loss and shorter operative time.

While these technologies complement rather than replace plates and screws, their expanding indications in long-bone trauma and complex fractures create competitive overlap that limits upside growth.

Medical Device Regulation (MDR)

New regulatory standards, particularly in Europe, have raised the cost and complexity of bringing devices to market. The European Medical Device Regulation (MDR) has aligned closer to U.S. FDA standards, demanding extensive clinical validation and documentation for all new devices and even for legacy products undergoing certification renewal.

Compliance costs have increased substantially. For smaller manufacturers that previously relied on Europe as an early-launch region, these barriers slow innovation and limit competition. As a result, fewer new designs are entering the market each year, concentrating share among established multinational companies.

Market Coverage and Data Scope

• Time Frame: Base year 2024, forecasts 2025-2031, and historical data 2021-2023.
• Care Settings: Hospitals, orthopedic specialty centers, and trauma clinics performing internal fixation procedures.
• Methodology: Revenues modeled as units X ASP, validated against procedure data, import/export flow, and replacement frequency.

Market Segmentation Summary

• Plate and Screw Market - Further Segmented Into:
• Device Type: Anatomical and Generic
• Quantitative Coverage: Market size, market shares, market forecasts, growth rates, units sold, and ASPs.
• Qualitative Coverage: Market trends, market limiters, competitive analysis and SWOT profiles, mergers and acquisitions, company product portfolios, disruptive technologies, and relevant disease overviews.
• Data Sources: Primary interviews with orthopedic surgeons, hospital purchasing data, regulatory filings, import/export records, and iData Research's proprietary internal database.

Competitive Analysis

DePuy Synthes

DePuy Synthes held the leading share of the global plate and screw market in 2024. The company occupies the premium tier and has long been a reference name in internal fixation. Its leadership is reinforced by extensive surgeon loyalty, strong clinical data, and a comprehensive product portfolio covering all major anatomical sites.

DePuy Synthes continues to market its plates and screws under the LCP(R) (Locking Compression Plate) and VA-LCP(R) (Variable Angle Locking Compression Plate) brands. These systems are widely adopted for their modularity, variable-angle options, and wide anatomic coverage. Following Johnson & Johnson's acquisition of Synthes, DePuy Synthes has maintained its dominance despite intensified competition, with only marginal share erosion over time.

Stryker

Stryker held the second-largest share of the market in 2024. The company's position strengthened through both organic growth and acquisitions, including Wright Medical and Integra LifeSciences' orthopedics portfolio.

Stryker's AxSOS Plating Systems(R) remain a mainstay for long-bone fractures, offering multiple sizes and locking or non-locking configurations. Its VariAx(R) portfolio, designed for upper-extremity applications, emphasizes variable-angle capability for anatomic flexibility. The company's pricing is among the highest in the market, occasionally exceeding even DePuy Synthes, reflecting strong brand equity and perceived clinical performance.

Zimmer Biomet

Zimmer Biomet ranked third globally in 2024. Its plate and screw portfolio includes the Periarticular Locking Plating System (PLCP(R)), A.L.P.S.(R), and DVR(R) series, which address fractures of the radius, humerus, femur, and tibia. The company's Non-Contact Bridging(R) (NCB) technology provides locked fixation without plate-to-bone contact, reducing soft tissue irritation and preserving periosteal blood flow.

Zimmer Biomet competes primarily in the mid-tier pricing segment, with most products priced below the market average, except for select premium lines such as NCB. Its strong clinical network and global distribution capabilities support continued stable share in the total market.

Technology and Practice Trends

Variable-angle locking. Allows flexible screw placement without sacrificing stability, especially in periarticular fractures.

Hybrid fixation. Surgeons combine locking and non-locking screws within the same plate to optimize load sharing.

Low-profile plates. Slimmer constructs minimize soft tissue irritation and reduce the need for hardware removal.

Biocompatible coatings. Titanium and alloy coatings improve corrosion resistance and osteointegration.

Digitally guided contouring. Emerging systems allow virtual planning and 3D-printed pre-contoured plates tailored to patient anatomy.

Sterile single-use kits. Growing popularity in markets emphasizing infection control and procedural efficiency.

Geography

This edition provides global coverage across North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.

Methodology Appendix and Acronym Glossary included.

Why This Report

Where are the largest and fastest-growing regions within the global plate and screw market through 2031.

How will anatomical plate adoption influence ASP trends and value growth.

What are the implications of the global shift toward titanium and advanced alloys for pricing and competition.

Which companies lead in innovation, and how their portfolios compare in design, coverage, and pricing.

How regulatory and procurement pressures are shaping market access and profitability.

What role material advances and digital manufacturing will play in differentiating premium systems.

The Global Plate and Screw Market Report from iData Research answers these questions with procedure-level modeling, company share analysis, and pricing data.

Use it to quantify market demand, prioritize product development, support pricing strategy, and benchmark performance across competitors and regions.