INCOME TAXES (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule Of Income Before Income Taxes

Income before income taxes consisted of the following:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
	(In thousands)
United States operations	$	51,351	$	37,450	$	21,349
Foreign operations	39,055		23,221		24,217
Total	$	90,406	$	60,671	$	45,566

Schedule Of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation

A reconciliation of the U.S. Federal statutory rate to the Company’s effective tax rate is as follows:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016		2015		2014
Federal statutory rate	35.0	%	35.0	%	35.0	%
Increase (decrease) in income taxes resulting from:
State income taxes, net of federal tax benefit	(0.2	)%	1.3	%	5.6	%
Foreign operations	(10.0	)%	(12.5	)%	(16.7	)%
Spine valuation allowance	—	%	61.1	%	—	%
Excess tax benefits from stock compensation	(3.9	)%	—	%	—	%
Charitable contributions	(0.4	)%	(1.0	)%	(2.7	)%
Domestic production activities deduction	(2.6	)%	(2.4	)%	(2.7	)%
Intercompany profit in inventory	1.0	%	3.1	%	(0.4	)%
Nondeductible facilitative costs	0.2	%	3.1	%	1.1	%
Changes in valuation allowances	0.4	%	0.3	%	2.1	%
Uncertain tax positions	(0.3	)%	0.2	%	(3.4	)%
Research and development credit	(1.2	)%	(1.9	)%	(1.8	)%
Return to provision	(1.5	)%	1.7	%	1.4	%
Other	1.0	%	0.7	%	2.8	%
Effective tax rate	17.5	%	88.7	%	20.3	%

Schedule Of Provision For Income Taxes

The provision for income taxes consisted of the following:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
	(In thousands)
Current:
Federal	$	13,700		$	46,665		$	10,330
State	2,503			2,301			2,124
Foreign	6,113			5,205			3,666
Total current	$	22,316		$	54,171		$	16,120
Deferred:
Federal	(3,400		)	1,282			(5,524		)
State	(1,751		)	(394		)	695
Foreign	(1,323		)	(1,239		)	(2,020		)
Total deferred	$	(6,474	)	$	(351	)	$	(6,849	)
Provision for income taxes	$	15,842		$	53,820		$	9,271

Schedule Of Deferred Tax Assets And Liabilities

The income tax effects of significant temporary differences that give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities, shown before jurisdictional netting, are presented below:

	December 31,
	2016			2015
	(In thousands)
Assets:
Doubtful accounts	$	2,344		$	1,943
Inventory related items	30,074			24,417
Tax credits	1,040			3,137
Accrued vacation	3,264			2,713
Accrued bonus	7,842			7,555
Stock compensation	16,031			16,222
Deferred revenue	2,345			767
Net operating loss carryforwards	14,855			17,548
Federal & state tax credits	—			6,227
Others	1,435			1,952
Total deferred tax assets	79,230			82,481
Less valuation allowance	(3,604		)	(4,887		)
Deferred tax assets after valuation allowance	$	75,626		$	77,594
Liabilities:
Intangible and fixed assets	(216,779		)	(225,328		)
Others	(853		)	(225		)
Total deferred tax liabilities	$	(217,632	)	$	(225,553	)
Total net deferred tax liabilities	$	(142,006	)	$	(147,959	)

Schedule Of Uncertain Tax Benefits Reconciliation

A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of uncertain tax benefits is as follows:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2016			2015			2014
	(In thousands)
Balance, beginning of year	$	1,085		$	959		$	3,040
Gross increases:
Prior years' tax positions	380			541			527
Gross decreases:
Prior years' tax positions	(546		)	—			(286		)
Settlements	—			—			(828		)
Statute of limitations lapses	(131		)	(404		)	(1,494		)
Other	(34		)	(11		)	—
Balance, end of year	$	754		$	1,085		$	959