The biggest stories from AAOS 2024

Stryker, Smith+Nephew, Osso VR and more made important announcements at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ annual meeting (AAOS 2024).

AAOS 2024, running Feb. 12–16 in San Francisco, was also where a new study raised questions about the benefits of robotic knee surgery. Go to our sibling site Medical Design & Outsourcing to find out more.

Here are some highlights from AAOS 2024:

A new app for Stryker’s Mako

The world’s largest orthopedic device company says its Mako surgical robot for ortho procedures continues to drive growth. Stryker ended 2023 with 60% of its knee replacement procedures and 34% of its hip replacements in the U.S. performed using the robotic system.

Now, Stryker says it wants to further extend a surgeon’s Mako SmartRobotics experience in and beyond the operating room. The company used AAOS 2024 to highlight its myMako app for Apple Vision Pro and iPhone.

When used on Apple Vision Pro — Apple’s new virtual reality headset — myMako allows surgeons to visualize and review patients’ Mako surgical plans anytime, anywhere. Stryker calls the new app “a brilliant, immersive visual experience.”

Expect more applications for Mako later this year. Mako for spine surgery is coming in the third quarter of 2024, with Mako shoulder expected near the end of the year.

Here is more AAOS 2024 news from Stryker.

CytexOrtho’s implant for natural joint restoration

AAOS 2024 saw Durham, North Carolina–based CytexOrtho winning the inaugural OrthoPitch Technology Competition. The pre-clinical stage medical device company’s ReNew Hip implant is designed to restore the joint naturally rather than replace it. It’s a potential solution for active people with early hip disease who are too young for a total hip replacement, according to AAOS.

CytexOrtho founder and CEO Bradley Estes explained during the pitch competition that surgeons remove only the damaged tissue, replacing it with the implant. The implant restores the joint to its proper form and contour. The implant slowly absorbs into the body while cells move into gaps in the implant’s layers and form functional tissue.

The device has FDA Breakthrough Device designation. The company is completing a phase 1 clinical trial and is seeking funding to start a phase 2 trial.

“The ReNew Hip implant is comprised of two very special components — one is a 3D-woven textile and the other is a high-precision, Tru3D printed component,” Estes said during the pitch event, as recounted in an AAOS news release. “The integration of these two components gives us an implant that not only recreates the form and contour of a healthy articular joint surface but also recreates the function of articular cartilage and bone.”

We have more on CytexOrtho’s AAOS 2024 competition win.

A ‘glimpse into the future’ for Smith+Nephew’s Cori surgical robot

Smith+Nephew’s Cori surgical system for knee and hip surgeries includes a 3D intraoperative imaging system and an advanced robotic sculpting tool. The tool’s spinning burr automatically stops when the surgeon is outside an area digitally “painted” beforehand.

At AAOS 2024, the British medtech giant showcased Personalized Planning (powered by AI) and the RI.Insights data visualization platform, which the company unveiled last year. The AI-powered software tools guide surgeons as they set patient-customized implant starting positions.

The company is seeking an additional FDA 510(k) clearance for an image-agnostic solution to further aid in personalizing Cori robotic-assisted surgery.

Read more about S+N’s Cori news at AAOS 2024.

Smith+Nephew fully launches its Aetos shoulder system

AAOS 2024 was also the official kickoff for the full U.S. launch of S+N’s Aetos shoulder system, which received FDA clearance last year. Aetos has since then secured an additional clearance for use with the company’s AtlasPlan 3D planning software and patient-specific instrumentation for total shoulder arthroplasty.

Smith+Nephew designed Aetos to restore patients’ range of motion and help minimize arthritic shoulder pain. The system features the Aetos Meta Stem, which the company designed to maximize stability, preserve bone, and maintain patient anatomy.

Here is more about the Aetos launch.

Osso VR announces controller-free option for its surgical training VR

Osso VR used AAOS 2024 to demonstrate its Hand Control, a controller-free option for its virtual-reality-based surgical training system. The Hand Control feature uses cameras in the headset to track a user’s hand and figure movements within virtual reality. It leverages Meta’s latest hand-tracking APIs.

According to San Francisco–based Osso VR, Hand Control supports all standard controller interactions. Users can choose between hands-free gestures and traditional controllers.

Find out more about Osso VR’s Hand Control.

Associate Editor Sean Whooley contributed to this report.