Can we be honest about robots ?

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Let’s cut through the noise. J&J’s new VELYS Spine system, hyped in BoneZone’s “VELYS Spine Shows What’s Next in Enabling Tech Innovation,” is a masterclass in marketing spin. (summary below).

Cleared by the FDA in August 2024, with a “screw release mode” to fix robotic glitches, and a user-friendly interface. They claim it reduces surgeons’ cognitive load and paves the way for digital surgery. J&J even snagged a 2025 OMTEC Award for this. Sounds revolutionary, right?

Wrong.

This is a shiny distraction. The article barely mentions patient outcomes—because that’s not the point.

Robots like VELYS are hospital marketing bait, luring patients with futuristic vibes while driving device company sales. They’re also access barriers, locking out smaller players who can’t afford the tech arms race. And the cost? Astronomical, with no clear evidence it’s worth it.

Here’s the truth: robots aren’t even better.

FACT – Hip surgeons perform better than robots in hip replacements [Dr David Kirwan on BoneChat]. [Pubmed – Robotic-Assisted Surgery Does Not Decrease Prosthetic Impingement in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Retrieval Analysis].

FACT – Experienced total knee surgeons perform better that robots in total knee replacements. However, in Uni Knees robots can be better.

So now in spine surgery why the obsession with VELYS’s “surgeon-centric” design and digital wizardry?

Because it sells.

J&J’s story—overcoming COVID with Zoom design sessions, leveraging French-American brainpower—makes for a great TED Talk. But it sidesteps the real question: does this tech actually improve outcomes ?

The future of surgery isn’t robots—it’s results.

Let’s demand tech that proves its worth, not just its wow factor.

Summary of the key points of the article, ” VELYS Spine Shows What’s Next in Enabling Tech Innovation” are:
  1. Innovative Partnership Model: Johnson & Johnson MedTech collaborated with eCential Robotics in a build-to-buy partnership to develop the VELYS Active Robotic-Assisted System, a novel approach that involved creating a new platform from scratch, rather than building on existing technology.
  2. FDA Clearance and System Features: The VELYS Spine system, cleared by the FDA in August 2024, is a dual-use platform offering standalone navigation and active robotics for complex spinal fusion procedures across the cervical, thoracolumbar, and sacroiliac spine.
  3. Overcoming Development Challenges: The project faced significant hurdles, including COVID-related travel restrictions, leading to a digital-first design process using tools like Zoom and iPhone cameras for collaboration. This fostered strong communication and numerous project touchpoints.
  4. Technical Innovations: A key breakthrough was the “screw release mode,” addressing pressure build-up issues in robotic spine surgery, enabling smoother screw release and improving surgical workflow. The user interface was also redesigned for simplicity and intuitiveness, earning positive surgeon feedback.
  5. Surgeon-Centric Design: The system was designed to reduce cognitive load, enhance surgeon focus, and minimize disruption to existing workflows, with a study underway to assess its impact on decision-making and mental sharpness during complex cases.
  6. Lessons Learned: The project highlighted the importance of leveraging external expertise, managing resources strategically, and embracing digital tools to accelerate innovation. The collaboration model allowed J&J MedTech to move faster and allocate budgets effectively.
  7. Future of Digital Surgery: The VELYS Spine system represents a step toward the digitization of surgical practice, with intelligent systems that guide decision-making, document outcomes, and enhance surgeon learning curves, ultimately aiming to raise the standard of care.
  8. Industry Recognition: J&J MedTech received the 2025 OMTEC Award for Next-Gen Innovator for this project, with the collaboration model serving as a blueprint for faster, more effective medtech innovation.

Read also – Game theory is driving more and more Robots.