A new AI-powered, patient-matched bunion surgery solution has just been launched.
Johnson & Johnson MedTech announced its VirtuGuide, an AI-powered system to support the Lapidus bunion surgery method.
Lapidus surgery helps realign the foot by joining two bones near the arch (the first metatarsal bone and the medial cuneiform).
VirtuGuide utilises pre-operative planning software, developed in collaboration with PeekMed to evaluate each patient’s bunion and provides personalised recommendations for the intended correction.
It’s a streamlined approach that reduces surgical complexity.
The company reports early users estimating procedural time savings of at least 30 minutes compared to their previous technique.
Dr Michael Campbell, an orthopaedic surgeon at Atlantic Orthopaedic Specialists, said VirtuGuide makes Lapidus cases ‘significantly easier and faster’.
‘This improved accuracy leads to better outcomes, and the ability to present the pre-operative plan to my patients helps address their questions and ease their concerns,’ said Campbell.
Johnson & Johnson MedTech announced that its launch follows FDA 510(k) clearance for the pre-operative planning software, which was granted earlier this year.
Oray Boston, worldwide president of Trauma, Extremities, Craniomaxillofacial, Animal Health and Sports Medicine, Orthopaedics at Johnson & Johnson MedTech, said: ‘The VirtuGuide system is a pivotal advancement in AI-powered surgical precision for treating bunion deformities – a common, painful, and potentially debilitating condition affecting nearly one-third of Americans.
‘This milestone marks an important step forward, as VirtuGuide becomes the latest addition to our growing portfolio of Velys enabling tech solutions. By automating surgical planning and tailoring instrumentation to each patient, the system helps reduce complexity in the operating room and helps surgeons to achieve the intended correction.’
