For 25 years, Steven Halpern, editor of TheStockAdvisors.com, has surveyed the leading financial newsletter advisors asking for their favorite stocks for the coming year. This article is one of 100+ ideas in the Best Stocks for 2008 report.

"My top speculative idea for 2008 is Kinetic Concepts (NYSE: KCI), which makes products for advanced wound care and other therapeutic applications," says quantitative analyst Vahan Janjigian, editor of The Forbes Growth Investor.

"KCI's therapeutic categories include advanced products for wound care and tissue repair, which accounted for 79% of first half 2007 revenues.

"The company's proprietary Vacuum Assisted Closure (VAC) technology uses negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) to treat and promote healing in acute and chronic wounds caused by severe trauma, failed surgical closures, amputations, and serious pressure ulcers.

"VAC systems consist of a pump that provides a controlled level of negative pressure to the wound, foam dressings, occlusive drapes and specialized canisters that collect body fluids, filter odors, and facilitate the safe disposal of medical waste.

Although patient needs in the hospital room may not be not quite so immediate as those in the operating theater, they can still be quite pressing. There is an outfit in San Antonio that addresses the requirements of the healing patient with a series of special beds and "negative pressure wound therapy" dressings.

Kinetic Concepts (NYSE: KCI) makes lines of therapeutic and wound care products for acute and long-term care facilities, home health agencies and individuals. The firm's therapeutic surfaces include specialty hospital beds, mattress replacement systems and overlays. They are designed to address pulmonary complications associated with immobility, prevent skin breakdown and assist caregivers in the safe handling of obese patients. The company's wound healing and tissue repair systems use a vacuum assisted closure technology to treat trauma wounds, failed surgical closures, amputations and serious pressure ulcers.

The firm surprised the Street last week, when it reported Q2 EPS of 81 cents and revenues of $396.7 million. Analysts had been looking for 74 cents and $374.7 million. Management also guided FY07 EPS to $3.10-$3.20 ($3.10 consensus) and FY07 revenues to $1.56-$1.59 billion ($1.54B consensus).