Hospitals’ budgets for capital equipment have been strained during the pandemic, but they will continue to invest in digital surgery and robotics because the technologies offer value to patients, according to executives at The Virtual MedTech Conference.

Autonomous robotic systems that enhance the skillset of surgeons face a gradual evolution, the experts agreed.

Osso VR partnered with Smith & Nephew to develop a VR training tool that will be showcased at this year's American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons' (AAOS) conference, taking place in Las Vegas from March 12-16. Orthopedic robotic systems continue to draw high interest from surgeons. The recent US FDA clearance of Zimmer Biomet's ROSA total knee replacement system will add competition to the current market dominated by Stryker's MAKO and Smith & Nephew's NAVIO.

C-SATS has been added to the Johnson & Johnson group's expanding robotics technology base, which really found its momentum in orthopedics when Orthotaxy came into the group.