Mako SmartRobotics
Precision Personalized Surgery, Powered by Robotics
Problem
Joint replacement procedures require precise implant alignment and positioning to optimize function, longevity, and patient outcomes. Because every patient’s anatomy is unique, achieving consistent accuracy can be challenging using conventional surgical instruments and manual techniques alone. As demand for joint replacement continues to grow, surgeons increasingly seek technologies that enhance surgical precision, improve reproducibility, and support more personalized treatment approaches.
Solution
Developed by Mako Surgical, Mako SmartRobotics™ is a robotic-arm assisted surgical platform that combines 3D CT-based preoperative planning, AccuStop™ haptic technology, and real-time intraoperative analytics to enhance precision in joint replacement surgery. The system enables surgeons to create a personalized surgical plan based on each patient's unique anatomy before the procedure, while robotic-arm guidance helps ensure bone preparation remains within planned boundaries, reducing variability and improving accuracy. During surgery, real-time data provides actionable insights that allow surgeons to make adjustments to support optimal implant placement and alignment. Today, Mako SmartRobotics™ is used in total knee, partial knee, and total hip replacement procedures, providing a comprehensive platform for robotic-assisted orthopedic reconstruction.
Back in the '90s, the assumed goal of robotics, including surgical robotics, was for robots to replace human work. I never accepted that goal. My goal was for robots to just provide some key capability that humans don't excel at, such as accurately aligning a surgical tool to a bone. Then leave the rest to human skill. Collaboration, not replacement.”
— Michael Peshkin
Professor, McCormick School of Engineering
Benefits
- Personalized Surgery: Tailored 3D planning ensures implants fit each patient’s anatomy.
- Enhanced Precision: Robotic guidance reduces human error and variability in bone preparation.
- Improved Outcomes: Shown to reduce pain, improve mobility, and lower revision rates compared to manual techniques.
- Data-Driven Insights: Provides surgeons with intraoperative analytics to refine decision-making.
- Patient Confidence: Delivers consistent, reproducible results across surgical teams and institutions.
Technology & Commercialization Status
The technology behind Mako SmartRobotics™ originated as an intramural research project in the laboratory of McCormick Professor Michael Peshkin. Early development was supported by funding from the Whitaker Foundation. Peshkin and his graduate student, Julio Santos-Munne, filed patents covering key innovations in the technology.
In 1997, Professor Peshkin and Santos-Munne co-founded Z-KAT with orthopedic surgeon Wayne Kerness and bioengineers Rony Abovitz and William Tapia. The company later became Mako Surgical, which expanded the platform before being acquired by Stryker in 2013.
Following FDA clearance, Mako SmartRobotics™ became one of the world's most widely adopted orthopedic robotic platforms. With more than one million procedures performed, it demonstrates the global clinical impact of integrating robotics, advanced imaging, and intraoperative analytics into surgery.
Northwestern Inventor
Michael A. Peshkin , PhD
Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Allen K. and
Johnnie Cordell Breed Senior Professor in Design
McCormick School of Engineering
Links
Product Page: Mako SmartRobotics™ - Stryker