Dr. Avi Kumar, a board certified orthopedic surgeon with Coastal Orthopedics, is the first physician in the Sarasota/Manatee area to perform shoulder arthroplasty with the assistance of a new mixed reality technology platform, Stryker’s Blueprint Mixed Reality™. Dr. Kumar has been performing the procedure since early 2021 at Coastal Orthopedics’ outpatient surgery center and area hospitals, and is one of only 15 sites in the nation offering the technology to patients during this limited release period. 

Blueprint Mixed Reality is the latest software solution from Stryker Trauma & Extremities that allows shoulder arthroplasty surgeons to reference and interact with a holographic representation of their pre-operative Blueprint plan, in real-time, intra-operatively. In the future, the technology will have the potential for a more precise and personalized shoulder replacement compared to traditional surgical options. “Blueprint Mixed Reality’s 3D holographic models allow me to bring the pre-operative plan into the operating room, in real time, and to visualize implant positioning that assists in surgical decision making,” said Dr. Kumar. “The state-of-the-art technology allows me to tailor shoulder joint replacement procedures to the unique needs and anatomy of my patients.  It also gives me the capability to visualize and rotate three-dimensional holographic objects in front of the surgical field.”

Where virtual reality immerses the viewer into a completely virtual world, mixed reality overlays 3D holographic images with real-life, allowing the two to interact. The 3D hologram technology enables a surgeon to maintain a direct view of the surgical site and simultaneously visualize and manipulate a holographic representation of the patient’s native anatomy and pre-operative plan. By using hand gestures and voice commands, the surgeon can interact with a robust data set to optimize the position of the 3D holographic models. This allows the surgeon to replicate the pre-operative plan as closely as possible given the availability of information while operating.

For more information visit ShoulderBlueprint.com