Medical Technology

Research evidence excerpt

Medical Technology

June 11, 2026 Medical Technology

Takeaways from the Becker's Healthcare Spine, Orthopedic, and PainMEDICAL Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference Ryan Zimmerman

(212) 527-3586 rzimmerman@btig.com

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW: We attended the Becker's Healthcare Spine, Orthopedic, Iseult McMahon

and Pain Management-Driven ASC + The Future of Spine Conference in Chicago, Ill. (332) 400-5103 imcmahon@btig.com

While not regularly attend, every few years we think its worth visiting to get some

perspective about ASC strategy as it becomes a larger focus for Medical Technology

companies. Robotics adoption in ASCs has crossed a tipping point, shifting from a

discretionary investment to a competitive necessity driven by surgeon training, patientTECHNOLOGY demand, and flexible vendor contract structures — with Stryker's (SYK, Buy, $379

PT) Mako and its multi-service line capability the clear platform leader. However,

profitability remains the critical challenge, as a historically difficult reimbursement

environment, margin compression, and the high cost of robotic systems are forcing

ASC operators and physicians to prioritize cost-effective enabling technologies like

augmented reality while leaning on AI-driven coding tools and bundled pricing modelsINDUSTRY to protect economics. Our takeaways are below.

■ Big Threats and Opportunities in Tech and ASCs: In spine and orthopedics ASCs,

augmented reality was cited as the preferred cost-effective enabling technology

solution, while robotics may face economic challenges due to high costs and

limited incremental reimbursement — panelists noted though that large jointREPORT

procedures may offer a viable path to adoption with higher case volumes (i.e.

amortization over a larger base).