RETIREMENT BENEFIT PLANS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Net periodic benefit costs for the Company’s defined benefit pension plans for the year ended December 31, 2017 included the following amounts (amounts in thousand):



Service cost	$	565
Interest cost	95
Expected return on plan assets	(224		)
Recognized net actuarial loss	8
Net period benefit cost	$	444

Schedule of Weighted Average Assumptions Used

The following weighted average assumptions were used to develop net periodic pension benefit cost and the actuarial present value of projected pension benefit obligations for the year ended December 31, 2017:



Discount rate	0.74	%
Expected return on plan assets	3.08	%
Rate of compensation increase	1.70	%

Schedule of Benefit Obligations and Plan Assets

The following sets forth the change in projected benefit obligations and the change in plan assets for the years ended December 31, 2017 and a reconciliation of the funded status at December 31, 2017 (amounts in thousands):



Change In Projected Benefit Obligations
Projected benefit obligation, beginning of year	$	668
Interest cost	95
Service cost	565
Actuarial loss	(12		)
Employee contribution	180
Premiums paid	(89		)
Benefit payment	(19		)
Transfer from Codman Neurosurgery acquisition	46,448
Effect of foreign currency exchange rates	(175		)
Projected benefit obligation, end of year	$	47,661

Change In Plan Assets
Plan assets at fair value, beginning of year	$	—
Actual return on plan assets	82
Employer contributions	450
Employee contributions	180
Premiums paid	(89		)
Transfer from Codman Neurosurgery acquisition	26,477
Effect of foreign currency exchange rates	(157		)
Plan assets at fair value, end of year	$	26,943

Schedule of Funded Status



Reconciliation Of Funded Status
Fair value of plan assets	$	26,943
Benefit obligations	47,661
Unfunded benefit obligation	$	20,718

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments and Minimum Contribution on Unfunded Plans

The following table is the summary of expected future benefit payments (in thousands):



2018	$	158
2019	225
2020	296
2021	454
2022	466
Next five years	5,380