From a revealing study about surgical robot technology to debut surgeries, here are seven key updates on spine and orthopedic robots in the third quarter.
1. Thomas Mazahery, MD, of OrthoVirginia performed the Washington, D.C., region's first spine surgery using artificial intelligence-driven robotic technology on July 19.
2. Curtis Kephart, MD, performed Delray Medical Center's first knee replacement with the Smith+Nephew Cori Robot.
3. Parkland Medical Center in Derry, N.H., has become the first hospital in the state to offer robotic spine surgery. The hospital onboarded Globus Medical's ExcelsiusGPS system.
4. Zimmer Biomet's Rosa Hip System was approved for robot-assisted direct anterior total hip replacements.
5. Drawbacks of robotic surgery include additional operating room time and concerns related to the accurate implantation of pedicle screws. But Darren Lebl, MD, of New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery said the technology has reached a tipping point. Read more about the study here.
6. Trevor Pickering, MD, of Mississippi Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Center in Jackson, performed the nation's first robotic hip replacement surgery with Zimmer Biomet's Rosa system.
7. Francisco Ponce, MD, completed the first cranial surgery with Globus Medical's ExcelsiusGPS navigation system.