Stryker launches Mako robotic platform total-knee application

Stryker (NYSE:SYK) said today it launched the robotic-arm assisted total knee arthroplasty application for use with its Mako System, touting it as the 1st and only robotic technology which can be used for total knee, hip and partial knee replacement procedures.

The Kalamazoo, Mich.-based company’s Mako Total Knee utilizes both Stryker’s robotic platform and its Triathlon Total Knee System, guided through CT-based 3D modeling of bone anatomy which allows physicians to create personalized surgical plans for each patient’s anatomy. The system also allows for intra-operative planning and assists in bone resectioning procedures, Stryker said.

“We are excited to be leading the transformation of the orthopaedics industry with the commercial launch of the Mako Total Knee application. We believe that pairing our Mako robotic-arm technology with our market leading implant systems will enable surgeons to have an improved surgical experience,” Stryker joint replacement division prez Bill Huffnagle said in a press release.

Stryker announced the commercial launch of the Mako total knee arthroplasty application at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons annual meeting in San Diego this week.

In January, a 51-physician Barclays survey of U.S. hip and knee surgeons prompted analyst Matthew Taylor to question investors’ expectations for the Mako robot-assisted platform.

Some 22% of the docs surveyed reported using the Mako system, most for partial knee replacement procedures, with 25.5% saying they would use it more in the future, Taylor wrote in a note to investors, “leading us to believe that MAKO uptake will be modest.”

“In our view, there is a mismatch between investor expectations for Mako (which are high) and the market reality (which is mixed). While our survey showed some signs of enthusiasm for robotics, doctors called this the most ‘over-hyped’ area”” he wrote.

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