Item 1.Business

We are a medical technology company focused on the design, development, and advancement of technology for better surgical treatment of spinal disorders. Through our wholly owned subsidiaries, Alphatec Spine, Inc., SafeOp Surgical, Inc. and EOS imaging S.A., our mission is to revolutionize the approach to spine surgery through clinical distinction. We are focused on developing new approaches that integrate seamlessly with our expanding Alpha InformatiX^™ product platform to better inform surgery and to achieve the goal of spine surgery more safely and reproducibly. We have a broad product portfolio designed to address the spine’s various pathologies. Our ultimate vision is to be the standard bearer in spine.

In 2018, we embarked on a business transformation, replacing 100% of the executive team, 90% of our Board of Directors, and over 65% of the remaining team with spine-experienced professionals.  Efforts that year founded our Organic Innovation Machine^™, our in-house product design, development and testing capabilities aimed at the creation of clinical distinction, and furthered the strategic transition of our sales force to a more dedicated and clinically astute team.  Since 2018, we believe that we have achieved the highest organic U.S. growth of any public spine company in every quarter by capitalizing on the collective spine experience that we have amassed and by investing in research and development to continually bring to market differentiated products and procedures designed to better meet the requirements of spine surgery.

Revenue from products and services was $242.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, representing an increase of $101.2 million, or 72% compared to $141.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.  We believe our future success will continue to be fueled by the introduction and traction of the distinct products and procedures that we have developed and that we are well-positioned to capitalize on current spine market dynamics.

Recent Developments

0.75% Senior Convertible Notes due 2026

In August 2021, we issued $316.3 million principal amount of unsecured senior convertible notes with a stated interest rate of 0.75% (the “2026 Notes”). Interest on the 2026 Notes is payable semi-annually in arrears on February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning on February 1, 2022. The 2026 Notes are convertible into shares of our common stock based upon an initial conversion rate of 54.5316 shares of our common stock per $1,000 principal amount of 2026 Notes (equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $18.34 per share). The initial conversion price of the 2026 Notes represents a premium of approximately 100% over the closing price of our common stock on August 5, 2021, the date the 2026 Notes offering was priced. The net proceeds from the sale of the 2026 Notes were approximately $306.2 million after deducting the offering expenses. The 2026 Notes will mature on August 1, 2026, unless earlier converted, redeemed, or repurchased.

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We used $39.9 million of the net proceeds from the 2026 Notes offering to enter into separate capped call instruments with certain financial institutions (the “Capped Call Transactions”). The Capped Call Transactions are generally expected to reduce potential dilution to our common stock beyond the conversion price up to the capped price on any conversion of the 2026 Notes and/or offset any payments we make in excess of the principal amount upon conversion.

In addition, we repurchased 1,806,358 shares of our common stock for approximately $25.0 million concurrently with the issuance of the 2026 Notes. We also used approximately $53.4 million of the net proceeds to repay all obligations under our secured term loan with Squadron Medical Finance Solutions, LLC (the “Term Loan”) and our inventory finance agreement with an inventory supplier (the “Inventory Financing Agreement”). We intend to use the remainder of the net proceeds from the 2026 Notes for general corporate purposes.

Acquisition of EOS

On May 13, 2021, we acquired a controlling interest in EOS imaging S.A. (“EOS”), pursuant to the Tender Offer Agreement (the “Tender Offer Agreement”) we entered on December 16, 2020, and in June 2021, we purchased the remaining issued and outstanding ordinary shares for a 100% interest in EOS. EOS, which now operates as our wholly owned subsidiary, is a global medical device company that designs, develops and markets innovative, low-dose 2D/3D full-body scans for biplanar weight-bearing imaging, rapid 3D modeling of EOS patient X-ray images, web-based patient-specific surgical planning, and the integration of surgical plan into the operating room. We plan to integrate this technology into our Alpha InformatiX^™ product platform to inform the entire spectrum of care from diagnosis to follow-up and better achieve alignment objectives in spine surgery, the greatest correlative to long-term successful outcomes¹.

COVID-19 Pandemic

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen volatility in sales trends as the elective surgeries that employ our products and services have been impacted to varying degrees.

We continue to monitor the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and recognize it may continue to negatively impact our business and results of operations during 2022 and beyond. Given the present uncertainty surrounding the pandemic, we expect continued volatility through at least the remaining duration of the pandemic as the impact on individual markets and responses to conditions by international, state and local governments varies. 

Strategy

Our vision is to be the standard bearer in spine. By leveraging our team’s extensive spine experience to create clinically distinct solutions that improve surgical outcomes, we believe that we are positioned to take a greater share of the U.S. spine market, becoming the partner of choice for spine surgeons, hospitals, healthcare systems, and payors.

To achieve our vision and build long-term value, we continue to prioritize the following vital initiatives:

Create Clinical Distinction

We are committed to the development, launch, and promotion of technologies intended to improve spine surgery. We have developed, and continue to seek to develop, next-generation access systems, implants, biologics, and enabling technologies that integrate seamlessly and beget objective decision-making to successfully address the core spine pathologies, regardless of surgical approach.

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We continue to make investments to advance the clinical distinction of our product portfolio and accelerate revenue growth. During the year ended December 31, 2021, we launched a total of 10 new products and procedures and began to integrate EOS imaging technology into our Alpha InformatiX product platform. Our comprehensive portfolio now offers over 80 products across various product categories, of which roughly 40 were launched between July 2018 and December 2021.

With the expansion of our product portfolio, we continue to drive year-over-year increases in revenue contributions from new products, increases in product categories used per surgery, average revenue per surgery, and revenue per surgeon. For the year ended December 31, 2021, the percentage of revenue contribution from new products was 82%, compared to 67% in the prior year. Aggregate product categories used per surgery expanded to 2.0 for the full-year 2021, compared to 1.8 in the prior year.  

Looking to 2022 and beyond, we intend to continue to be a pioneer of industry innovation. As such, we expect growth will continue to be driven by new technologies that improve the reproducibility and predictability of surgery, expanding surgeon adoption of our procedures and increasing the number of our products sold into each surgery.

Compel Surgeon Adoption

An integral part of our strategy is to compel surgeon adoption of the innovative products that we have and will continue to introduce. A key component of our drive to inspire surgeon interest is the “ATEC Experience”. The ATEC Experience is an outcome-based educational program for visiting surgeons facilitated at our headquarters in Carlsbad, CA. The program provides an interactive learning environment tailored to surgeon needs through both a peer-to-peer and subject matter expert approach. We leverage our state-of-the-art, 7-station cadaveric lab to enable visiting surgeons to gain deep practical experience with our procedural solutions and educate participants on our role in shaping innovation.

The surgeon relationships we are creating through our educational program continue to drive strong growth, evidenced by the increase in surgeon participation in the program, as well as the continued growth of surgeon adoption. Over 400 surgeons participated in the ATEC Experience in 2021, driving growth in our surgeon user base in 2021, and increasing average revenue per surgeon and average revenue per surgery in 2021. Revenue attributable to new surgeon customers has continued to contribute meaningfully to revenue growth overall.

Revitalize the Sales Channel

We market and sell our products through a network of independent distributors and direct sales representatives.

Distributors.  To deliver increasingly consistent, predictable growth, we have added, and intend to continue to add, clinically astute and exclusive direct distributors to form a strategic U.S. sales network. Consolidation in the industry continues to facilitate the process as large, seasoned agents are seeking opportunities to partner with a spine-focused company at the forefront of innovation. The expansion and professionalization of our sales team is allowing us to reach untapped surgeons, hospitals, and national accounts across the U.S., as well as better penetrate existing accounts and territories.

During 2021, the percentage of U.S. revenue driven by strategic independent distributors increased to 97% of our U.S. revenue, up from 92% in 2020. Revenue from our strategic sales channel grew by 59% in 2021, compared to 2020.

National Accounts. We employ a national accounts team that is responsible for securing access at hospitals and group purchasing organizations (“GPOs”) across the U.S. We have been very successful securing access to hospitals and GPOs and a majority of our business is achieved through these accounts. We will continue to focus on developing and maintaining relationships with key GPOs and hospital networks to secure favorable contracts and develop strategies to convert or grow business within these existing accounts.

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Sales Training and Education. We continually enhance our sales training and education programs for independent distributors and direct sales representatives to optimize sales productivity.

EOS Sales Team Integration.  With our acquisition of EOS in May 2021, we aligned EOS’ U.S.-based capital sales team with our regional sales leadership.  The EOS sales team will continue to focus on hospital administrators, now with the benefit of leads generated by our broadening sales team.  

Spine Anatomy

The spine is the core of the human skeleton and provides important structural support and alignment while remaining flexible to allow movement. The spine is a column of 33 bones that protects the spinal cord and provides the main support for the body. Each bony segment of the spine is referred to as a vertebra (two or more are called vertebrae). The spine has five regions containing groups of similar bones, listed from top to bottom: seven cervical vertebrae in the neck, twelve thoracic vertebrae in the mid-back (each attached to a rib), five lumbar vertebrae in the lower back, five sacral vertebrae fused together to form one bone called the sacrum, which sits in the pelvis, and four coccygeal bones fused together that form the tailbone. At the front of each vertebra is a block of bone called the vertebral body. Vertebrae are stacked on top of each other and separated from each other through a cushioning intervertebral disc in the front, and bony joints in the back, which create the stability and mobility needed for sitting, standing, and walking. Strong muscles and bones, flexible tendons and ligaments, and sensitive nerves contribute to a healthy spine. Pain can be caused when any of these structures is affected by strain, injury, or disease.

The Alphatec Solution

Our principal procedural offerings include a wide variety of Approach Technologies designed to achieve clinical success in conditions from degenerative disc disease to complex deformity and trauma. Our Approach Technologies comprise intraoperative information and neuromonitoring technologies, access systems, interbody implants, fixation systems, and various biologics offerings; all designed to improve patient outcomes by achieving the three tenets of spine surgery: (1) decompression, (2) stabilization, and (3) alignment.

We continue to execute on our communicated product strategy, leveraging investments made to provide the sales channel with a differentiated portfolio and to build a strong pipeline capable of launching 8-10 solutions each year going forward (10 released in 2021 and 11 in 2020).  Integrated new surgical approaches such as PTP™, enabling technologies such as EOS imaging equipment and our SafeOp Neural InformatiX System™, and the continued advancement of innovations like IdentiTi™, a differentiated portfolio of titanium interbody cages, and InVictus^®, a next-generation pedicle screw system capable of addressing the spine from occiput to ilium, continue to gain traction and are delivering on our goal of driving above-market revenue growth. While new products launched since new management took over in late 2017 accounted for less than 10% of total revenue in 2018, that percentage increased to 82% in 2021.

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Figure 1: Our portfolio of access systems, implants, technologies and biologics are designed to seamlessly integrate and enhance clinical outcomes across multiple pathologies, regardless of a surgeon’s preferred surgical approach.

The prone transpsoas (“PTP”) approach, was designed by the team that created the lateral approach for spinal fusion to treat a wide range of patient pathologies. The technique has been designed to leverage the benefits achieved by lateral spinal fusion procedures, such as reduced blood loss, shorter hospital stays, and quicker recovery times, while addressing the known challenges that have limited adoption of the technique². Compared to a standard lateral procedure, the PTP approach positions the patient in a prone (face down) position, allowing simultaneous access to the spine laterally (from the side) and posteriorly (from the back), all while in a more familiar surgical position and offering a more streamlined approach. The PTP technique minimizes unnecessary patient repositioning, enhances time efficiencies, provides surgeons with increased optionality and achieves spinal alignment objectives more reproducibly. To date, surgeons have performed over 2,500 PTP procedures.

The SafeOp Neural InformatiX System, the first advanced technology to launch from our Alpha InformatiX product platform, uniquely delivers real-time, objective, and actionable information about both nerve location and nerve health to surgeons. Integration of the information with our advanced access and implant technologies equips surgeons with procedural solutions designed to enhance safety, efficiency, and reproducibility.

The sophistication of the InVictus Posterior Fixation System continues to be expanded, providing adaptable, predictable surgical treatment of a range of pathologies through open, MIS, or hybrid approaches. The commercial release of InVictus OCT in early 2021 extended the system’s proficiencies to include the thoracic and cervical spine, creating a single system capable of addressing the entire spine from occiput to ilium with familiar and consistent instrument design, simplified screw insertion, and intraoperative adaptability. The launch of InVictus OsseoScrew^® later in 2021 advanced the system with the first and only expandable screw commercially available in the United States. OsseoScrew has been designed to optimize fixation and address fixation failure in compromised bone.

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Current Product Portfolio

Figure 2: We are creating clinical distinction with our portfolio of procedurally integrated approach-based products and technologies.

Alpha InformatiX

The SafeOp Neural InformatiX System launched in November 2019 and is the first installment from our Alpha InformatiX product platform. Our Alpha InformatiX product platform is an advanced neuromonitoring solution, which is designed to reduce the risk of intraoperative nerve injury. The SafeOp Neural InformatiX System is our patented next-generation technology which automates somatosensory evoked potential (“SSEP”) monitoring and is designed to provide surgeons with objective, real-time feedback on an easy-to-use mobile platform, while providing increased intraoperative information that monitors nerve health during a surgical procedure.

Key features of the SafeOp Neural InformatiX System include:

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The EOS imaging portfolio provides unbiased, calibrated full-body imaging that enable a 3D model of patients’ skeletal systems and provide unprecedented diagnostic and surgical planning capabilities. The integration of ATEC’s approach-specific solutions into EOS’ 3D surgical planning platform is expected to better inform surgery and enhance the predictability of outcomes by allowing surgeons to more effectively assess patients’ full-body alignment, establish surgical objectives, and simulate surgery with optimized implants.

Key features of the EOS portfolio include:

Access Systems

The Sigma-TLIF Pedicle-based Access System™ provides direct visualization of key anatomical landmarks to help create a reproducible transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (“TLIF”) approach. Key features include:

The Sigma PTP Access System™ was developed specifically for the PTP procedure and is designed to maximize efficiency and help achieve alignment through increased rigidity, customizable exposure, and intuitive orthogonality. Key features include:

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The PTP Patient Positioning System™ was developed specifically for the PTP procedure as an adjunct to the Sigma-PTP Access System. Designed to maximize the positional effects of having the patient in a prone position while streamlining operating room setup and provide a fully integrated rigid construct, the system’s key features include:

The Squadron^® Lateral Retractor is designed to maximize patient outcomes during lateral-approach surgery with the patient in the lateral decubitus position. The retractor offers multiple features to accommodate a variety of surgical techniques, as well as more quickly establish access, leading to minimized retraction times. Key features include:

Fixation Systems

The InVictus Spinal Fixation Systems (Open and MIS), which were introduced in 2019, are comprehensive thoracolumbar fixation systems that are designed to treat a range of pathologies. Fully integrated with our SafeOp electromyography (“EMG technology”), InVictus assists surgeons with intraoperative adaptability and surgical efficiency through a variety of surgical approaches including open, minimally invasive (“MIS”) or hybrid approaches. Key system features include:

The InVictus MIS SingleStep System is an extension of the InVictus platform, which offers a simplified approach to traditional minimally invasive pedicle screw placement through utilization of an all-in-one driver which is designed to improve surgical efficiency without compromising accuracy. SingleStep eliminates guidewire management and targeting needles, while reducing instrument passes, procedural steps, screw insertion time, and reliance on fluoroscopy.³ Key features include:

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The InVictus Modular Fixation Systems (Open and MIS) are extensions of the InVictus platform and are designed to enhance adaptability with the power of screw modularity. Key features include:

The InVictus OsseoScrew System is an expandable screw system used in conjunction with the InVictus platform, and as an alternative to the use of cemented fenestrated screws. OsseoScrew is designed to restore the integrity of the spinal column in the absence of fusion (for a limited period) in patients with advanced stage tumors involving the thoracic and lumbar spine, and whose life expectancy is of insufficient duration to permit achievement of fusion. Key features include:

The Arsenal^® Spinal Fixation System is a comprehensive thoracolumbar fixation platform with components to support procedures aimed to fix a range of degenerative to deformity pathologies and both primary and revision surgical procedures. The Arsenal Spinal Fixation System also contains thread forms to accommodate both traditional and medialized (cortical) trajectories. Key features include:

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The Aspida Anterior Lumbar Plating System™ is a fixation system for anterior lumbar interbody fusion (“ALIF”) and consists of specifically designed lumbar and lumbo-sacral anterior plates and dual-lead self-drilling and self-tapping screws. Its intuitive instrument design, which is complemented by the AnchorMax™ locking mechanism is designed to provide efficient and effective anterior plating. Key features include:

The AMP Anti-Migration Plate™ is a plating system designed to be used with our lateral interbody spacer system and is designed to provide integrated fixation for lateral interbody fusion (“LIF”) constructs. Key features include:

The InVictus OCT Spinal Fixation System is an extension of the InVictus platform with implant solutions to span the occipital-cervical-thoracic regions and is compatible with our Arsenal^® and InVictus Spinal Fixation Systems using various rod-to-rod connectors and/or transitional rods.

The Trestle Luxe^® Anterior Cervical Plate System is a fixation system used in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion procedures (“ACDF”). Key features include:

The Insignia Anterior Cervical Plate System™ is our next-generation ACDF fixation system. Key features include:

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Interbody Systems

IdentiTi Porous Ti Interbody Implants™ are designed to provide the biological, biomechanical, and imaging characteristics that surgeons seek in a fusion construct. The subtractive process used to manufacture each IdentiTi Implant results in more predictable mechanical performance and enhanced imaging characteristics. IdentiTi implants take advantage of bone’s affinity for titanium and because of their porosity, have a surface roughness that enhances stability.⁷  Key features include:

Transcend^® Lateral Interbody Implants are polyetheretherketone (“PEEK”) interbody spacers for use in LIF procedures. Transcend and IdentiTi Lateral Implants are designed to function with the same instrumentation, providing surgeons with a more seamless experience regardless of implant material. The Transcend implant offering provides continuity in lordotic options with a refined design to meet a surgeon’s lateral needs. Key features include:

Battalion^® Posterior Interbody Implants combine a PEEK body with our patented TiTec™ (titanium) coating technology to take advantage of the characteristics of both materials. The PEEK material allows surgeons to assess fusion through the implant while the titanium-coating provides initial stability due to the roughened surface. Key features include:

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Novel^® is a PEEK intervertebral body fusion system consisting of varying lengths, widths, and heights to accommodate individual patient anatomies and procedural approaches. Key features include:

Biologics

Cervical Structural Allograft Spacers™ consist of our portfolio of allograft spacers which are available in a range of shapes and sizes, each with corresponding instrumentation, and are intended for use in the cervical spine.

3D ProFuse Demineralized Bone Scaffold™ consists of a sponge-like demineralized bone matrix that has been pre-cut into sizes to fit within a spinal spacer. The 3D ProFuse Demineralized Bone Scaffold provides a natural scaffold derived entirely from bone that can be placed into a void within a spinal spacer or around a spinal spacer. The sponge-like qualities of the scaffold allow a surgeon to compress the scaffold and place it into a small space. Following placement, the scaffold expands for maximum contact between the spinal spacer and the endplate of the vertebral body and is designed to promote fusion.

Neocore^® Osteoconductive Matrix is designed to provide an effective core environment for bone growth through a synthetic scaffold. When hydrated with patient bone marrow aspirate (“BMA”), Neocore becomes a complete bone graft, which possesses all the necessary components of bone growth. Engineered to perform like natural bone, Neocore’s composition and porosity provide the benefits of rapid revascularization throughout graft and supports replacement of three-dimensional matrix with healthy new bone growth. Offering excellent handling characteristics, these pre-formed strips are flexible to conform to adjacent structures, compressible, and moldable.

AlphaGRAFT^® Demineralized Bone Matrix (DBM) consists of demineralized human tissue that is mixed with a bioabsorbable carrier and intended for use in surgery for bone grafting and is available in gel, putty, and fiber forms. AlphaGRAFT DBM Fibers combine the regenerative capacity of interconnected fibers with the maximum availability of growth factors endogenous to bone. Composed of 100% demineralized fibers, AlphaGRAFT DBM Fibers offer moldable, cohesive handling characteristics and provide an osteoconductive scaffold for the delivery of autologous stem cells.

AlphaGRAFT Cellular Bone Matrix is our most recent addition to this family of products and is a growth factor-enriched cellular bone matrix (“CBM”) with two differentiating technologies. Cellular activity via retention of endogenous mesenchymal stem cells and osteoprogenitor cells; and intracellular growth factors from the bone and bone marrow stroma contribute to amplify growth factors bound to the extracellular matrix of the bone, resulting in a product that exhibits the angiogenic, osteoinductive, and mitogenic growth factors necessary for bone growth. AlphaGRAFT CBM may be delivered in granular, fiber, or structural form.

Amnioshield^® Amniotic Tissue Barrier is an allograft for spinal surgical barrier applications. The composite amniotic membrane reduces inflammation and enhances healing at the surgical site, reduces scar tissue formation, and provides an excellent dissection plane.

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Products and Technologies Under Development

Internally Developed Products and Technologies

We are expanding our portfolio of products and technologies to enhance clinical outcomes across multiple pathologies, regardless of a surgeon’s preferred surgical approach.  We expect to launch 8-10 new products during 2022.

Research and Development

Our research and development team seeks to better meet the requirements of each surgical approach and design and release new products that increase our penetration of the U.S. spine market. We are focused on developing technology platforms and products that span the largest market segments addressing degenerative and deformity spine pathologies. We have transformed our development process by focusing our programs and leveraging integrated teams to reduce the time frame from product concept to market commercialization. We also collaborate with surgeon partners to design products that are intended to enhance the clinical experience, simplify surgical techniques, and reduce overall costs, while improving patient outcomes. Most of our product development efforts are fully integrated in a singular location, our Carlsbad headquarters, which allows us to bring products from concept to market rapidly responding to surgeon and patient needs. Our resources include a technology advancement cell for rapid prototyping, a cadaveric lab, and mechanical testing laboratory.

Sales and Marketing

We market and sell our products through a sales force consisting of dedicated and non-dedicated independent distributors and dedicated employee direct sales representatives. We employ a team of area vice presidents (“AVPs”), and regional business managers (“RBMs”), who are responsible for overseeing the sales channel process in their territories. Although surgeons in the U.S. typically make the ultimate decision to use our products, we generally invoice the hospital for the products that are used and pay commissions to the sales representative, or the sales agent based on payment received from the hospital. We compensate our direct sales employees, AVPs, and RBMs through salaries and incentive bonuses based on performance measures.

We evaluate and select our distribution partners and sales employees based upon their expertise in selling spinal devices, reputation within the surgeon community, geographical coverage, and established sales network.

We market our products at various industry conferences, organized surgical training courses, and in industry trade journals and periodicals.

Surgeon Training and Education

We focus our surgeon training efforts on delivering critical technical skills needed to perform the entire spinal fusion procedure through a peer-to-peer approach for qualified surgeon customers. Well-timed surgeon education programs drive customer conversion and loyalty by focusing on delivering value through improved clinical outcomes. We devote significant resources to training and education and are committed to a culture of scientific excellence and ethics.

We believe that one of the most effective ways to introduce and build market demand for our products is by training and educating spine surgeons, independent distributors, and direct sales representatives on the benefits and use of our products. Sales training programs are a platform for learning and organizational development, ensuring the sales force is clinically competitive and considered an essential resource to all stakeholders. We focus on cross-functional collaboration and alignment to deliver timely and relevant programs to meet surgeon and representative needs and positively impact the business.

Our training and education programs are designed to support new product introductions to the market as well as ongoing portfolio advancement. Our resources are nimble and responsive and include field-based engagements to supplement our core curriculum. We believe this is an effective way to increase overall surgeon adoption of our new products.

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We believe that surgeons, independent distributors, and direct sales representatives will become exposed to the merits and distinguishing features of our products through our training and education programs, and that such exposure will increase the use and promotion of our products. With a focus on the entire procedure, we expect to build awareness of the breadth of our product offering. We are conscientious in the pursuit of delivering value to all stakeholders. Our goal is to provide surgeon education programs, coupled with a growing and comprehensive sales training platform that create a sustainable competitive advantage for our organization.

Manufacture and Supply

We rely on third-party suppliers for the manufacture of all our implants and instruments. Outsourcing implant manufacturing reduces our need for capital investment and reduces operational expense. Additionally, outsourcing provides expertise and capacity necessary to scale up or down based on demand for our products. We select our suppliers to ensure that all of our products are safe, effective, adhere to all applicable regulations, are of the highest quality, and meet our supply needs. We employ a rigorous supplier assessment, qualification, and selection process targeted to suppliers that meet the requirements of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”), and International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”), and quality standards supported by internal policies and procedures. Our quality assurance process monitors and maintains supplier performance through qualification and periodic supplier reviews and audits.

The raw materials used in the manufacture of our non-biologic products are principally titanium, titanium alloys, stainless steel, cobalt chrome, ceramic, allograft, and PEEK. With the exception of PEEK, none of our raw material requirements is limited to any significant extent by critical supply. We are subject to the risk that Invibio, one of a limited number of PEEK suppliers, will be unable to supply PEEK in adequate amounts and in a timely manner. We believe our supplier relationships and quality processes will support our potential capacity needs for the foreseeable future.

With respect to biologics products, we are FDA-registered and licensed in the states of California, New York, and Florida, the only states that currently require licenses. Our facility and the facilities of the third-party suppliers we use are subject to periodic unannounced inspections by regulatory authorities and may undergo compliance inspections conducted by the FDA and corresponding state and foreign agencies. Because our biologics products are processed from human tissue, maintaining a steady supply can sometimes be challenging. We have not experienced significant difficulty in locating and obtaining the materials necessary to fulfill our production requirements and we have not experienced a meaningful disruption to sales orders.

In connection with the sale of the previous international distribution business, the Company entered into a product manufacture and supply agreement (the “Supply Agreement”) with Globus Medical Ireland, Ltd., a subsidiary of Globus Medical, Inc., and its affiliated entities (collectively “Globus Medical”), pursuant to which the Company supplied to Globus Medical certain of its implants and instruments, previously offered for sale by the Company in international markets at agreed-upon prices. The Supply Agreement expired and terminated on August 31, 2021.

Competition

Although we believe that our current broad product portfolio and development pipeline is differentiated and has numerous competitive advantages, the spinal implant industry is highly competitive, subject to rapid technological change, and significantly affected by new product introductions. We believe that the principal competitive factors in our market include:

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Both our currently marketed products and any future products we commercialize are subject to intense competition. We believe that our most significant competitors are Medtronic (Sofamor Danek), Johnson & Johnson (DePuy Spine), Stryker, NuVasive, Zimmer Biomet, Globus Medical, and others, many of which have substantially greater financial resources than we do. In addition, these companies may have more established distribution networks, entrenched relationships with physicians and greater experience in developing, launching, marketing, distributing, and selling spinal implant products.

Some of our competitors also provide non-operative therapies for spine disorder conditions. While these non-operative treatments are considered to be an alternative to surgery, surgery is typically performed in the event that non-operative treatments are unsuccessful. We believe that, to date, these non-operative treatments have not caused a material reduction in the demand for surgical treatment of spinal disorders.

Intellectual Property

We rely on a combination of patent, trademark, copyright, trade secret and other intellectual property laws, nondisclosure agreements, proprietary information ownership agreements, and other measures to protect our intellectual property rights. We believe that in order to have a competitive advantage, we must develop, maintain, and enforce the proprietary aspects of our technologies. We require our employees, consultants, co-developers, distributors and advisors to execute agreements governing the ownership of proprietary information and use and disclosure of confidential information in connection with their relationship with us. In general, these agreements require these individuals and entities to agree to disclose and assign to us all inventions that were conceived on our behalf, or which relate to our property or business and to keep our confidential information confidential and only use such confidential information in connection with our business.

Patents. As of December 31, 2021, we and our affiliates owned, or we exclusively owned 184 issued U.S. patents, 36 pending U.S. patent applications and 214 issued or pending foreign patents. We own multiple patents relating to unique aspects and improvements for several of our products. We do not believe that the expiration of any single patent is likely to significantly affect our intellectual property position.

Trademarks. As of December 31, 2021, we and our affiliates owned 27 registered U.S. trademarks and 15 registered trademarks outside of the U.S.

Government Regulation

Our products are subject to extensive regulation by the FDA and other U.S. federal and state regulatory bodies and comparable authorities in other countries. Our products are subject to regulation under the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”), and in the case of our tissue products, also under the Public Health Service Act (“PHSA”). To ensure that our products are safe and effective for their intended use, the FDA regulates, among other things, the following activities that we or our partners perform and will continue to perform:

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Government Regulation—Medical Devices

FDA’s Premarket Clearance and Approval Requirements. Unless an exemption applies, each medical device we wish to commercially distribute in the United States will require either FDA clearance of a premarket notification requesting permission for commercial distribution under Section 510(k) of the FDCA, also referred to as a 510(k) clearance, or approval of a premarket approval application, (“PMA”). The information that must be submitted to the FDA in order to obtain clearance or approval to market a new medical device varies depending on how the medical device is classified by the FDA. Under the FDCA medical devices are classified into one of three classes - Class I, Class II or Class III-depending on the degree of risk associated with the use of the device and the extent of manufacturer and regulatory controls deemed to be necessary by the FDA to reasonably ensure their safety and effectiveness.

Class I devices are those with the lowest risk to the patient for which safety and effectiveness can be reasonably assured by adherence to a set of regulations, referred to as General Controls, which require compliance with the applicable portions of the FDA’s Quality System Regulation (“QSR”), facility registration and product listing, reporting of adverse events and malfunctions, and appropriate, truthful and non-misleading labeling and promotional materials. Some Class I devices also require 510(k) clearance by the FDA, though most Class I devices are exempt from the premarket notification requirements. Class II devices are those that are subject to the General Controls, as well as Special Controls, which can include performance standards, product-specific guidance documents and post-market surveillance. Manufacturers of most Class II devices are required to submit to the FDA a premarket notification under Section 510(k) of the FDCA. Class III devices include devices deemed by the FDA to pose the greatest risk such as life-supporting or life-sustaining devices, or implantable devices, in addition to those deemed not substantially equivalent following the 510(k) process. The safety and effectiveness of Class III devices cannot be reasonably assured solely by compliance with the General Controls and Special Controls described above. Therefore, these devices must be the subject of an approved PMA. Both 510(k)s and PMAs are subject to the payment of user fees at the time of submission for FDA review.

If the FDA determines that the device is not “substantially equivalent” to a predicate device following submission and review of a 510(k) premarket notification, or if the manufacturer is unable to identify an appropriate predicate device and the new device or new use of the device presents a moderate or low risk, the device sponsor may either pursue a PMA approval or seek reclassification of the device through the de novo process. Our current products on the market in the U.S. are Class II devices marketed under FDA 510(k) premarket clearance.

510(k) Clearance Pathway. To obtain 510(k) clearance, we must submit a premarket notification demonstrating that the proposed device is substantially equivalent to a device legally marketed in the United States. A predicate device is a legally marketed device that is not subject to premarket approval, i.e., a device that was legally marketed prior to May 28, 1976 (pre-amendments device) and for which a PMA is not required, a device that has been reclassified from Class III to Class II or I, or a device that was found substantially equivalent through the 510(k) process. To be “substantially equivalent,” the proposed device must have the same intended use as the predicate device, and either have the same technological characteristics as the predicate device or have different technological characteristics and not raise different questions of safety or effectiveness than the predicate device. Clinical data is sometimes required to support substantial equivalence.

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The FDA’s goal is to review and act on each 510(k) within 90 days of submission, but on average the process usually takes approximately six months.  It may take less time depending on the type of device and it may take longer if the FDA requests additional information. Most 510(k)s do not require supporting data from clinical trials, but the FDA may request such data. If the FDA agrees that the device is substantially equivalent, it will grant clearance to commercially market the device.

After a device receives 510(k) clearance, any modification that could significantly affect its safety or effectiveness, or that would constitute a new or major change in its intended use, will require a new 510(k) clearance or, depending on the modification, require premarket approval. The FDA requires each manufacturer to determine whether the proposed change requires the submission of a 510(k) or PMA, but the FDA can review any such decision and can disagree with a manufacturer’s determination. If the FDA disagrees with a manufacturer’s determination, the FDA can require the manufacturer to cease marketing and/or recall the modified device until 510(k) clearance or PMA is obtained. If the FDA requires us to seek a new 510(k) clearance or PMA for any modifications to a previously cleared product, we may be required to cease marketing or recall the modified device until we obtain this clearance or approval. Also, in these circumstances, we may be subject to significant fines or penalties. We have made and plan to continue to make enhancements to our products for which we have not submitted 510(k)s or PMAs, and we will consider on a case-by-case basis whether a new 510(k) or PMA is necessary.

The FDA began to consider proposals to reform its 510(k) marketing clearance process in 2011, and such proposals could include increased requirements for clinical data and a longer review period. Specifically, in response to industry and healthcare provider concerns regarding the predictability, consistency and rigor of the 510(k) regulatory pathway, the FDA initiated an evaluation of the 510(k) program, and as part of the Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (“FDASIA”), Congress reauthorized the Medical Device User Fee Amendments with various FDA performance goal commitments and enacted several “Medical Device Regulatory Improvements” and miscellaneous reforms, which are further intended to clarify and improve medical device regulation both pre- and post-clearance and approval. Further, in December 2016, the 21st Century Cures Act (“Cures Act”) was signed into law. The Cures Act, among other things, is intended to modernize the regulation of devices and spur innovation but its ultimate implementation is unclear.

Premarket Approval Pathway. Class III devices require PMA approval before they can be marketed, although some pre-amendment Class III devices for which the FDA has not yet required a PMA are cleared through the 510(k) process. The PMA process is generally more complex, costly and time consuming than the 510(k) process. A PMA must be supported by extensive data including, but not limited to, extensive technical information regarding device design and development, preclinical and clinical trials, manufacturing, and labeling information to demonstrate to the FDA’s satisfaction the safety and effectiveness of the device for its intended use. The PMA application must provide valid scientific evidence that demonstrates to the FDA’s satisfaction reasonable assurance of the safety and effectiveness of the device for its intended use. Following receipt of a PMA, the FDA determines whether the application is sufficiently complete to permit a substantive review. If the FDA accepts the application for review, it has 180 days under the FDCA to complete its review of the PMA, although in practice, the FDA’s review often takes significantly longer, and can take up to several years. During this review period, the FDA may request additional information or clarification of information already provided, and the FDA may issue a major deficiency letter to the applicant, requesting the applicant’s response to deficiencies communicated by the FDA. Also, during the review period, an advisory panel of experts from outside the FDA may be convened to review and evaluate the application and provide recommendations to the FDA as to the approvability of the device. The FDA may or may not accept the panel’s recommendation. In addition, the FDA will conduct a preapproval inspection of the manufacturing facility to ensure compliance with quality system regulation (QSR). The PMA process can be expensive, uncertain, and lengthy, and a number of devices for which FDA approval has been sought by other companies have never been approved by the FDA for marketing.

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Clinical Trials. Clinical trials are almost always required to support a PMA and are sometimes required for a 510(k). All clinical investigations of investigational devices to determine safety and effectiveness must be conducted in accordance with the FDA’s investigational device exemption (“IDE”), regulations which govern investigational device labeling, prohibit promotion of the investigational device, and specify an array of recordkeeping, reporting, and monitoring responsibilities of study sponsors and study investigators. If the device is determined to present a “significant risk” to human health, the manufacturer may not begin a clinical trial until it submits an IDE application to the FDA and obtains approval of the IDE from the FDA. The IDE must be supported by appropriate data, such as animal and laboratory testing results, showing that it is safe to test the device in humans and that the testing protocol is scientifically sound. In addition, the study must be approved by, and conducted under the oversight of, an Institutional Review Board (“IRB”), for each clinical site. The IRB is responsible for the initial and continuing review of the IDE and may pose additional requirements for the conduct of the study. If an IDE application is approved by the FDA and one or more IRBs, human clinical trials may begin at a specific number of investigational sites with a specific number of patients, as approved by the FDA. If the device presents a non-significant risk to the patient, a sponsor may begin the clinical trial after obtaining approval for the trial by one or more IRBs without separate approval from the FDA, but must still follow abbreviated IDE requirements, such as monitoring the investigation, ensuring that the investigators obtain informed consent, and labeling and record-keeping requirements. A clinical trial may be suspended by FDA, the sponsor, or an IRB at any time for various reasons, including a belief that the risks to the study participants outweigh the benefits of participation in the trial. Even if a clinical trial is completed, the results may not demonstrate the safety and efficacy of a device to the satisfaction of the FDA or may be equivocal or otherwise not be sufficient to obtain approval of a device. ATEC is not currently undertaking any FDA IDE trials, as all of our existing products are FDA-cleared through the 510k pathway. It is possible, however, that future device development may require IDE clinical trial for approval.

Pervasive and Continuing FDA Regulation. After a device is placed on the market, numerous FDA and other regulatory requirements continue to apply. These include:

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Failure to comply with applicable regulatory requirements can result in enforcement action by the FDA, which may include any of the following:

Our facilities, records and manufacturing processes are subject to periodic announced and unannounced inspections by the FDA to evaluate compliance with applicable regulatory requirements.

Regulation of Human Cells, Tissues, and Cellular and Tissue-based Products. Certain of our products are regulated as human cells, tissues, and cellular and tissue-based products (“HCT/Ps”). Section 361 of the PHSA authorizes the FDA to issue regulations to prevent the introduction, transmission or spread of communicable disease. HCT/Ps regulated as “361” HCT/Ps are subject to requirements relating to registering facilities and listing products with the FDA, screening and testing for tissue donor eligibility, or Good Tissue Practice, when processing, storing, labeling, and distributing HCT/Ps, including required labeling information, stringent record keeping, and adverse event reporting, among other applicable requirements and laws. If the HCT/P is minimally manipulated, is intended for homologous use only and meets other requirements, the HCT/P will not require 510(k) clearance, PMA approval, a Biologics License Applications, or other premarket authorization from the FDA before marketing.

Environmental Matters

Our facilities and operations are subject to extensive federal, state, and local environmental and occupational health and safety laws and regulations. These laws and regulations govern, among other things, air emissions; wastewater discharges; the generation, storage, handling, use and transportation of hazardous materials; the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes; the cleanup of contamination; and the health and safety of our employees. Under such laws and regulations, we are required to obtain permits from governmental authorities for some of our operations. If we violate or fail to comply with these laws, regulations or permits, we could be fined or otherwise sanctioned by regulators. We could also be held responsible for costs and damages arising from any contamination at our past or present facilities or at third-party waste disposal sites. We cannot completely eliminate the risk of contamination or injury resulting from hazardous materials, and we may incur material liability as a result of any contamination or injury.

Compliance with Certain Applicable Statutes

We are subject to various federal and state laws pertaining to healthcare fraud and abuse, including anti-kickback laws, false claims laws, criminal health care fraud laws, physician payment transparency laws, data privacy and security laws, and foreign corrupt practice laws. Violations of these laws are punishable by criminal and/or civil sanctions, including, in some instances, fines, imprisonment and, within the United States, exclusion from participation in government healthcare programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Administration health programs. These laws are administered by, among others, the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Health and Human Services and state attorneys general. Many of these agencies have increased their enforcement activities with respect to medical device manufacturers in recent years.

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The federal Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits persons from knowingly and willfully soliciting, offering, receiving, or providing remuneration, directly or indirectly, in exchange for or to induce either the referral of an individual, or the furnishing, arranging for or recommending a good or service, for which payment may be made in whole or part under federal healthcare programs, such as the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The Anti-Kickback Statute is broad and prohibits many arrangements and practices that are lawful in businesses outside of the healthcare industry. For example, the definition of “remuneration” has been broadly interpreted to include anything of value, including, gifts, discounts, the furnishing of supplies or equipment, credit arrangements, payments of cash, waivers of payments, ownership interests and providing anything at less than its fair market value. In addition, among other things, the Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act, as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (collectively referred to as “ACA”), amends the intent requirement of the federal Anti-Kickback Statute. Pursuant to the ACA, a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of the Anti-Kickback Statute or specific intent to violate it. Furthermore, the ACA provides that the government may assert that a claim including items or services resulting from a violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute constitutes a false or fraudulent claim for purposes of the federal False Claims Act.

In implementing the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (“OIG”), has issued a series of regulations, known as the safe harbors, which began in July 1991. These safe harbors set forth provisions that, in circumstances where all the applicable requirements are met, will assure healthcare providers and other parties that they will not be prosecuted under the Anti-Kickback Statute. The failure of a transaction or arrangement to fit precisely within one or more safe harbors does not necessarily mean that it is illegal or that prosecution will be pursued. However, conduct and business arrangements that do not fully satisfy all requirements of an applicable safe harbor may result in increased scrutiny by government enforcement authorities such as the OIG. Penalties for violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute include criminal penalties and civil sanctions such as fines, imprisonment and possible exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid and other federal healthcare programs. Many states have anti-kickback laws that are similar to the federal law, some of which apply to the referral of patients for healthcare items or services reimbursed by any source, and may also result in penalties, fines, sanctions for violations, and exclusions from state or commercial programs.

We have entered into various agreements with certain surgeons that perform services for us, including some who make clinical decisions to use our products. Some of our referring surgeons own our stock, which they may have received from us as consideration for services performed. We frequently review these arrangements to determine whether they are in compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In addition, physician-owned distribution companies (“PODs”) have become decreasingly involved in the sale and distribution of medical devices, including products for the surgical treatment of spine disorders. In many cases, these distribution companies enter into arrangements with hospitals that bill Medicare or Medicaid for the furnishing of medical services, and the physician-owners are among the physicians who refer patients to the hospitals for surgery. On March 26, 2013, the OIG issued a Special Fraud Alert entitled “Physician-Owned Entities,” (the “Fraud Alert”), in which the OIG concluded, among other things, that PODs are “inherently suspect under the anti-kickback statute” and that PODs present “substantial fraud and abuse risk and pose dangers of patient safety.” Since 2013, the OIG has further increased its scrutiny of PODs and the Department of Justice has brought several high-profile cases against physician owners.

The federal False Claims Act prohibits persons from knowingly filing or causing to be filed a false or fraudulent claim to, or the knowing use of false statements to obtain payment from, the federal government. Private suits filed under the False Claims Act, known as qui tam actions, can be brought by individuals on behalf of the government. These individuals, sometimes known as “relators” or, more commonly, as “whistleblowers,” may share in any amounts paid by the entity to the government in fines or settlement. The number of filings of qui tam actions has increased significantly in recent years, causing more healthcare companies to have to defend a False Claim Act action. If an entity is determined to have violated the federal False Claims Act, it may be required to pay up to three times the actual damages sustained by the government, plus civil penalties of between $10,000 to $22,000 for each separate false claim and may be subject to exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal healthcare programs. Various states have also enacted similar laws modeled after the federal False Claims Act which apply to items and services reimbursed under Medicaid and other state programs, or, in several states, apply regardless of the payor.

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The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) created two new federal crimes: healthcare fraud and false statements relating to healthcare matters. The healthcare fraud statute prohibits knowingly and willfully executing a scheme to defraud any healthcare benefit program, including private payors. The ACA changed the intent requirement of the healthcare fraud statute to such that a person or entity no longer needs to have actual knowledge of this statute or specific intent to violate it. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in fines, imprisonment or possible exclusion from Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal healthcare programs. The false statements statute prohibits knowingly and willfully falsifying, concealing, or covering up a material fact or making any materially false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement in connection with the delivery of or payment for healthcare benefits, items, or services. A violation of this statute is a felony and may result in similar sanctions.

ACA also includes various provisions designed to significantly strengthen fraud and abuse enforcement in addition to those changes discussed above. Among these additional provisions include increased funding for enforcement efforts and new “sunshine” provisions to require us to report and disclose to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), any payment or “transfer of value” made or distributed to physicians or teaching hospitals. These sunshine provisions also require certain group purchasing organizations, including physician-owned distributors, to disclose physician ownership information to CMS. We and other device manufacturers are required to collect and annually report specific data on payments and other transfers of value to physicians and teaching hospitals. There are various state laws and initiatives that require device manufacturers to disclose to the appropriate regulatory agency certain payments or other transfers of value made to physicians, and in certain cases prohibit some forms of these payments, with the risk of fines for any violation of such requirements.

HIPAA also includes privacy and security provisions designed to regulate the use and disclosure of “protected health information” (“PHI”), which is health information that identifies a patient and that is held by a health care provider, a health plan or health care clearinghouse. We are not directly regulated by HIPAA, but our ability to access PHI for purposes such as marketing, product development, clinical research or other uses is controlled by HIPAA and restrictions placed on health care providers and other covered entities. HIPAA was amended in 2009 by the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act (“HITECH”) which strengthened the rule, increased penalties for violations, and added a requirement for the disclosure of breaches to affected individuals, the government, and in some cases the media. We must carefully structure any transaction involving PHI to avoid violation of HIPAA and HITECH requirements.

Almost all states have adopted data security laws protecting personal information including social security numbers, state issued identification numbers, credit card or financial account information coupled with individuals’ names or initials. We must comply with all applicable state data security laws, even though they vary extensively, and must ensure that any breaches or accidental disclosures of personal information are promptly reported to affected individuals and responsible government entities. We must also ensure that we maintain compliant, written information security programs or run the risk of civil or even criminal sanctions for non-compliance as well as reputational harm for publicly reported breaches or violations.

If any of our operations are found to have violated or be in violation of any of the laws described above and other applicable state and federal fraud and abuse laws, we may be subject to penalties, among them being civil and criminal penalties, damages, fines, exclusion from government healthcare programs, and the curtailment or restructuring of our operations.

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Third-Party Reimbursement

In the U.S., healthcare providers generally rely on third-party payors, principally private insurers, and governmental payors such as Medicare and Medicaid, to cover and pay for all or part of the cost of a spine surgery in which our medical devices are used. We expect that sales volumes and prices of our products will depend in large part on the continued availability of reimbursement from such third-party payors. These third-party payors may deny reimbursement if they determine that a device used in a procedure was not medically necessary in accordance with cost-effective treatment methods, as determined by the third-party payor, or was used for an unapproved indication. Particularly in the U.S., third-party payors continue to carefully review, and increasingly challenge, the prices charged for procedures and medical products. Medicare coverage and reimbursement policies are developed by CMS, the federal agency responsible for administering the Medicare program, and its contractors. CMS establishes these Medicare policies for medical products and procedures and such policies are periodically reviewed and updated. While private payors vary in their coverage and payment policies, the Medicare program is viewed as a benchmark. Medicare payment rates for the same or similar procedures vary due to geographic location, nature of the facility in which the procedure is performed (i.e., teaching or community hospital) and other factors. We cannot provide assurance that government or private third-party payors will cover and provide adequate payment for the procedures in which our products are used. ACA and other reform proposals contain significant changes regarding Medicare, Medicaid, and other third-party payors.

In addition, other legislative changes have been proposed and adopted since the ACA was enacted. These changes include the Budget Control Act of 2011, which resulted in reductions to Medicare payments to providers of 2% per fiscal year, which went into effect on April 1, 2013 and will stay in effect through 2025 unless additional Congressional action is taken, as well as, the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012, which, among other things, further reduced Medicare payments to several types of providers, including hospitals and imaging centers, and increased the statute of limitations period for the government to recover overpayments to providers from three to five years. An expansion in government’s role in the U.S. healthcare industry may lower reimbursements for procedures using our products, reduce medical procedure volumes, and adversely affect our business and results of operations, possibly materially.

We believe that the overall escalating cost of medical products and services has led to, and will continue to lead to, increased pressures on the healthcare industry to reduce the costs of products and services. We cannot assure that government or private third-party payors will cover and provide adequate payment for the procedures using our products. In addition, it is possible that future legislation, regulation, or reimbursement policies of third-party payors will adversely affect the demand for procedures using our products or our ability to sell our products on a profitable basis. The unavailability or inadequacy of third-party payor coverage or reimbursement could have a significant adverse effect on our business, operating results, and financial condition.

Human Capital

As of December 31, 2021, we had 561 employees worldwide. Approximately 451 employees were located in the U.S. and 110 employees were located outside of the U.S. Of our U.S. employees, 295 were based in our Carlsbad, California headquarters, covering all of the following functional areas: sales, customer service, marketing, clinical education, advanced manufacturing, quality assurance, regulatory affairs, research and development, human resources, finance, legal, information technology, and administration.

Our workforce is highly educated and diverse, which we believe is important for our continued success as a leading innovator in the medical device market. We employ a number of strategies to best enable us to attract, retain, and engage our team members. To build a steady and diverse pipeline of talent, we have a robust recruiting program, which is focused on attracting and retaining the talent we believe is necessary to help achieve our strategy and mission. Further, we employ recruiting processes that mitigate unconscious biases and promote diverse candidate pools. Our employee base is comprised of men, women, underrepresented individuals, individuals with disabilities, and protected veterans.

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To attract and retain employees, we offer competitive, performance-based compensation and benefits, opportunities for discounted equity ownership, employee recognition programs, career development opportunities, and access to continual growth through in-house live trainings, as well as support and reimbursement for external trainings and educational programs. In addition, to further expand employee enrichment and engagement, we periodically survey our employees regarding their satisfaction levels. We use these survey results to determine how we can continue to create work environments that energize our employees and enable them to develop and maintain a positive working culture. We completed a survey in December 2021, in which over 95% of respondents indicated a willingness to recommend the Company to friends and family as a desirable place to work. High employee satisfaction is also reflected in our high employee engagement and low undesired turnover, which was below 6% for 2021.

We also provide opportunities for our employees to participate in community volunteer and clean-up programs, as well as offer health and wellness programs to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for our employees and foster camaraderie within our employee base. In addition to our health and wellness program offerings, our corporate headquarters includes indoor and outdoor workout spaces, which our employees are able to access throughout the day, as well as various fitness and workout classes.

We have never experienced a work stoppage due to labor difficulties and believe that our relations with our employees are good. We currently have no employees working under collective bargaining agreements.

Health and Safety

We have taken steps to best ensure the health and safety of our employees globally during the COVID-19 pandemic. We have provided learning resources to enable our employee workforce to transition to/from a virtual or remote workplace, as necessary and appropriate. We have provided health and wellness initiatives throughout the year to promote the continued wellbeing of our employees. Further, despite the global pandemic, we have been able to maintain our employee workforce without material contraction.

Corporate and Available Information

We are a Delaware corporation incorporated in March 2005. Our principal executive office is located at 1950 Camino Vida Roble, Carlsbad, California 92008 and our telephone number is (760) 431-9286. Our Internet address is www.atecspine.com. We are not including the information contained on our website as a part of, or incorporating it by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and all amendments to those reports, are available to you free of charge through the Investor Relations section of our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such materials have been electronically filed with, or furnished to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).

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