The huge difference between spine and trauma is that in spine you can give a rep a large territory, and he can convert 2 to 3 surgeons (likely that he worked with in his previous company). Those surgeons can do as few as 8-15 cases a month at $8k to $20k per, and rep is doing well. To do those 10 cases, you can get by with a few local sets, plus sets shipped in from home office. With trauma, most of the cases bill out at less then $2k, and you never know when they will go. You need consignment of multiple sets at big hospitals to get any consistent business going (Dr is not going to keep calling you to drop a tibial nail or distal radius set, if there are two other sets in house, plus 5 hour sterilization will c block bad planning). At least 50% of Synthes reps sales are Sims cabinet reorders of B5, Can Screws, Ex fix, drill bits, k-wires.
The Globus trauma move is stupid, and out west they are hiring ex wash out Synthes reps (yes thats you Rob Toni), and ASC type Styker and Smith and Nephew Reps.
The biggest problem with Synthes Trauma business is that hospitals got smarter: stopped by sets, stopped stuffing sims, and started negotiating big discounts. You couple that with adding ASC's and Quintilles that trauma reps have to pay for, its not worth it. The amazing part is that hospital expected better service level (ankle, BBF, and DHS...) coverage with lower pricing. I used to work long hours in old days, but never got night or weekend calls for basic cases like more recent years, even at level 1 with AO facutly surgeons. I could not take it anymore and bailed :-}