The first cases with Stryker's Mako Spine robot have been completed ahead of its anticipated launch, Vice President of Investor Relations Jason Beach said in an Oct. 30 earnings call.
The early Mako Spine cases were done in conjunction with Stryker's Spine Guidance 5 software, Mr. Beach said, as transcribed by Seeking Alpha. The robot is expected to launch on a limited market release as the company refines training protocols, he said.
Cases were done in October, but CEO Kevin Lobo said the robot was performing as expected. So far the company remains on schedule with its planned 2024 release, but Mr. Lobo said he also values patience in robotic releases.
The company also is slated to release Mako Shoulder this year.
"As we've learned with previous launches, it pays to go a little bit slow at the beginning to make sure you get everything nailed before you really start to scale," Mr. Lobo said. "But all signs and signals are pointing to these two products being really successful for our fund business."