Latest / Deep Dive Ortho — Orthopaedic Surgery, AI & Digital Health Podcast. / Orthopaedic Trends for 2025

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Orthopaedic Trends for 2025 · Deep Dive Ortho — Orthopaedic Surgery, AI & Digital Health Podcast.

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  You know, the world of orthopedics in 2025, it
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  isn't just about fixing bones anymore, is it?
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  Not at all. It feels like it's exploding with
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  cutting edge technology, really transforming
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  how care is delivered right now. It certainly
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  is a very exciting time. Welcome to the deep
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  dive. You sent us well. Quite a stack of sources,
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  the latest articles, press releases, expert insights,
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  all buzzing with the newest innovations in orthopedic
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  care. Our mission today is to guide you through
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  this material to unpack the most important bits
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  of knowledge you need to know about what's happening
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  this year. Sounds good. And joining me to navigate
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  these, frankly, quite exciting trends is our
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  expert guide for this deep dive, Professor Mo
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  Imam. Thank you. It's a real pleasure to explore
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  such a dynamic field with you. It's moving so
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  quickly. Absolutely. So looking across these
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  sources... A few major themes just jump out immediately,
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  don't they? They really do. We're seeing the,
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  well, the pervasive influence of AI, genuinely
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  revolutionary surgical technologies, smarter
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  implants built with advanced materials, and a
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  huge shift towards patient -centered care, even
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  outpatient care. Quite a list. It's a lot. But
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  let's jump right in, shall we? See what these
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  sources tell us. Let's do it. OK, the first thing
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  that's just impossible to miss is AI. It feels
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  like it's everywhere. But our sources highlight
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  some specific, really powerful applications in
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  orthopedics. They seem to go way beyond simple
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  image analysis or diagnosis. What's really grabbing
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  you here? Well, I think what really stands out
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  is how AI is integrating into quite fundamental
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  processes. Take surgical planning, for instance.
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  OK. Historically, getting a detailed 3D anatomical
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  model for complex surgeries needed high radiation
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  CT scans, maybe MRI, and the manual work to segment
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  those images. That could take days, sometimes
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  weeks. Right, a real bottleneck. Exactly. But
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  these sources show AI -driven tools can now generate
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  these detailed 3D models, and increasingly from
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  standard x -rays. Hold on, from x -rays? That
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  sounds like a huge shift, doesn't it? It is.
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  Think about it. Less radiation, less cost. potentially
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  much more accessible. That's one of those real
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  sort of nuggets from this material, I think.
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  This single advancement dramatically lowers the
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  barriers to sophisticated planning. It gives
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  surgeons access to critical insights much faster.
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  It potentially turns a process that took weeks
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  into, well, just a few clicks. And it helps ensure
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  consistent quality, opens up advanced planning
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  to many more cases. Okay, so beyond just planning
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  the shapes, what else is AI doing? Well, it's
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  proving crucial in predictive modeling, too.
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  Imagine you're designing an implant. AI can analyze
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  vast data sets to predict its performance under
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  various stresses. Or it could anticipate how
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  different surgical techniques might fare in specific
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  patient anatomies. So trying to foresee problems.
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  Precisely. And you see companies like Quest Diagnostics
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  collaborating with Google Cloud, using generative
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  AI specifically to streamline data. personalized
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  parts of the customer experience. It shows how
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  AI touches everything, really, from the lab right
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  through to the clinic. And it's even transforming
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  training. There's mention of redefined surgery,
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  for example. They have an AI -powered immersive
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  3D training platform. So better simulations.
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  It's more than just simulation. It allows large
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  -scale training delivered by top experts, but
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  in very realistic scenarios. Think about the
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  bottleneck in surgical training through traditional
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  fellowships. Right. It's very limited, one -on
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  -one, often. Exactly. This platform offers the
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  potential to scale expertise much more rapidly,
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  training thousands simultaneously. That potential
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  scale for training is, well, it's quite astonishing.
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  So pulling this together then for, you know,
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  the patient or the surgeon, what's the practical
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  benefit of all this AI integration? What does
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  it really mean? Day to day. For the surgeon.
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  It's about enhanced precision, definitely, but
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  also remarkable efficiency. Reducing complex
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  planning to minutes, that saves incredibly valuable
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  time. For the patient, it points towards better
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  outcomes. Because the planning is more precise,
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  it's potentially more personalized based on insights
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  from enormous data sets. And as you pointed out,
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  in some cases, it means reducing radiation exposure,
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  shifting from CT or MRI to x -rays for that 3D
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  modeling. Right. So fundamentally, it's enabling
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  better, faster and potentially safer planning.
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  Better decision making before the first decision
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  is even made. OK, let's move then from the planning
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  stage into the operating theater itself. Once
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  the surgeon is scrubbed in. What sort of advanced
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  technology is guiding their hands, or maybe giving
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  them a better view? Right. This is where robotic
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  assistance and advanced visualization are really
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  making significant impacts. Robotics, yeah. That
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  feels like it's been growing for a while. It
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  has, and it continues its rapid expansion. The
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  market for orthopedic surgical robots. I mean,
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  the projection is something like $16 billion
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  by 2030. That gives you an idea of how mainstream
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  this is becoming. Huge numbers. But are the robots
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  doing the surgery? No, no. It's important to
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  be clear. These systems aren't replacing the
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  surgeon. They're augmenting them. OK, augmenting.
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  They enhance precision. They help reduce variability.
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  Maybe consistency is a better word. Yeah, especially
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  in complex procedures like total knee replacements
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  hip surgery spinal fusions Robots help with incredibly
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  precise implant alignment for example, and they
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  facilitate minimally invasive approaches Which
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  of course is a key driver for faster patient
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  recovery, right? We see established systems like
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  Zimmer biomets our rosé hip system being used
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  quite routinely now in procedures like direct
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  anterior total hip replacement Okay, so the robots
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  help with the doing What about the seeing? How
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  are surgeons getting better eyes inside the body
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  during the procedure? Ah, that's another really
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  fascinating area. Surgical navigation is moving
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  beyond just traditional screens placed somewhere
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  in the OR. OK. Augmented reality, even holographic
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  navigation. They're really emerging now. Novorod's
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  Vizar system is a great example mentioned in
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  the sources. It's essentially a surgical GPS.
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  A GPS for surgery. Kind of. It projects anatomical
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  imaging, could be 2D images, could be 3D holograms
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  directly onto the patient's body right in the
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  surgeon's field of view. Wow. OK. So they're
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  seeing the plan overlayed on the actual patient.
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  Exactly. And it provides incredibly accurate
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  guidance, apparently down to the millimeter.
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  And we're seeing FDA clearances now for these
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  AR and AI guidance platforms, companies like
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  Medivis, Pixi Medical, Proprio. They're even
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  getting clearance for use in US ambulatory surgery
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  centers. which suggests they're becoming more
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  practical, more accessible. Precisely. It speaks
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  to their increasing practicality. And it's not
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  just AR, advanced 3D optical scanners, like those
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  from Visi, which used to be advanced scanners.
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  They're providing detailed intraoperative imaging
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  and software analysis too. So real -time information.
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  Real -time actionable intelligence right there
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  during complex procedures. It really sounds like
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  these technologies are taking complex surgeries
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  and... I don't know, by adding these layers of
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  precision and real -time data visualization,
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  they're making them potentially simpler to execute,
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  safer for the patient. That's a great way to
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  put it, I think. It's about providing sophisticated
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  tools that enhance the surgeon's own innate skill
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  and judgment, making the incredibly challenging
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  slightly more manageable, perhaps, and certainly
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  more consistent. Like giving surgeons a new set
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  of finely tuned senses. Yes, exactly. OK, let's
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  shift gears slightly then. We've talked about
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  the planning tools, the tools for surgical execution.
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  What about what actually stays inside the body,
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  the implants themselves? What's new and impactful
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  in materials and functionality this year? Right.
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  implant innovation. Well, it feels like it's
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  undergoing a bit of a renaissance. One key trend
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  is the increased use of biodegradable materials.
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  Think magnesium alloys or bio -resorbable screws
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  and plates. Things that dissolve. Essentially,
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  yes. The market for these is projected to grow
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  significantly, potentially over $16 billion by
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  2035, according to one source. And the benefit?
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  The real benefit is they're designed to safely
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  dissolve within the body over time. So for patients,
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  maybe particularly in trauma cases or pediatric
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  cases where bones heal and hardware might otherwise
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  need removing later. Ah, avoiding a second surgery.
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  Exactly. Avoiding a second operation altogether.
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  That's a significant win for the patient, obviously.
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  Less risk, less cost, less recovery time. Definitely.
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  What else is happening with materials? Another
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  critical area is fighting infection. Antimicrobial
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  coatings are being developed for implants. We
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  see companies like Onco Surgical or Zimmer Biomet's
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  Persona Solution, PPS Femur mentioned. Because
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  infection is still a big risk. It remains a persistent,
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  serious risk in implant surgery, yes. So materials
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  engineered to actively combat that risk are vital.
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  We're also seeing composite polymers, ceramics,
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  being engineered not just for strength, but to
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  actively encourage bone growth. To improve osseointegration
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  to integration. That's the bone bonding with
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  the implant. That's the crucial process Yes,
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  where your natural bone tissue grows onto and
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  bonds with the implant surface for stability
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  Getting that right is key to long -term success.
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  Okay materials getting smarter And then there
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  are smart implants that always sounds a bit science
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  fiction, but they're very real now aren't that
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  what do they actually do? They're very real,
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  yes. And quite remarkable. Smart implants basically
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  have tiny sensors embedded within them. Okay.
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  After surgery, they collect real -time objective
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  data right from inside the patient's body. What
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  kind of data? We're talking about medical grade
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  data. Things like range of motion, how the implant
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  is aligning, weight bearing, even step count,
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  or early indicators of how the healing is progressing.
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  Right. Data you couldn't get otherwise. Exactly.
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  And this data can be transmitted wirelessly to
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  the surgeon or the clinical team. Zimmer Biomed's
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  Persona IQ Smart Knee Implant is probably the
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  most prominent example right now. It provides
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  really valuable insights into how the patient
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  is actually recovering once they're outside the
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  clinic walls. So instead of just asking the patient,
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  you know, how are you feeling at a follow -up
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  appointment weeks later, the surgeon has objective
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  data on their recovery journey from day one.
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  Precisely. This data -driven approach is fundamentally
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  changing post -operative care. Well, it allows
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  clinicians to monitor recovery remotely. They
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  can potentially intervene earlier if issues arise.
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  And they can tailor the rehabilitation plan much
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  more effectively to the individual patient. There
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  are companies, like Inkwell Health mentioned
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  in the sources, specifically focused on providing
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  clinicians with this kind of real -time data
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  to truly optimize that recovery process. It moves
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  follow -up care from being periodic snapshots
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  to something much closer to continuous monitoring.
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  That connectivity and data, it brings us nicely
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  to the final major trend we're seeing across
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  these sources, personalization and making patient
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  care much more patient -centric. How do all these
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  technologies tie Well, the demand for solutions
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  tailored to the individual is definitely a major
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  driving force. Right. And this starts with things
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  like patient -specific implants and custom surgical
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  guides, using detailed imaging, often enhanced
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  by AI analysis, as we discussed and produced
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  with advanced manufacturing techniques like 3D
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  printing. Companies like Restore Third are mentioned
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  as focusing on this. Surgeons can get implants
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  and tools designed precisely for a patient's
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  unique anatomy. So a better fit. The aim is absolutely
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  a better fit. better function, and ultimately
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  better longevity for the implant. It's a direct
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  link back to the AI and the advanced imaging
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  we talked about earlier. Makes sense. And this
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  drive for personalization also extends to where
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  care is delivered. There's a really significant
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  trend towards more outpatient surgeries, often
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  performed in Amulatory Surgery Centers, or ASCs.
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  Right. And why is that shift happening now, particularly?
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  It's several factors coming together, really.
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  Improved surgical techniques, certainly. less
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  invasive approaches, which are enabled by the
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  robotics and navigation we mentioned, better
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  pain management, shorter acting anesthetics,
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  they all contribute. But crucially, changes from
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  bodies like the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
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  Services, CMS, in the US are adding more orthopedic
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  procedures to the list that are covered in ASCs.
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  That makes it more financially viable. Ah, the
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  payment structures are catching up. Exactly.
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  And for patients, this often means potentially
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  shorter hospital stays or no overnight stay at
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  all, recovering in the comfort of their own home
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  faster and often lower costs compared to a traditional
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  hospital setting. That sounds like a win -win.
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  In many cases, it can be. And alongside that
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  shift in location, digital health solutions are
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  improving access and streamlining the patient
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  journey. Well, the Hurt app is an interesting
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  example mentioned. It offers free 247 virtual
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  access to orthopedic expertise by partnering
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  with physician groups. So quick advice anytime.
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  It helps patients get quick advice outside standard
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  clinic hours, yes. And it potentially alleviates
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  some pressure on busy clinics. Partnerships,
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  like the one mentioned between hurt and relation,
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  are focused on improving this kind of access
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  and the user experience. Other digital platforms
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  are helping practices manage patient engagement,
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  data analytics, operational efficiency, smoothing
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  the whole process. And we probably shouldn't
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  forget regenerative medicine, things like PRP,
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  stem cell injections. These offer non -surgical
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  personalized options for certain conditions,
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  which meets that growing patient demand for less
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  invasive alternatives where they're appropriate.
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  It's fascinating, actually, how all these threads
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  seem to connect. You've got AI refining. the
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  planning and enabling personalized implants,
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  then advanced surgical tech allowing for less
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  invasive approaches, which enables the shift
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  to outpatient care. Exactly. And then the smart
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  implants providing the data for that personalized
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  remote recovery monitoring. Absolutely. When
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  you look across all these trends, the AI, robotics,
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  AR, smart implants, personalized approaches,
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  the shift outpatient care, they really do all
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  seem to converge on the same goals. Which are?
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  Increasing precision, accelerating recovery times,
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  improving outcomes, and ultimately making orthopedic
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  care significantly more patient -centered in
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  2025. It really is an incredibly exciting time
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  in the field. And if you found this deep dive
• 14:14
  valuable, perhaps consider rating the show or
• 14:17
  sharing it with a colleague who might also find
• 14:19
  it insightful. As we wrap up, though, these rapid
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  technological leaps are clearly reshaping the
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  landscape. But it does leave us with a compelling
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  question, doesn't it? Perhaps one for you, the
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  listener, to consider. As AI takes over more
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  planning tasks, robots enhance execution, and
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  smart implants provide this constant stream of
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  data, how does the fundamental role of the human
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  expert, the surgeon, the clinician actually change?
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  That's the key question, isn't it? And on a larger
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  scale, how will our health care systems truly
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  adapt to integrate and manage all this new technology,
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  the vast amount of data it generates, while still
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  navigating the ethical considerations that inevitably
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  come with such powerful tools? Indeed. The technology
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  is a powerful enabler, there's no doubt. But
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  human judgment, empathy, expertise, they remain
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  absolutely critical in actually delivering care.
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  Technology is a tool, not the whole answer. A
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  lot to think about as these innovations continue
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  to unfold. Thank you so much for joining us for
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  this deep dive into the cutting edge of orthopedic
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  innovation in 2025. My pleasure. Thank you.