Stryker unveils handheld Mako RPS for knee surgery and T2 Alpha humerus nailing system

Stryker rolls out handheld Mako RPS to broaden robotic knee surgery options

Handheld robotics targets knee surgery workflow and adoption

Stryker is putting a handheld robotic saw into limited clinical use with the market release of Mako RPS for Total Knee, a device the company says extends its Mako robotics franchise into a new platform. Mako RPS pairs Stryker’s robotics and power‑tool expertise to deliver intraoperative planning and a robotically enabled saw that uses patented active adjustment technology to respond to a surgeon’s hand movements and keep the cut aligned with the surgical plan. The system is compatible with Stryker’s Triathlon Total Knee implants and is designed to provide a familiar cutting feel without traditional cutting blocks.

The new handheld platform launches alongside Stryker’s existing Mako SmartRobotics arm‑assisted suite, creating a two‑track Mako portfolio — Mako 4 for multi‑specialty arm assistance and Mako RPS for handheld applications — and is built to work with the company’s Q Guidance System. Stryker frames the move as broadening options at the point of care, aiming to integrate with existing workflows and instrumentation to ease adoption across hospitals and ambulatory surgery centers. Mike Carlin, president of Stryker’s Ortho Tech division, says the Mako brand leverages nearly 20 years of robotic experience and more than 2 million procedures in 46 countries to push robotics toward standard‑of‑care use.

The company is initially offering Mako RPS on a limited basis to selected surgeons and sites to evaluate performance, workflow integration and clinical outcomes data collection, while planning wider commercial availability pending user feedback, regulatory clearances and manufacturing scale‑up. Stryker emphasizes training, service support and compatibility with existing implants to facilitate adoption, and is demonstrating both Mako SmartRobotics and the new handheld system at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons meeting in New Orleans at booth #3339.

T2 Alpha humerus nailing system addresses complex fracture care

Separately, Stryker launches the T2 Alpha Humerus Nailing System, a SOMA‑informed intramedullary nail designed to simplify fixation for complex humerus fractures, non‑unions and revision cases. The device uses CT‑derived population data for anatomical fit, offers active intraoperative compression up to 6 mm, multiplanar screw fixation and guided targeting instrumentation intended to improve reproducibility and potentially reduce radiation exposure.

Stryker positions the T2 Alpha nail to integrate with its existing nailing platform to shorten training curves, reduce tray requirements and deliver operational efficiencies for surgical teams. Eric Tamweber, vice‑president of the Trauma business, says the system expands surgeon options and reflects the company’s focus on data‑driven design, surgical efficiency and consistent clinical outcomes.