INCOME TAXES

The following table provides a summary of the Company’s effective tax rate:



	Three Months Ended September 30,				Nine Months Ended September 30,
	2016		2015		2016		2015

Reported tax rate	19.4	%	694.6	%	15.7	%	119.7	%

The Company’s effective income tax rates for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 were 19.4% and 694.6%, respectively. In the three months ended September 30, 2016, the primary drivers of the lower tax rate are excess tax benefits of $0.5 million as a result of early adoption of ASU 2016-09 and a benefit of $0.5 million for a Federal research credit study, offset by an expense of $0.4 million related to an uncertain tax position. The primary driver of the higher tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2015, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2016, was a $35.6 million valuation allowance recorded as a result of the spin-off of the spine business. Excluding the valuation allowance, the primary driver of the higher tax rate for the three months ended September 30, 2015, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2016, was tax expense of $0.3 million relating to the filing of foreign tax returns and the settlement of foreign audits.

The Company's effective income tax rates for the nine months ended September 30, 2016 and 2015 were 15.7% and 119.7%, respectively. In the nine months ended September 30, 2016, the primary drivers of the lower tax rate are excess tax benefits of $3.4 million as a result of early adoption of ASU 2016-09, a benefit of $0.7 million for the release of uncertain tax positions and a benefit of $0.5 million for the Federal research credit study, offset by an expense of $0.4 million related to an uncertain tax position. The income tax rate expense for both the three and nine months periods ended September 30, 2015 includes an expense of $35.6 million expense relating to a valuation allowance recorded as a result of the spin-off of the spine business. The Company determined that upon spin-off, the deferred tax assets of the spine business would be unrealizable due to impact of the historic operations.

The Company expects its effective income tax rate for the full year to be approximately 17.0%, resulting largely from excess tax benefits as a result of the early adoption of ASU 2016-09, the Federal research credit benefits and the jurisdictional mix of income before tax in U.S.-based operations relative to foreign operations. This estimate could be revised in the future as additional information is presented to the Company.