Issue link: https://beckershealthcare.uberflip.com/i/1487345
30 ORTHOPEDICS Hospital for Special Surgery launches independent orthopedic company By Carly Behm N ew York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery received a $21 million series A funding round to launch RightMove, a company focused on virtual physical therapy. Amy Fahrenkopf, MD, senior vice president at HSS and president of HSS Health, will be interim CEO of the company, according to an Oct. 25 news release. An executive search is underway. "We believe RightMove can address an unmet need in the market by being a true value-based partner to health plans and employers through our proven care model, use of specialty trained physical therapists and unparalleled experience providing telerehabilitation," she said in the release. The funding will build out RightMove's technology platform and create a network of physical therapists. RightMove plans to go live and treat patients in 2023. Flare Capital led the funding round. n New Mexico ASC adds 2 knee replacement robots as industry competition heats up By Alan Condon N ew Mexico Surgery Center Orthopaedics, a 27-physician ASC in Albuquerque, installed the first two Rosa Knee robots in the state, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported Oct. 17 Designed by Zimmer Biomet, the Rosa Knee robot for joint replacement costs about $700,000. The technology features 3D preoperative planning tools and intraoperative data on soft tissue and bone anatomy to improve bone cut accuracy and range of motion gap analysis. Rosa Knee also collects data to help surgeons make more informed decisions on patient care. Many surgeons are wondering if joint replacement robots, which are still in their infancy, will become the standard of care in the future. The next generation of orthopedic surgeons will likely be more adept at adapting to robots, but the jury is still out on long-term outcomes for robotically-assisted joint replacements. "The future, in part, depends on if it will be reimbursable by insurance," Bill Ritchie, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at New Mexico Surgery Center Orthopedics, told the Santa Fe New Mexican. "Long-term results we don't know yet." Competition among device companies is expected to intensify in the orthopedic industry, where Stryker is leading the pack, according to market research and consulting firm ReAnIn. More than 1,000 of Stryker's Mako systems for total knee replacements have been installed worldwide. Zimmer Biomet's Rosa robot is gaining traction, and Johnson & Johnson's Velys launched in 2021. n event of a future liquidation event, in which all the major stakeholders would benefit. at practice must find the right private equity partner and hope that this new governing body will be a good steward of patient care and practice culture. JM: I have made my practice decisions to maximize my autonomy. I have concerns about the benefits of partnering with private equity (oen to offset frustrations with question 1) being nothing more than a Faustian bargain. Q: What new medical advancements are you keeping an eye on right now? PL: Machine learning and artificial intelligence. is hot topic will play a large role in providing greater safety and value to our patients, through the growth of enabling technologies and reducing the cost of surgery (and spine care as a whole). e expansive data we are currently collecting through diverse avenues will allow multidisciplinary teams to assess how we can perform surgery through the use of more integrated real-time systems that will reduce the number of trays necessary, improve surgical accuracy, reduce operative times and radiation exposure, as well as decreasing the risk of iatrogenic complications during surgery. Augmented reality has been a game- changer in how we prepare and perform spine surgery. However, much like the current widely-adapted robotic technology, the initial focus has been on osseous anatomy. e ability to evaluate neurologic, vascular, muscular, and other anatomic variables will be critical in the advancement of this technology. Specifically in spine surgery; portions of surgery including exposure, removal of so-tissue masses, decompression and osteotomies will greatly benefit from these advancements. We will see the collaboration of multiple industries and research minds that will drive these changes in an evidence-based manner that can keep up with the demands for higher quality care in a cost-constrained landscape. JM: e advancements I am most focused on are at opposite ends of the spectrum. I believe there is some potential in patient specific implants/planning that could be rewarding in the future. On the other end, I believe we will learn a lot in the coming years using big data. This can allow AI and predictive modeling to hopefully result in better outcomes for our patients. n