Man and the machine

Medical robots represent the natural evolution of orthopaedic surgical instrumentation and are here to stay. But, despite their obvious advantages to patients and surgeons, the imminent widespread uptake of this technology is by no means certain. The new methodology pioneered by the Acrobot team could help to assure their adoption and determine the exact nature of future medical robots. Contrary to a public misconception that places them on the par with a scalpel-wielding RoboCop, medical robots are not going to replace humans in the operating theatre. Rather, robotic systems can be thought of as smart instruments designed to extend and complement the skills of surgeons in an ever more demanding and patient driven health service. In an age of overwhelming public awareness of surgeon fallibility an aging population and a consumer approach to medicine, orthopaedic surgeons and implant manufacturers are facing their toughest challenge yet