Game-Changing Advances in Orthopedics

A look at how facilities are using the latest equipment and technology to succeed.

The orthopedic industry is undergoing a seismic shift driven by innovative technologies that promise to revolutionize patient outcomes and surgical precision. As the demand for advanced orthopedic solutions grows, groundbreaking tools and systems such as robotic assistance, 3D imaging and smart implants that can monitor recoveries in real-time are stepping into the spotlight.

Ultra-minimally invasive opportunities

“The advent of robotics including navigation robotics, better implants, regenerative medicine and advanced endoscopic techniques has allowed higher accuracy, enhanced safety, longer-lasting components, better outcomes and reduced arthritic pain,” says Hooman Melamed, MD, FAAOS, orthopedic spine surgeon and founder of The Spine Pro in Beverly Hills, Calif. “Endoscopic techniques, in particular, now take the form of ultra-minimally invasive procedures with much safer and faster recovery periods.” These advancements have allowed a significantly higher number of surgeries to migrate to outpatient settings due to reduced blood loss and pain, quicker recoveries and improved outcomes.

Mark Rieger, MD, FAAOS, a pediatric orthopedic surgeon who is founding partner and senior physician at The Pediatric Orthopedic Center, which operates multiple New Jersey locations, lauds vital advancements in outpatient orthopedic surgery such as improvements in visualization that allow him to see small anatomy better, nanotechnology that allows for minimal invasion, and instrumentation that has been adapted for better repairs in smaller joints and placing implants with minimal trauma to soft tissue. Here’s a quick look at the various promising innovations that are making orthopedic surgeries quicker, safer and more precise.

Robotic-assisted systems

LOCKED IN Dr. Hooman Melamed, a Beverly Hills, Calif.-based orthopedic spine surgeon, is bullish on the potential that new technology brings to his sector.

Dr. Melamed says a growing number of surgeons are harnessing the power of robotics to perform intricate orthopedic procedures with unprecedented accuracy in outpatient settings. “They allow surgeons to make more precise cuts and alignments during total joint replacement procedures as well as more accurate placement of screws during spine surgery,” he says. “These advances enhance patient outcomes while minimizing the need for revision surgery.”

Scott Sigman, MD, an internationally recognized leader in opioid-sparing surgery who practices at the Lowell (Mass.) General Hospital Surgery Center at Drum Hill, says robotic arthroscopy is on the rise thanks to manufacturer innovations. He describes one such platform: “The robot is skilled in that manual dexterity that we deal with in the world of arthroscopy,” he says. “It is much more precise in where we’re putting our tunnels for ACL surgery or where we put our anchors for rotator cuff surgery.”

Dr. Rieger points to the accuracy of another platform, one that allows providers to give precise cuts that enhance the accurate placement and longevity of implants. “You can program the robots to avoid injury to vital structures because of the precision,” he says. “Once the physician becomes facile with these instruments, not only do you get more precision cuts but the time in the OR decreases, which will reduce the risk of infection and decrease recovery time.”

Artificial intelligence (AI)

In 2025, Dr. Sigman believes AI will make its way into orthopedic ORs more regularly in a number of ways. Although relatively new, AI-driven analytics are helping clinicians make more informed decisions about diagnosis and treatment.

“There’s augmented reality with goggles that provides additional information to the surgeon as they are operating in addition to what he sees on the arthroscopy screen, and that will be incredibly beneficial,” he says. “For example, they could view a 3D image of an MRI while operating to ensure they are in the right GPS location for what they are trying to accomplish.”

He adds that by analyzing vast amounts of data, AI can identify patterns and predict outcomes to enhance preoperative planning and postoperative care.

3D imaging

A host of new imaging technologies are being integrated into outpatient orthopedic settings, improving preoperative planning and intraoperative decision-making.

“Live CT-guided navigation and 3D imaging have dramatically improved the accuracy of placing implants, particularly screws, during spine surgery,” says Dr. Melamed. “Also, these tools allow for more effective navigation and much safer decompression, particularly during thoracic surgery.”

Virtual reality technology is also redefining preoperative planning, as surgeons can simulate complex procedures in a virtual environment, enhancing their skills and improving communication with patients about their treatments.

Dr. Sigman expects 3D MRI to soon come down the pipeline as well, and he views it with particular fascination. “We try to take these images into cuts and then use our human brain to bring those things together, but I think we will have these images that will be like holographs, and we’re going to be able to use them intraoperatively to move around and scan around to ensure you are in the right spot,” he says. “I do feel 3D MRI will help us decide where implants will be going and help us intraoperatively identify the anatomy a little better.”

Implants and biomaterials

CREATURE COMFORT Drs. David Lin and Tamir Bloom, surgeons at The Pediatric Orthopedic Center, performed New Jersey’s first BEAR procedure for ACL repair in 2022.

Custom implants and prosthetics are now being created using 3D printing technology, allowing for anatomic precision tailored to individual patients.

Overall, advancements in implants and biomaterials could heavily contribute to the effectiveness and longevity of joint and disc replacement outcomes by reducing the chance of failure through higher-endurance components, some of which can last up to 40 years. Meanwhile, innovative smart implants embedded with sensors are tracking healing and movement to provide real-time recovery data to surgeons and patients alike.

Pain management

In Dr. Sigman’s opinion, the best thing that’s happened in the pain management space is the NOPAIN Act that was signed into law in 2024.

“The biggest problem we’ve had with innovation in pain management has been reimbursement,” he explains. “All of the things that were opioid alternatives were more expensive, and we all know that opioids are incredibly cheap but incredibly addictive. Now the federal government has put together a pathway for companies to develop new concepts and ideas in the pain space, and if you can prove your device works, the federal government will start paying for it.”

“Endoscopic techniques, in particular, now take the form of ultra-minimally invasive procedures with much safer and faster recovery periods.”
Hooman Melamed, MD, FAAOS

That’s opened the door for innovation in research and development within the space. Dr. Sigman is particularly excited about a new oral sodium channel blocker that’s highly selective to the peripheral nervous system, and a neuromodulation catheter that can be controlled with a smartphone app.

Dr. Rieger notes there are now long-acting anesthetics that can last up to three days, which allows for quicker recovery and motion to joints.

“There are very effective anesthetics now, ultrasound-guided nerve blocks where you can locate the nerve and plant your anesthetic in the proper region,” he says. While regional anesthesia is hardly cutting edge at this point, the accuracy and effectiveness of both continuous and single-shot nerve blocks continue to improve by leaps and bounds. The precision of block placement — coupled with the long-acting duration of its effectiveness — controls patients’ post-op pain while simultaneously allowing for early ambulation and an expedient discharge.

A true win-win.

The future is bright

Dr. Sigman, who hosts the podcast “The Ortho Show” speaks with surgeons and CEOs regularly about new tech that is creating buzz in the orthopedic world.

Dr. Rieger sees more virtual reality coming, where robots enable surgeons to operate in a different room or even a different country entirely while a technician in the actual OR sets up the instruments.

He also predicts an increase in the incorporation of AI with robots, especially in terms of recreating models to allow for cuts and implants to be created preoperatively and uniquely for the individual patient.

Dr. Melamed believes these emerging trends will continue to reshape the present and the future of orthopedic surgeries.

“Stem cell and regenerative medicine will play a bigger role in helping patients with arthritic disease and degenerative conditions avoid surgery,” he says. “As for robotics, I think we will be integrating it with live navigation and other advances so that surgeries will be far less invasive, and outcomes will be far superior to current practices.” OSM