The lasting impression from AAOS 2026 is that the orthopedic industry is not waiting for the future.
Even during Lent, New Orleans has a way of making everything feel bigger and badder—the crowds, the conversations, the ambitions, the French Quarter, and of course, Bourbon Street.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2026 Annual Meeting was no different. From the moment the doors opened at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, it was clear this was not a meeting in maintenance mode. Given the disappointing attendance and engagement in previous post-pandemic AAOS events, this year’s meeting was refreshing.
More than 600 exhibitors filled the exhibit hall, the Investment Forum attracted standing-room-only interest, and the sessions pulsed with an excitement about a genuine inflection point for the industry. Moreover, The Terminator—a.k.a., Zimmer Biomet Chief Movement Officer Arnold Schwarzenegger—rocked the house with his enthusiasm for orthopedic products and his message emphasizing the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle.
Having attended numerous AAOS Annual Meetings, we arrived in New Orleans this year to take stock of the industry’s overall health and determine where it might be headed—commercially, strategically, and financially (examining active and engaged M&A projects). Our analysis revealed six trends that could potentially impact OEMs, contract manufacturers, investors, and the broader orthopedic ecosystem. A closer look at each of these themes follows.
Trend One: The robotics entry fee. If there was a single dominant narrative at AAOS 2026 and perhaps the past few years, it was robotics, and the message was unmistakable: the technology is no longer a differentiator.
Stryker showcased a full portfolio expansion of its Mako SmartRobotics platform. Mako Shoulder, now fully commercialized, extends the ecosystem into primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty. Equally notable was the introduction of Mako RPS (Robotic Power System), a handheld robotic format for total knee procedures—deliberately designed for surgeons who prefer robotic precision without abandoning manual familiarity. This is a smart commercial move, as it lowers the adoption barrier and broadens the addressable market to fit the growing ASC market footprint requirements.
By Florence Joffroy-Black & Dave Sheppard | MedWorld Advisors
Image Credit: AAOS
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