DePuy Synthes Appoints New Global Robotics Head and Advances VELYS Platform Ahead of Johnson & Johnson Spin-off

Countdown to Johnson & Johnson’s Orthopedics Spin-off: Senior Leadership Changes

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Johnson & Johnson's Orthopedic Robot: New Leadership Takes the Helm

Recently, Andrew Burton stated on social media that,He has officially assumed the role of Global Head of Robotics for the DePuy Synthes orthopedics business unit under Johnson & Johnson.

He wrote on LinkedIn: “I am delighted to embark on a new chapter in my career as the Global Head of Robotics at DePuy Synthes.”I will lead the development of a global robotics business strategy, integrating technology, data, and orthopedic diagnostic and therapeutic services., facilitating the progressive realization of various innovative achievements from conceptualization to implementation, and completing global market deployment.”

Andrew Burton is a veteran of Johnson & Johnson, having served in the company’s MedTech sector for over a decade and held multiple positions. Recently, hePreviously responsible for the marketing of VELYS digital surgery products, while concurrently serving as Head of Hip and Knee Innovation and Strategy, and later appointed as Marketing Director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

His ties to DePuy Synthes date back even further; in 2006, when the company was still operating under the name DePuy Orthopaedics, he joined as a Senior Bioengineer.

The VELYS™ system is an important robotic platform for Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics,First received FDA approval in 2021 for total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and has been progressively launched in Europe since October 2023.。

This system eliminates the need for preoperative CT scans and seamlessly integrates with the VELYS™ digital platform when used with Johnson & Johnson’s ATTUNE™ Knee System, reducing the risk of revision by 33% compared to other total knee arthroplasty products.

In the following years, the indications for the VELYS™ system continued to expand. In June 2024, the system wasThe United States has expanded the indications for UKA (Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty), achieving a transition from "total knee" to "minimally invasive unicompartmental."

In March last year, Johnson & Johnson disclosed at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons thatThe system has completed over 100,000 TKA procedures across 31 markets worldwide.

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The Eve of Independence

Betting on the Orthopedic Surgical Robotics Track

In accordance with Johnson & Johnson’s announced spin-off plan, DePuy Synthes is approaching a critical window for its business separation. Recently, Johnson & Johnson disclosed several significant collaborations and business developments in its orthopedics segment.Several of these are related to its VELYS robotic system.

In late May, DePuy Synthes announced that it had entered into a definitive agreement to secure exclusive rights for the research and development, manufacturing, and commercialization of Gemtrack technology across its total joint product portfolio (including shoulder, hip, and knee joints), applicable to both surgical navigation and robotic surgery scenarios.

ThisThe value of this technology lies in its potential to disrupt the underlying logic of orthopedic surgical navigation systems.Currently, mainstream orthopedic robotic navigation relies on optical tracking, where infrared cameras must continuously track localization markers implanted in the patient’s body. This is akin to a projector; any accidental occlusion during surgery will interrupt the system, thereby affecting the pace and efficiency of the procedure.

Gemtrack technology isReplace optical signals with radio frequency signals, holds promise for eliminating reliance on infrared cameras and line-of-sight conditions, reducing the use of invasive fixed implants, and enabling continuous, ultra-high-precision real-time intraoperative tracking.

Namal Nawana, Global President of DePuy Synthes, stated, “This new collaboration will be fully implemented within the VELYS technology ecosystem, reducing the reliance of surgical navigation on line-of-sight conditions, while also holding promise for further enhancing navigation accuracy.”

In addition,DePuy Synthes recently launched the AI-assisted VELYS Hip Navigation System in the United States.Compared to fully manual operation, the AI-assisted VELYS™ Hip Navigation System enables precise reproduction of anatomical landmarks. Comparative study data show that with AI assistance, the average time for landmark localization is 2.27 minutes, whereas fully manual operation takes an average of 5.33 minutes, reducing the overall surgical procedure time by 57%.

IntroductionFollowing the Gemtrack technology, Johnson & Johnson’s VELYS™ system is poised to set a new industry standard, while the AI-powered VELYS Hip Navigation System is expected to significantly reduce surgical time and enhance procedural efficiency.

From technological advancements to personnel changes, a clear signal emerges: DePuy Synthes, which is spinning off from its parent company Johnson & Johnson, will position its robotics business as one of the core anchors of its independent operations.

Janardhan Ramachandran, President of Global Digital, Robotics Surgery, and Customer Solutions at DePuy Synthes, recently stated publicly that markerless tracking technology will become the future direction for large-scale orthopedic equipment, fundamentally transforming the paradigms of intraoperative imaging display and positional tracking. The implementation of this AI-assisted solution will also serve as a core strategic focus for DePuy Synthes.

DePuy Synthes’ heavy bet on the orthopedic robotics sector aligns with the current competitive trends among orthopedic giants. Johnson & Johnson’s orthopedics division long held the top global position, but Stryker surpassed it in revenue for the first time in 2025, partly due to J&J’s lagging footprint in orthopedic robotics. Accelerating its expansion into orthopedic robotics is therefore an inevitable move for Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics to regain its leading status. Moreover, the shift from optical tracking to radiofrequency (RF) signal technology clearly demonstrates Johnson & Johnson Orthopaedics’ ambition to overtake competitors by changing its strategic course.