Robot Wars Brewing In Orthopedics

Article preview from IN VIVO - May, 2013

 Robotic-controlled surgical tools – led by market leader MAKO Surgical Inc. – are beginning to take root in the knee surgery market, at least in partial knees. Perhaps the truest measure of the potential of this market is the growing competition that MAKO is facing: just over the past five months, Blue Belt Technologies and Stanmore Implants Worldwide received FDA approval for rival robotic surgical systems.

Robot Wars Brewing In Orthopedics

Article preview from IN VIVO - May, 2013

If necessity is the mother of invention, then the orthopedics industry – at least in hip and knee replacement – hasn’t been the most robust breeding ground for innovation. Large joint replacement surgeries historically have offered success rates in the high 90s. Implant manufacturers have seen little point in fixing what isn’t broken, beyond incremental enhancements. Add a kind of ingrained conservatism that exists in surgery generally, and the result over the decades has been evolutionary tweaks in hip and knee implants – a shift from one type of material to another but not true, revolutionary change.

But change is coming. Over the past few years, knee implant manufactures have evolved their products in ways that are becoming revolutionary, such as with the introduction of mass-produced “personalized” designs like Zimmer Holdings Inc.’s heavily promoted Persona knee. (See"Large Joint Replacement Market: Set For A Rebound?" — Medtech Insight, February 2013.) Time will tell whether or not surgeons in clinical practice will actually seek such implants, which promise to provide a better fit between implant and bone. The fact remains, however, that these new visionary products are being rolled out to counter a small but growing movement within orthopedics that believe knee surgeries – particularly partial knees – can be done better. These procedures may not be broken, by older standards of success, but they might benefit from some fixing.

Continued...

Purchase this article online as a PDF and receive it immediately via email. Questions? Call (800) 332-2181. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed.

Plus:
To find out about more about more about Elsevier Business Intelligence's medical device publications and databases, multi-user access and/or advertising with Medical Devices Today, please contact Kristy Kennedy at (480) 985-9512