Stryker Launches Mako Handheld Robotics with Limited RPS Release

Stryker (NYSE: SYK), a global leader in medical technologies, announced the limited market release of Mako RPS (Robotic Power System) for Total Knee, an intuitive handheld robotic system that combines Stryker's proven robotics and power tool legacies, according to a PR Newswire press release.

The Mako RPS represents a strategic expansion of Stryker's Mako platform, which has established robotics as a standard of care in orthopedics with nearly 20 years of experience and over 2 million procedures performed across 46 countries globally, as stated by Mike Carlin, president of Stryker's Ortho Tech division.

Unlike Stryker's existing Mako SmartRobotics platform featuring robotic-arm assisted procedures, Mako RPS integrates a handheld design with Stryker's patented active adjustment technology that responds to a surgeon's hand movements, guiding the saw to stay aligned with the surgical plan while providing a familiar cutting experience without cutting blocks.

According to MedTech Dive, the limited market release is expected to continue through the first half of 2026, with additional users added in the second half of the year. The system is specifically designed to reach surgeons who prefer manual procedures and want the benefits of robotic technology without abandoning their established workflows.

Keith Evans, general manager of Stryker's Mako and Enabling Technologies business, noted that the device targets surgeons who do manual procedures and don't use Stryker's traditional Mako robotic system, with particular interest from outpatient facilities such as ambulatory surgery centers. The Mako RPS integrates with Stryker's existing Q Guidance System, joining a comprehensive orthopaedic technologies ecosystem designed to offer versatility to the site of care.

Industry analysis indicates that Stryker's move aligns with a broader trend toward miniaturization in surgical robotics, as traditional robotic systems often require significant space and setup time. The handheld approach could enable wider adoption in smaller clinical settings where space constraints limit traditional robotic systems.

Stryker already holds over 75% market share in the U.S. for orthopedic surgical robots, with more than 1,500 systems installed in the U.S. The Mako RPS launch comes as the company faces competition from THINK Surgical's TMINI Miniature Robotic System, which was cleared in 2023 and also targets the handheld robotic knee surgery market.

With approximately 25% of U.S. total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) now performed robotically, representing roughly 400,000 procedures annually, Stryker's expansion into handheld robotics represents a strategic move to capture additional market share while addressing surgeon preferences for more flexible workflow integration.

Stryker plans to showcase the Mako Handheld Robotics platform at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2026 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, where the company will provide further details on the technology and its clinical applications.

Artūras Malašauskas is an AI Systems Integrator with 20+ years of production-grade web engineering experience. He has designed, shipped, and scaled enterprise Python/PHP systems for logistics, SaaS, and public-sector clients. For the past year, he has focused exclusively on AI integrations: deploying open-source LLMs, building generative media pipelines (image, audio, video), and engineering multi-agent workflows for real production environments. His standard: reproducibility, security, cost-efficient inference—no vaporware. He documents and evaluates emerging AI tooling, separating verified capabilities from marketing noise. Technical editor at: muza-ai.eu, ai-verslas.lt, ai-naujinos.lt Connect on LinkedIn