Surgical robots, smart implants and automated surgical planning are three pieces of technology transforming the field of orthopedics.
Three surgeons recently connected with Becker’s to share which recent technological and AI advancements in the orthopedic industry they have found to be the most impactful over the past 12 months.
Editor’s note: These responses were lightly edited for clarity and length.
Question: What piece of new technology has made the biggest impact at your practice within the past year?
Ashish Sahai, MD. Orthopedic Spine Surgeon at Spine & Orthopedic Center (Boca Raton, Fla.): I think this question comes at an interesting time. I am involved with the development of surgical robotic and navigation systems, which have started including planning surgical detail at a much greater level preop, making a more standardized approach to surgical correction. We have seen implant and rod customization happening over the last five years, which has resulted in better corrections with less fusion levels.
From a private practice standpoint, I think the integration of AI. AI for medical records, practice management and revenue cycle management will be an added bonus going forward, and it is something I am eagerly trying to adopt. Insurance companies have already utilized and, to some degree, “weaponized” it against private practice, and the faster the medical side is also able to adopt these technologies, the better we can keep up with and respond to the constant changes. Eventually, it will be “their AI” vs “our AI” and hopefully a lot of the noise can go away, and we can return to practicing medicine.
Sean Sutphen, DO. Orthopedic Surgeon of Illinois Bone and Joint Institute (Glenview): The implementation of smart implants alongside robotics in joint replacement has made the biggest impact in my practice in 2025. Smart implants allow us remote monitoring during the recovery period, collecting range of motion, gait dynamics and walking speed. This allows us to give our patients a very personalized recovery by providing us data that may allow us to make personalized adjustments to their rehab post-op.
Jonathan Vigdorchik, MD. Orthopedic Surgeon of HSS (New York City): AI technology for automated surgical planning, and similarly, AI for ambient listening in the office to help with office notes. I used to spend 30 minutes to an hour planning surgical cases, and this can now be done reliably and reproducibly in seconds. Also, in the office, ambient listening can generate office notes in seconds with equal or better quality without me having to ever type in the screen or turn my attention away from the patient. These technologies will continue to evolve and continue to help improve the patient experience and quality of care, in addition to helping physician administrative burden.
