Zimmer Biomet buys 3-D imaging company to boost hip portfolio

Zimmer Biomet is continuing its acquisition spree, picking up 3-D imaging company Clinical Graphics for an undisclosed amount. The devicemaker will integrate the imaging tech into its hip preservation portfolio.

Based in Delft, The Netherlands, Clinical Graphics offers an online platform to convert traditional 2-D medical scans into “interactive, 3-D motion simulation reports,” according to the company. The Move Forward reports require no specialized software or training and may be used with any hospital IT system, the company said.

The software is designed to help surgeons understand the physiology of a patient’s pain and make treatment decisions for common hip conditions, such as hip impingement and dysplasia, the company said in a statement.

"3D imaging represents the next generation of treating joint pain, and we're excited to team up with Clinical Graphics and integrate our technologies to further enhance the clinical utility of our market leading hip portfolio," said Dan Williamson, Zimmer Biomet’s group president of Joint Reconstruction, in the statement. The deal is expected to close in Q4 2016.

In March, Jefferies analyst Raj Denhoy wrote that Zimmer Biomet would have $4.7 billion to spend over the next few years. And in 2016 alone, the company has made a number of moves. It has picked up soft tissue reconstruction startup Cayenne Medical and Compression Therapy Concepts, a garment-based compression company, for undisclosed amounts. In June, it ponied up $1 billion for LDR Holding in a bid to augment its spine business, and in July, it entered the surgical robotics space with its purchase of France’s Medtech for about $132 million.