Australia among global firsts in shoulder replacement with new Stryker robotics system

Robotic-assisted surgery is well established in hip and knee arthroplasty, but its role in shoulder surgery is still in its infancy. In a new development, Buderim Private Hospital has emerged as one of the first sites in Australia to offer reverse total shoulder arthroplasty using the Stryker Mako SmartRobotic platform.

On 6 August, four procedures were successfully completed by orthopaedic surgeon Dr Joe Coory of Sunshine Coast Orthopaedic Group, placing the hospital among a select group globally that has implemented this cutting-edge technology in shoulder surgery.

“We’re pleased to have the opportunity to offer this technology on the Sunshine Coast,” Dr Coory said. “The platform allows for detailed pre-operative planning and provides intraoperative guidance to assist in accurate implant placement. It also reconfirms that the Sunshine Coast is a growing area for both health development and technological advancement.”

The Mako system is now the second robotic platform for shoulder surgery in Australia, following the TGA approval of Zimmer Biomet’s Rosa for reverse and anatomic shoulder replacements in May 2024.

Robot-assisted shoulder arthroplasty offers several advantages: enhanced precision and accuracy, data acquisition, haptic boundaries to minimise soft-tissue injury, and the ability to prepare bone through less invasive or cuff-preserving exposures. There is also potential for intraoperative motion assessment and soft-tissue balancing, capabilities that align with the movement toward more personalised, outcomes-focused care for patients.

Yet the technology remains in its early stages. As such, clinical trial data is limited, and the question of whether robotic-enabled shoulder arthroplasty leads to better patient outcomes is still under investigation.

One of the key drawbacks identified in a recent review is that current robotic systems for shoulder replacement are not implant agnostic. Surgeons must use implants provided by the same company that manufactures the robotic technology, effectively limiting choice and locking them into specific systems. This dynamic may also strengthen the medtech company’s negotiating power around implant volume and cost.

Dr Coory commented that the adoption of the Mako shoulder platform is part of a broader trend in orthopaedics toward precision-driven, tech-enabled surgery with the system using 3D CT-based planning and intraoperative haptic guidance, enabling surgeons to operate with real-time feedback, and offering potential benefits for surgical accuracy and reproducibility.

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