Copy to clipboard 
The BONEZONE team is headed to New Orleans for the AAOS Annual Meeting with plans to connect with the orthopedic industry’s big thinkers, major players and compelling up-and-comers.
And of course, we’re excited to hear what Arnold Schwarzenegger has to say as the Presidential Guest Speaker.
Much of our time in the Big Easy will be spent walking the exhibit hall, where we’ll check in on many of the companies that we’ll be watching in 2026. We’ll also have our sights set on other organizations that are commercializing innovative devices, including several exhibitors that will be at AAOS for the first time.
Actuos
This first-time exhibitor is targeting a specific population of knee replacement patients: Highly-active individuals who want to maintain the joint’s natural kinematics with an implant that shows long-term durability. The company’s Nuovo partial knee system employs a cementless porous coating combined with proprietary adjuvant fixation to promote rapid, durable osseointegration.
Actuos focused on developing an implant with a large surface area to improve initial fixation and long-term bone in-growth. The company’s engineered fixation strategy promotes micro-scale bone interlock, helping maintain implant stability under dynamic loads. Nuovo’s advanced bearing surfaces were designed to minimize polyethylene wear particles, reducing inflammatory risk and potentially extending the implant’s lifespan.
Nuovo also features bone-preserving anatomic geometry intended to conserve healthy bone and maintain revision options.
Actuos’ focus on younger, active patients and cementless fixation in a partial knee system aligns with major trends in knee replacement. It will be interesting to see what this company brings to the segment.
Arthrex
Arthrex continues to push minimally invasive boundaries with the NanoNeedle Scope 2.0. The third-generation device upgrades the resolution and more than triples the pixel density over the previous NanoNeedle Scope within a 1.9mm diameter footprint.
NanoNeedle Scope 2.0 requires only a puncture-sized entry point, which leads to less tissue disruption, reduced use of arthroscopic fluid and faster patient recovery during a variety of sports medicine procedures, particularly those performed on pediatric patients.
As orthopedics increasingly embraces tissue preservation and outpatient procedures, ultra-minimally invasive imaging is evolving into an important technology, and Arthrex’s advanced capabilities position the company as a leader in the space.
ATRO Medical
ATRO Medical, making its first appearance at AAOS, developed the Artimis Meniscus Prosthesis for patients suffering from post-meniscectomy pain who are too young for total knee replacement. It’s part of a larger trend among orthopedic companies that are addressing this unmet clinical need in a growing patient population.
Artimis is constructed from durable polycarbonate urethane (PCU) and restores shock absorption and load distribution within the knee. It’s implanted in about 45 minutes during an arthroscopic procedure and is secured using fixation tape and screws through tibial tunnels.
ATRO Medical is conducting clinical research that involves following patients for two years to assess the safety and effectiveness of Artimis. If successful, the implant could fill the treatment gap between meniscectomy and arthroplasty.
Fusion Orthopedics
The LapiLock 4D Advanced Bunion Surgery system from Fusion Orthopedics is positioned as a disruptor in the Lapidus procedure space. The system offers surgeons more than 13 fixation options, a fulcrum-less surgical technique and a single-jig workflow that’s designed to reduce correction loss.
LapiLock allows for controlled derotation and positioning of the sesamoids, with mechanical dials that enable intermetatarsal angle reduction, plantar/dorsal flexion adjustment and TMT joint compression or distraction.
The result is minimal bone resection that preserves the first metatarsal length and eliminates “spring-back” risk.
Fusion Orthopedics, another first-time exhibitor, is aiming to capture market share in the foot and ankle segment, and we’ll be interested to see the Lapilock system in person.
Gyder Surgical
Gyder Surgical received FDA 510(k) clearance for the GYDER Hip Navigation System in 2025 and in February, announced the completion of the first U.S. surgeries. The system offers real-time acetabular cup guidance without invasive pins and without reliance on CT or intraoperative imaging.
GYDER Hip features one-minute calibration and rapid registration, enabling integration into existing workflows with minimal disruption and making it attractive for outpatient settings.
As more hip replacements migrate to ASCs, it will be interesting to learn more about Gyder Surgical’s compact, image-less approach to surgical navigation.
OrthAlign
The company recently expanded its Lantern Hip navigation platform to support posterior-based approaches in total hip arthroplasty. Lantern Hip can now be used for any patient positioning preference, giving surgeons greater flexibility during procedures.
Lantern Hip delivers real-time, imageless guidance to support precise cup placement, reliable leg length restoration, and personalized alignment based on each patient’s anatomy.
The compact handheld design makes it an attractive alternative to large robotic systems, particularly for hospitals and ASCs that want to add navigation technology without a significant capital investment or large footprint requirements.
Snke XR: Medical-Grade Augmented Reality
Snke, which was spun out of Brainlab in 2025, is introducing SnkeXR, a neutral, open-platform augmented reality (AR) headset.
SnkeXR features a built-in surgical tracker with 0.3mm accuracy, depth camera scanning for real-time patient registration, stereoscopic loupe magnification, and integrated headlight functionality.
The platform supports intraoperative guidance and layers AI-driven clinical data into the surgeon’s field of view.
SnkeXR is part of the new wave of AR technologies that provide a more cost-effective way for surgeons to access enabling technology’s advances.
Stryker
Stryker continues to extend its leadership in the joint replacement market, driven largely by surgeon adoption of its Mako robotic platform for hips and knees. The company recently initiated limited market release of its latest addition to the Mako family: the RPS (Robotic Power System) for total knee.
Mako RPS features a handheld, robotically enabled saw that responds to surgeon hand movements through active adjustment technology. The robot is compatible with Stryker’s Triathlon Total Knee System and integrated with the Q Guidance platform, offering surgeons intraoperative planning capabilities with a familiar way of cutting bone.
Mako RPS is part of a larger trend that aims to increase the adoption of robotic-assisted surgery by introducing systems that provide surgeons with the flexibility to operate using their preferred techniques with a streamlined and cost-effective platform.
Are there other companies we should see at the conference? Do you want to meet with a member of our team on site? Please Please reach out to let us know or stop by Booth 3514 to say hello.
