Knee replacement robot does custom implants

August 18, 2021 Digital Surgery, Joint Replacement, Medical Devices, Orthopedics, Personalized Medicine, Robotics, Startups

A personalized approach to a painful procedure could upend the joint replacement market.

Personalized medicine is transforming treatment, but joint replacement is still a largely off-the-shelf affair. A startup combining artificial intelligence, robotics, and 3D printing wants to change that, and it’s targeting a big crowdsourced Series B to make it happen.

Monogram Orthopedics is targeting a $34M raise to scale and bring their technology to the $19.6B joint replacement market. The company has raised over $20M and is currently in the middle of an active series-B round, which is being crowdfunded via StartEngine.

“We are poised to do what no other company has done in the total joint arthroplasty market before,” says Dr. Doug Unis, a board certified orthopaedic surgeon co-founder and chief medical officer, Monogram Orthopedics and Chief of Quality Improvement at Mount Sinai West, “harness technology to build truly personalized implants that fully tap into the power of intelligent robotics.”

The quest to personalize the joint replacement market could have a huge payoff if a company can grab market share. More than 1 million knee replacement surgeries are done a year in the United States alone, a figure that is expected to grow to 3.5 million by 2030. But the experience of having a joint replaced, as anyone who has undergone the surgery is aware, is difficult and often excruciating, and results are by no means guaranteed. There are around 100,000 hip and knee replacement failures every year and 36 percent of patients regretting their procedure altogether.

Monogram is betting a personalized approach could help.

“Thanks to significant improvements in robotics, innovative new manufacturing techniques like 3D printing of medical grade titanium alloys and new machine learning (AI) image processing techniques, opportunities to exploit technology and significantly improve patient quality of life are emerging,” according to a press statement. “Monogram aims to disrupt the ‘one-size fits none’ model by offering patients an enhanced individualized fit, well suited for each patient’s individual needs.”

Monogram is developing a robotic platform paired with personalized implants. Its active milling navigated robot arm paired with 3D-printed, patient-optimized implants could provide improved surgical care for joint replacement patients. Early research seems to back the claim. The company says a procedure performed benchmarking against a competitor’s technology, which is one of the most clinically and commercially successful knees on the market, showed the competitive product had up to 630% more micromotion than the Monogram implant placed with their surgical robot. That research was performed at a laboratory at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

By Greg Nichols | ZDNet

Image Credit: Monogram Orthopedics

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Peter Coffaro is a growth-driven and strategic executive with over 25 years of progressive management success in the medical device industry. With a proven track record and recognized expertise, Peter has established himself as one of the top influencers in medical sales, as acknowledged by prestigious publications such as the World Journal of Orthopedics, Exponential Healthtech, and MedReps.com. Throughout his career, Peter has accumulated 10 years of combined sales management experience, excelling in various roles including Director, General Manager, Distributor, and Vice President. He has worked for industry-leading orthopedic companies such as Zimmer, DePuy, and Stryker, solidifying his deep knowledge and network within the field. Peter’s passion for innovation and emerging technologies led him to found OrthoFeed, an award-winning blog covering digital orthopedic news and emerging medical technologies. Through this platform, he stays at the forefront of the industry and contributes to the dissemination of valuable insights. Peter is a three-time Hall of Fame award winner at Johnson and Johnson, demonstrating his exceptional contributions and impact on the organization. His expertise extends to areas such as organizational development, business development, sales management, digital marketing, and professional education. Peter earned a B.S. degree in Biology and Chemistry from Northern Illinois University, further complementing his comprehensive understanding of the medical field. With his wealth of experience, strategic mindset, and dedication to advancing healthcare, Peter Coffaro is a valuable asset and leader in the medical device industry.