Which Companies Offer AI Knee Planning Software?
A practical guide to which companies offer AI-based knee arthroplasty planning, split into OEM-tied robotic planners, cleared measurement tools, and vendor-neutral software, and what to ask before choosing.
Key takeaways
If you are asking which manufacturers or companies actually offer AI-based knee planning, the honest answer is that they fall into three groups that are easy to confuse. OEM-tied robotic planners (Stryker Mako, Zimmer ROSA, Smith and Nephew CORI, DePuy VELYS) plan onto their own implant and require the vendor's hardware. Cleared measurement and templating tools (ImageBiopsy Lab, PeekMed, mediCAD) automate angles or 2D templating but are not full 3D multi-philosophy planners. Vendor-neutral software planners (Formus Labs for hip, AlgoSurg for OEM white-label, and Salnus for knee, currently Research Use Only) plan independently of a single implant. The right choice depends on three questions: is it tied to one implant, is it cleared for your procedure, and where does the patient data go. This guide maps the groups so you can tell them apart.
Group 1: OEM-tied robotic planners
These are the most visible, because they come with a robot and a sales channel.
| System | Company | Planning basis | Implant tie |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mako | Stryker | Pre-op CT, 3D model | Stryker implants |
| ROSA Knee | Zimmer Biomet | Imageless or X-ray-to-3D | Zimmer implants |
| CORI | Smith and Nephew | Imageless, intra-op mapping | Smith and Nephew implants |
| VELYS | DePuy Synthes | Imageless | DePuy implants |
The planning is genuinely capable, but it is bundled with a capital robot and locked to one implant. For a fuller view of how these compare to software, see our post on robotic versus software-only planning.
Group 2: Cleared measurement and templating
These automate part of the workflow but are not full 3D planners.
- ImageBiopsy Lab (KOALA, LAMA): FDA-cleared automated 2D knee osteoarthritis grading and long-leg alignment measurement. Measurement, not 3D planning.
- PeekMed, mediCAD, TraumaCad: established digital templating, largely 2D or 2.5D, multi-vendor implant libraries. Useful, but not automated 3D multi-philosophy planning.
Group 3: Vendor-neutral software planners
These plan independently of a single implant and do not require a robot.
- Formus Labs: automated 3D total hip planning, cloud CT, FDA-cleared, partnered with an implant OEM for distribution.
- AlgoSurg: OEM white-label 3D planning and patient-specific instrumentation.
- Salnus: CT-based, implant-agnostic knee planning oriented around CPAK phenotyping, alignment-philosophy comparison and rotation support, currently Research Use Only (RUO), not a cleared device.
For the detailed side-by-side, see our comparison of orthopedic 3D planning software.
For manufacturers evaluating a planning partner
If you are an implant manufacturer rather than a surgeon, the question is different: can you offer modern digital planning that works with your own catalog, without building a robot? A vendor-neutral, implant-agnostic planner integrates your implant library and lets your surgeons plan with it, typically under a manufacturer-pays model where the surgeon uses the software free.
Three questions to ask before choosing
- Is it tied to one implant or one robot? If yes, you inherit that lock-in.
- Is it cleared for your procedure and region? Research Use Only tools, including Salnus today, are for research, not clinical decision-making, until cleared.
- Where does the patient data go? Server-side, client-side, or on-premise changes your data-governance obligations.
Bottom line
"AI knee planning" is not one category. Robotic OEM planners, cleared measurement tools, and vendor-neutral software solve different problems. If implant freedom and workflow fit matter to you, a vendor-neutral planner is the group to look at. Salnus sits in that group for the knee, as Research Use Only software today. If you are a manufacturer evaluating a planning partner, see how Salnus works with manufacturers.
Reviewed by the Salnus biomedical engineering team.