AUCKLAND, New Zealand, February 16, 2023 - Formus Labs, creator of the world's first automated 3D, AI-enabled pre-operative planner for joint replacement surgeries, today announces the expansion of its clinical advisory board. Three global thought leaders in the field of arthroplasty, Dr. J. Bohannon Mason, Dr. Atul Kamath and Dr. James A. Germano will help shape the next generation of Formus Labs’ innovative planning technology and will support the company’s expansion into new markets.
The Formus Labs platform automates the joint replacement planning process by leveraging proprietary AI-powered computational biomechanics and CT scans to create plans customized to each patient. The technology was commercially launched in Australia and New Zealand in early 2022 in partnership with Zimmer Biomet ANZ with support from a dedicated group of Australasian surgeons.
Since its launch it has received positive feedback and loyalty from orthopedic surgeons in the region who appreciate the assurance and efficiency of an accurate surgical plan without the burden of planning. Building on this momentum, the expanded board is tasked with accelerating the development and commercialization of the next generation AI-powered planner. In an industry first, Formus will pioneer soft tissue functional analysis capabilities in pre-op planning. The Formus Labs team is also currently awaiting regulatory clearance in North America.
“The caliber of these internationally respected orthopedic leaders is a testament to the huge promise of the cutting-edge computational biomechanics and powerful artificial intelligence that underlie our solution,” comments Dr. Ju Zhang, founder and CEO of Formus Labs. “The Formus team and I share the excitement of this talented and well-rounded board in realizing our potential to set a new standard in pre-operative orthopedic planning.”
Convenience, personalization, and a catalyst for the next generation of data-driven arthroplasty
J. Bohannon Mason, MD is a thought leader in the field of orthopedics. A private practice orthopedic surgeon at a world renowned academic medical center, he is also highly active in the academic field, and has contributed to multiple publications in the arthroplasty world. He also serves as Professor of Orthopaedics at Atrium Musculoskeletal Institute and is attending surgeon at the OrthoCarolina Hip and Knee Center.
According to Dr Mason: “Many time-pressed surgeons skip preoperative planning, but I believe that it's an important component of our work. The Formus Labs AI-enabled planning software makes it fast and easy to create precise plans that are not just personalized for each patient’s anatomy in terms of size, but also in in terms of orientation to anatomy variations. And this is just the start. I’m honored to participate in developing the next generation of the platform which has the potential to catalyze a revolution in both techniques and devices for total hip arthroplasty.”
Atul Kamath, MD, MBA, is a high-volume primary and revision joint reconstruction surgeon and a specialist in hip preservation and complex deformity correction. He holds the position of Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Cleveland Clinic in addition to multiple other leadership positions including Innovation Lead for Cleveland Clinic’s Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute. “Formus Labs is rooted in a robust scientific foundation with its platform based on years of research into biomechanics, translational imaging techniques, and bioengineering,” said Dr. Kamath. “I relish the opportunity to guide its evolution to help address some of today’s orthopedic challenges – dislocation, impingement, and hip-spine pathology– in contemporary total hip arthroplasty. I believe we will be able to push the envelope regarding what we as an industry consider to be success in surgeries such as hip replacement and expand relatively untouched frontiers like dynamic soft tissue modeling in orthopaedics.”
James A. Germano, M.D., is a total hip and knee replacement specialist with a focus on revision arthroplasty and significant experience of assistive technologies including robotics. He has held multiple leadership positions in the orthopedic space, including building joint replacement programs at several hospitals. Dr Germano is Chief of Orthopaedics at Long Island Jewish Valley Stream Hospital on Long Island, NY, an orthopedic specialty hospital which educates residents and fellows.
Dr. Germano comments: “As arthroplasty surgeons, even if we perform perfect surgeries, 5% of hip replacement and 15% of knee replacement patients still don’t feel like they have a forgotten joint. And we don’t always know why. Formus Labs’ impressive product roadmap will allow us to personalize planning for individuals, taking into account not just bones, but also soft tissues. This will be a game changer and will be the key to unleashing a new generation of robotic assistive technologies.”
The new Board members augment the existing strong team comprising: Dr. Paul Monk, Associate Professor at the University of Auckland, Dr. George Grammatopoulos, Staff Orthopaedic Surgeon in the Arthroplasty and Hip Preservation Team at The Ottawa Hospital, and an Associate Professor at the University of Ottawa, and Dr. Nicholas Giori, Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Stanford University, and. Together this team will work together to advance patient care through Formus Labs’ innovative and highly patient-centric technologies.
The Formus Labs automated 3D, AI-enabled pre-operative planner for joint replacement surgeries is currently preparing for FDA clearance in North America.
Media contacts
Polly Teevan
Chief Marketing Officer
Tel:+1-260-445-7319
E-mail polly@formuslabs.com
