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Derek Amanatullah, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Stanford Medicine, will be part of the “From Garage to Market: A Stepwise Approach to Creating an Orthopaedic Device” symposium at AAOS this week. The panel discussions will give attendees an understanding of the critical steps involved in commercializing innovative ideas, including intellectual property, corporate governance and regulatory approval.
“We want to present a seminar that meets innovators where they are in the development cycle and provides targeted advice based on their needs,” Dr. Amanatullah said.
The panelists will include an intellectual property specialist, a fundraiser, an angel investor and an inventor. Daniel Martin, M.D., has extensive experience interacting with FDA — both positively and negatively — and will offer insights into the barriers involved in translating the function of new devices to FDA reviewers. Industry reps will also discuss what companies look for when considering acquisitions, which often differs from the perspectives that surgeons have when developing new technologies.
Discussions will focus on the different stages of the startup journey, from early development to active fundraising and successful exits. Experts will share their personal experiences about what worked, what didn’t and how they navigated challenges.
“The overarching goal is to offer a comprehensive experience tailored to individual innovators,” Dr. Amanatullah said. “Some attendees might gain new insights into FDA translation or postmarket strategy. Others might benefit from discussions on the innovation cycle and how to determine whether an idea is worth pursuing.”
The seminar is designed so audience members can leave with valuable takeaways, regardless of their stage in the innovation process: ideation, invention, commercialization and impact.
“In orthopedics, most of our time is spent in the ideation phase,” Dr. Amanatullah said. “This is the cheapest phase, where we generate hundreds of ideas, knowing that only a fraction will become true inventions. From those inventions, only a handful will evolve into viable innovations — business-worthy concepts with real market demand. And of those, only one in hundreds will achieve a successful exit and make a lasting impact on the field.”
Beating the Odds
Creating market impact requires more than just a great idea. Dr. Amanatullah said it demands entrepreneurship and skill sets that many surgeons don’t naturally possess.
“We often believe that every small improvement — every retractor tweak or instrument modification — is profoundly important,” he added. “And while some of these ideas may be highly valuable, the reality is that every great idea must be protectable, scalable and ultimately commoditized to make a real difference.”
One of the key goals of the AAOS symposium is to help surgeons move beyond the ideation phase. “That’s when everything changes,” Dr. Amanatullah said. “The concept may move beyond your expertise and require marketing, finance and entrepreneurial leadership to succeed.”
This step marks the true shift from invention to product development. The real challenge —and the defining factor of true innovation — occurs when an entrepreneur commits their time and energy to scaling a product, securing widespread adoption and ultimately achieving a successful exit.
Surgeons, by nature, believe they can put together tools to improve anatomy — something most people would consider an impossibly ambitious task. “But surgeons think differently,” Dr. Amanatullah said. “We understand anatomy, physiology and medical devices, and we see how they can be combined into cohesive systems. That mindset naturally lends itself to innovation.”
Many surgeons start down the innovation cycle believing they must manage every step of the innovation lifecycle themselves, but that’s not the best way to approach the process.
“Surgeons need to open their network and find the right team members,” Dr. Amanatullah said. “Idea people need patent experts, product development specialists and entrepreneurs who can help turn their vision into a scalable business. The key question is: Who’s the next person to bring on board to push your idea forward? Having the right collaborators is what turns an idea into something real.”
Dr. Amanatullah believes surgeon entrepreneurs must believe in what they’re building.
“They need to be internally driven. If the motivation is purely external — solely about making money — this wouldn’t be worth the effort,” he said. “There are far easier ways to earn a living. True innovation requires something deeper: a personal commitment to making an impact.”
Finding Value
For a product to succeed on the market, its value proposition must align with its cost, price and the clinical impact that it delivers. It also needs to create synergies for providers and fit within the broader healthcare system.
“A product with a high commercial value might not need to meet as high of a clinical burden to gain adoption,” Dr. Amanatullah said. “But if its clinical impact is significant, there may be greater pricing flexibility. These factors are interdependent and must be carefully balanced.”
This is why entrepreneurship is distinct from product development.
“A great product alone isn’t enough — it must compete across multiple dimensions, including clinical outcomes, efficiency, cost of goods, pricing strategy and reimbursement models,” Dr. Amanatullah said. “Ultimately, every entrepreneur will approach this positioning differently.
“The way an innovation is framed in the market — its business model, pricing and strategic positioning — is just as critical as the product itself. Success isn’t about having a great idea or invention. It’s about navigating the complex ecosystem that determines whether it will make an impact.”
Surgeons recognize the potential for a platform that could drive future clinical advancements, according to Dr. Amanatullah, who said the challenge lies in demonstrating its potential while also ensuring there’s a sustainable financial model supporting it.
“If patients seek out the technology and generate volume, it becomes a viable part of the healthcare ecosystem, even if today’s studies don’t yet show significant clinical benefits,” he said.
Plus, outcomes are measured differently across stakeholders. Hospitals focus on volume-based metrics and charge-based outcomes. Insurers assess CPT codes and relative value units (RVUs). Clinicians evaluate direct patient benefits and procedural improvements. Successful innovation must navigate at least one of these value chains to move forward.
For providers to adopt new technology, they must see a future in which it delivers clinical value — not just increased utilization or financial returns.
“That value doesn’t have to exist today,” Dr. Amanatullah. “Many emerging technologies show minimal immediate impact, but their true value is realized in later iterations. The key is sustaining an ecosystem where innovation can evolve.”
