Innovation and Technology

Ortho Rhode Island is committed to providing the best patient experience in orthopedics, using an innovative, forward-thinking approach to help patients regain their mobility and quality of life. Our world-class physicians are leaders in state-of-the-art orthopedic technology and techniques, including robotic-assisted surgery, minimally invasive nano-operative arthroscopy, nonsurgical treatments like PRP and BMAC with Ortho RI Biologics, and more.

Robotics

Ortho Rhode Island is the leading provider of robotic-assisted orthopedic surgery in southern New England, performing hip, knee, and spine procedures that are safer, less invasive, and more precise – which means better patient outcomes.

With specially trained surgeons, state-of-the-art robots, and over 20,000 patients treated, we offer unmatched experience, expertise, and technology. Our surgeons were first in Rhode Island to offer knee and hip procedures with Mako and spine procedures with ExcelsiusGPS. And as recognized global leaders, we teach robotic-assisted techniques to physicians around the world.

We offer outpatient robotic-assisted procedures at the Ortho RI Surgery Center at our Warwick Campus. For complex cases that require inpatient treatment, our surgeons operate in community hospitals across Rhode Island, including the Center for Advanced Orthopedic Surgery, a partnership with South County Health.

Watch Dr. Michael Bradley discuss robotic-assisted joint replacement on NBC 10.

Meet the team that’s leading the way in innovative robotic-assisted surgery:

Dr. Michael Bradley

Dr. David Burns

Dr. Nathan Howlett

Dr. Andrew Kay

Dr. Roald Llado

Dr. Ian Madom

Dr. Robert Marchand

Dr. Michael Mason

Dr. Sidney Migliori

Dr. Peter Pizzarello, Jr.

Dr. Jason Tartaglione

Dr. David Vegari

Dr. Akshay Yadhati

Hip and Knee Surgery with Mako

For partial knee, total knee, and total hip replacements, Ortho Rhode Island surgeons offer Mako robotic-assisted technology at our Warwick Campus, when clinically appropriate. Mako SmartRobotics™ is an innovative solution for many suffering from painful arthritis of the knee or hip.

Mako uses a 3D CT-based planning software so your surgeon can know more about your anatomy to create a personalized joint replacement surgical plan. By guiding your doctor during surgery, Mako’s AccuStop™ technology allows your surgeon to cut less by cutting precisely what’s planned to help protect your healthy bone, helping you get back to the things you love, quicker.

In pioneering this technology in Rhode Island, Ortho Rhode Island has built a team of Mako-certified surgeons with unparalleled expertise.

As a member of this team, Dr. Robert Marchand is one of the world’s the most experienced Mako robotic surgeons, having performed over 9000 robotic procedures since 2010. He is also a member of the Mako/Stryker educational faculty and has has provided live virtual surgical procedures and training to surgeons worldwide since 2015.

See the Research:

Results of Robotic-Assisted Versus Manual Total Knee Arthroplasty at 2-Year Follow-up

Clinical Outcomes after Computed Tomography-Based Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Minimum Three-Year Analyses

Time-Based Learning Curve for Robotic-Assisted Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Multicenter Study.

Knee Surgery with OMNIbotics

OMNIBotics is a robotic-assisted system used by surgeons to accurately plan and perform total knee replacement. Computer guidance allows the surgeon to measure and track the knee anatomy and plan the implant placement to best fit the specific patient. The plan is optimized to restore proper soft tissue balance and leg alignment, two critical factors to knee replacement outcomes.

Robotic instruments are used by the surgeon with computer guidance to ensure the procedure is carried out precisely to plan. With these advanced robotics, the OMNIBotics total knee replacement procedure is intended to help patients regain pain-free knee function, return to a normal daily lifestyle, and remain active for years to come. Using OMNIbotics, Ortho Rhode Island’s Dr. Michael Bradley recently became the first in Rhode Island to perform outpatient robotic-assisted total knee replacement, at the Ortho RI Surgery Center in our new Warwick Campus.

Learn more about OMNIbotics.

Spine Surgery with ExcelsiusGPS

As part of our commitment to achieving better patient outcomes through innovation, Ortho Rhode Island is pioneering the use of robotic-assisted spine surgery in Rhode Island. Designed to enhance safety and improve efficiency for patients, staff, and surgeons, ExcelsiusGPS combines a rigid robotic arm and full navigation capabilities into one adaptable platform for accurate alignment in spine surgery.

Using the ExcelsiusGPS technology, Dr. Ian Madom performed the state’s first-ever robotic-assisted spine surgery, in partnership with South County Health, paving the way for improved outcomes for spine patients.

Learn more about ExcelsiusGPS.

Biologics, sometimes referred to as regenerative medicine, are state-of-the-art treatments that use the body’s tissue and cells to help heal and regenerate. Commonly used biologic treatments in orthopedics include platelet-rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), and donated amniotic injectables.

The new world of biologics may provide you with nonsurgical alternatives to relieve your pain, helping you get back to living faster. Ortho RI Biologics is at the forefront of this emerging field. Our team will work directly with you to determine which form of this innovative therapy is right for your individual needs. Together, we will develop a treatment plan that alleviates the pain of your orthopedic injury or chronic condition, and helps you achieve your unique recovery goals.

Watch Dr. Charlotte Moriarty discuss the benefits of Ortho RI Biologics:

Learn more about Ortho RI Biologics.

3D-printed Implants

As part of their leading-edge foot and ankle care, Ortho Rhode Island is pioneering the use of 3D-printed orthopedic implants For patients with certain foot and ankle conditions, custom molded implants that are patient-specific may help avoid traditional treatments like amputation or surgical procedures that limit range of motion.

Dr. Jason Tartaglione was the first in Rhode Island to use this groundbreaking technology, working with Restor3D, a company specializing in 3D-printed orthopedic implants, to design a talar-navicular foot implant tailored to the unique anatomy of the patient.

Learn more about Restor3D.

Stryker InSpace Balloon Implants

The Stryker InSpace Balloon implant offers a solution for non-repairable rotator cuff tendon disease of the shoulder. The implant is designed to restore the subacromial space without requiring sutures or fixation devices, and has been demonstrated to improve shoulder motion and function. Compared to other surgical procedures for the treatment of massive irreparable rotator cuff tears (MIRCTs), it is also a shorter, less invasive option.

The first technology of its kind in the U.S., the InSpace balloon implant is recently FDA approved after a long successful clinical history of over 10 years and 29,000 balloons implanted outside of the U.S., as well as the Level I study conducted across North America. Our own Dr. Winslow Alford, alongside Dr. Michael Bradley, performed the first Stryker Inspace procedure in Rhode Island at the Ortho RI Surgery Center, an outpatient facility in Ortho Rhode Island’s campus at 300 Crossings Blvd in Warwick.

Learn more about Stryker InSpace.

IlluminOss Photodynamic Bone Stabilization System

Developed in Rhode Island, IlluminOss is an innovative technology that allows surgeons to perform minimally invasive surgery using an implant that conforms to the unique geometry of each patient’s bone, providing rapid stability and strength.

IlluminOss can be implemented when traditional methods, like using a plate and screws, aren’t viable, can’t be used to repair a fracture, such as when bones weakened by osteoporosis or osteopenia cannot secure the screws. See an example of how Ortho Rhode Island helps patients recover using this system.

Click below to watch an animation of IlluminOss in action.

Learn more about IlluminOss.

NanoScope™ Operative Arthroscopy Imaging System

The NanoScope™ operative arthroscopy imaging system by Arthrex utilizes a medical-grade, 3-in-1, single-use camera system to provide an alternative to MRI imaging and second-look arthroscopy. This state-of-the-art technology enables a minimally invasive patient experience with unlimited atraumatic access to joint spaces.

Recently, Ortho Rhode Island’s Dr. Anthony Mechrefe performed nano-operative arthroscopy of the ankle using the NanoScope™ at the Ortho RI Surgery Center in Warwick, the first procedure of its kind performed in an outpatient surgery setting in Rhode Island.

Click below to watch how the NanoScope™ can help patients.

Learn more about NanoScope.

The Arthrex CuffMend™ Rotator Cuff Augmentation System

The CuffMend™ system by Arthrex provides an efficient, simplified approach for augmenting partial- and full-thickness rotator cuff tears. CuffMend™ uses a dermal allograft – soft tissue from a human donor – to support healing in the rotator cuff, allowing patients to get back to the activities they love.

The utilization of the innovative CuffMend system is another example of Ortho Rhode Island’s role as a pioneer at the leading edge of orthopedic technologies and techniques. Dr. Keith Monchik is the first surgeon in Rhode Island and Massachusetts to have used the CuffMend system, and continues to perform these procedures as part of his surgical shoulder care.

Watch the video below to learn how the procedure works.

Learn More about The Arthrex CuffMend™ Rotator Cuff Augmentation System

Minimally Invasive Foot and Ankle Surgery

Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) for the foot and ankle uses small incisions, x-ray guidance, and special techniques and instruments to help surgeons perform common procedures, allowing for reduced soft tissue damage, faster recovery, earlier mobilization, and less post-operative pain. 

This new, minimally invasive approach is part Ortho Rhode Island’s state-of-the art foot and ankle care that’s providing better outcomes and an outstanding patient experience through innovation. Learn about how Dr. Jason Tartaglione is helping pioneer this leading-edge approach at Ortho Rhode Island.

Shoulder Replacement with the FX V135™
Shoulder System

The FX V135™ shoulder system is uniquely designed to be configured for both anatomical and reverse shoulder replacements, and allows surgeons more flexibility to best match their patients’ anatomy. Ortho Rhode Island’s Dr. Michael Bradley served as a member of the device’s design team, working closely with FX Solutions to help create an implant that would meet patients’ needs.

Dr. Bradley also completed the first reverse shoulder replacement using the FX V135™ implant in the United States. The procedure is another milestone in Ortho Rhode Island’s longstanding work as leaders in innovative shoulder care.