Blue Belt Technologies, Inc. has made its first sale to an ambulatory surgical center and reported the first use of the company’s unicondylar knee system.
Blue Belt’s First Sale to Ambulatory Surgical Center
2 min read Premium comments
Secondary
The company announced on October 15, 2013 that the Thomas Jefferson Riverview Surgical Center, at the Navy Yard in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, entered into an agreement to purchase Blue Belt’s Navio robotic-controlled surgical system. The Jefferson Surgical Center is a multi-specialty ambulatory surgery center, developed by area physicians, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and Nueterra Healthcare. It is the first surgery center in the U.S. to purchase and use the Navio system to assist in precision partial knee replacement surgery.
Jess H. Lonner, M.D., associate professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University and attending orthopaedic surgeon, Rothman Institute, said the center has “now solidified itself as arguably the nation’s most innovative and cutting-edge outpatient surgical facility. Rothman Institute has been one of the few groups nationwide performing a large volume of partial knee replacements on an outpatient basis, and now with Riverview offering the most advanced and precise imageless robotic technology available for partial knee replacements—Navio—we are able to offer a unique service for many patients suffering with arthritis of the knee.”
Eric Timko, Blue Belt’s president and CEO, said he believes that the precision and economics of the Navio system, paired with the company’s optimized Stride knee system, make it a perfect fit for building an orthopedic robotics program in any outpatient setting. “This Navio site will be an excellent model and example of the benefits of adopting new technology into any burgeoning orthopedic environment.”
First Surgery
The Navio system is a CT-free, open platform surgical system that utilizes patented precision freehand sculpting technology to deliver the precision of robotic-assisted bone preparation directly into the surgeon’s hands. On October 9, 2013, Dr. Lonner utilized the Navio system to perform the world’s first partial knee replacement utilizing Blue Belt’s proprietary stride unicondylar knee system. “In treatment of a patient presenting with medial osteoarthritis, Dr. Lonner used Navio to create a surgical plan, resurface the patient’s diseased bone and implant a Stride prosthesis to restore function to the patient’s knee and reduce the pain associated with osteoarthritis, ” stated the company’s announcement.
The system incorporates patented technology to provide precise robotic control to surgeons via an intelligent, handheld, computer-assisted bone cutting tool.
React:
Discussion
This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
Join the conversation
Orthopedic professionals are discussing this. Sign in and upgrade to read every comment and add your voice.