Rapid Adoption Expected for New Bone Surgery Bots

More surgeons are expected to turn to robotic tools for bone surgeries in 2017, according to reports.

A new wave of robotic tools are moving beyond soft tissue surgery and will be used for knee and hip surgeries, according to the Star Tribune. 

Within two years, one-third of orthopedic surgeons are expected to turn to robotic systems, according to the newspaper. That’s compared to 18 percent today. 

Medical robots were authorized by the Food and Drug Administration in 2000. They have been mainly used for surgery on organs and soft tissues. 

“Investing in a robotics program is a big decision for a hospital and for a doctor,” said Stuart Simpson, general manager of Stryker’s commercial business unit that includes robotics. “Doctors and hospitals, quite rightly, don’t make these decisions on a whim. So there’s been a lot of conversation, a lot of interest.”

Doctors cited a lack of early scientific evidence of superior results and the cost of the systems as the biggest obstacles to adoption, according to the Star Tribune.

Read more at startribune.com.