Four Innovations Moving Ortho Care Forward

Sg2 is tracking the top four areas in which innovation will most significantly impact orthopedic care over the next five years. Health systems must stay abreast of these advances to make informed technology investment decisions and seamlessly integrate new technology into their orthopedic offerings.

1. Robotics

Use varies significantly across organizations, especially as procedures shift outpatient. For example, nationally fewer than 1 in 5 outpatient knee replacements are performed with robotic assistance. Many community health systems do not use orthopedic robots at all, while some academic medical centers perform nearly all their knee replacements with robotic assistance. Expect uptake to increase as robots become:

• Smaller and more compact, making them more suitable for the typical procedure room size of ambulatory surgery centers
• Easier to use
• Integrated with AI platforms
• Implant agnostic

2. Custom Implants

The shift away from one-size-fits-all implants holds promise to expand the patient population eligible for procedures and improve outcomes. This approach will reshape the full spectrum of orthopedic implants. For example, bone density-matching implants now cleared by the FDA for cervical cages and anterior lumbar interbody implants, though requiring further efficacy studies, are designed to reduce bone fragility and enhance stability. For ankle replacements, patient-specific instrumentation and the development of 3D-printed, metal-free implants enable patients with compromised tissue to now benefit from more accurate alignment and implant sizing.

3. Procedural Improvements in Sports and Injury Medicine

More rotator cuff injuries, for example, will be surgically repairable due to further advances in minimally invasive techniques and the use of grafts. For ACL repair, the Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair offers a more natural and effective solution as the first implant to enable the body to repair the ACL on its own. BEAR is used for a broad range of ACL tear types. Clinical evidence shows superior return to sport indexes with fewer complications.

4. Digital Outpatient Rehabilitation

This approach is improving access, convenience and costs for patients and providers. Fully leveraging its potential requires investment in platforms, training and implementation. Highly flexible, personalized application-based therapy and PT-guided solutions navigate patients through exercises and monitor their progress. This curtails the need for in-person visits. Remote therapeutic monitoring (RTM) supplements in-person care by enabling clinicians to monitor patient progress and adjust treatment plans in real-time. Be aware, however, that RTM start-up costs can be high and reimbursement for these services is in limbo.

Possibilities are endless for technology to advance orthopedic care. Orthopedic leaders must be able to move nimbly but keep clinicians engaged in all phases of technology assessment and adoption. Their buy-in is essential in integrating innovative approaches into everyday clinical care.

For added detail on trends in this key service line, Sg2 members can access our extensive library of intelligence in the Orthopedics Resource Kit.

Sg2 offers in-depth strategic guidance in other service lines as well: Behavioral Health, Cancer, Cardiovascular, Medicine, Neurosciences, Surgery and Women’s Health. Not a member? Reach out to us at learnmore@sg2.com.