Joint Arthroplasty's High-Tech Future
Article preview reprinted Medtech Insight - June, 2009
Despite orthopedic surgeons' conservative reputation when it comes to new technology adoption, high-tech devices are increasingly finding a place in this field. There have been recent developments in robotic computer-assisted surgery and other high-tech enabling tools that could lead to wider acceptance of these devices by surgeons better known in the past for eschewing such "frills." Although there are exceptions, most manufacturers seeking success in this market appear to have learned from the mistakes of the past, and many, instead of offering technology for technology's sake, are now trying to provide surgeons with what they really want - products that offer a value-added benefit to their practice. Read more...
Joint Arthroplasty's High-Tech Future
Article preview reprinted Medtech Insight - June, 2009
Despite orthopedic surgeons' conservative reputation when it comes to new technology adoption, high-tech devices are increasingly finding a place in this field. Computer-based navigation and planning, for example, while not yet standard-of-care, is gradually making its way into more and more knee and hip arthroplasty procedures; and there have been recent developments in robotic computer-assisted surgery and other high-tech enabling tools that could lead to wider acceptance of these devices by surgeons better known in the past for eschewing such "frills." This new generation of enabling tools is designed to provide a more precise, and in some cases customized, implant procedure, and some of these devices could potentially make difficult surgeries easier and faster to perform—advantages that may find a receptive audience among orthopedic surgeons and hospitals who find that efficiency and adaptability are now the keystones of profitability.
Although there are exceptions, most manufacturers seeking success in this market appear to have learned from the mistakes of the past, and many, instead of offering technology for technology's sake, are now trying to provide surgeons with what they really want—products that offer a value-added benefit to their practice. For manufacturers today, that means focusing on what these technologies can do best, which is potentially improve implant alignment and performance, but it also means preparing surgeons for a future in which technology may necessarily play a big part.
That future will see a growing number of younger, more active patients seeking surgery to relieve their joint pain, but also seeking options that will offer them the least invasive approach, with the shortest downtime and best possible (most highly mobile) outcomes. Aging baby boomers are leading this trend, but some predict that even as the boomers age, joint arthroplasty will increasingly migrate to the under-65 age group. Enabling technologies may help a greater number of surgeons meet the needs of these younger, more demanding patients, and in some cases, treat disease at an earlier stage. In fact, there are several trends in the US orthopedics market that could facilitate a shift toward higher-tech enabling technologies.
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Companies mentioned in this article:
Integrated Surgical Systems Inc.
International Business Machines (IBM) Corp.
Medtech Insight delivers the quality content you need on medical technologies impacting the spectrum of surgical, orthopedic, cardiovascular, and other markets. Written and edited by seasoned industry participants and experts, the Medtech Insight newsletter provides insights into the technology and market developments (devices, instrumentation, biomaterials, gene therapy, tissue engineering, etc.) impacting a wide range of surgical and non-surgical clinical practices (cardiothoracic & vascular surgery, general surgery, orthopedics & spine surgery, interventional radiology/cardiology, etc.). Learn more at www.medtechinsight.com.
