This could be the Year of the Repeat—or, quite literally, the 3D-peat. 

For the third consecutive year, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is hosting a competition during its annual meeting for companies developing disruptive orthopedic technology. The two previous winners of that contest—OrthoPitch—have leveraged additive manufacturing (AM) in their solutions.

CytexOrtho and VISIE Inc. both embrace the technology, albeit in markedly different ways. The former, for example, uses 3D printing and a three-dimensional weaving process to fabricate absorbable hip implants. The weaving materials are multifilament yarns measuring several hundred microns in diameter.

Integrating the woven textile and 3D printed hip component produces an implant that recreates the form and contour of a healthy articular joint surface and restores articular cartilage and bone function. “Surgeons remove only the damaged tissue and replace it with the CytexOrtho implant,” CEO Bradley Estes explained after winning the inaugural OrthoPitch competition in 2024. “The implant restores the joint to its proper form and contour, and over time, cells move into the gaps in the layers of the implant and form functional tissue while the implant is slowly absorbed into the body.”

Last year’s OrthoPitch champion, on the other hand, uses 3D spatial computing technology to improve anatomical visualization and surgical navigation. Its Continuous Anatomic Auto Tracking (CAAT) technology allows clinicians to dynamically track anatomy without re-calibration. VISIE’s platform captures detailed, high-resolution 3D images that re-register hundreds of thousands of points per second.

“Our system uses advanced perception and AI to sense intraoperative conditions, process millions of data points in real time, and surface only what matters—when it matters,” VISIE CEO Doug Fairbanks wrote on the company’s website. “The result is adaptive insight that supports surgeon intuition, rather than replacing it.”

Additive manufacturing—i.e., 3D printing—could take another victory lap this year too, depending on the OrthoPitch judges’ final decision: One of the four finalists vying for bragging rights and business/investment guidance (among other perks) employs 3D printing in its platform.

Besides AM, the batch of solutions selected for evaluation include perfusion sensing technology, ultrasonic fracture assessment, and gait/balance testing. 

CLARO Surgical (formerly Drill Surgeries Ltd.)—ORTHO-MR: ORTHO-MR is touted as the world’s first U.S. FDA-registered, AI-powered mixed reality platform for orthopedic surgery. ORTHO-MR makes trauma procedures safer and faster by eliminating the need for intraoperative radiographs during critical locking steps in intramedullary nailing, percutaneous plating, and related procedures, using real-time 3D holographic guidance. In clinical testing on synthetic bone, five independent surgeons reduced drilling time by an average of 86% and improved accuracy by 87%. The system has been used in 12 surgeries in Europe and more than 100 surgeons have been trained on it.

MY01—Continuous Perfusion Sensing Technology: Founded in 2019 and based in Montreal, MY01 envisions a world where every disease is quantifiable, enabling precise and personalized care for all patients. The company’s goal is to enhance the quality and outcomes of trauma care by using advanced technology to minimize variations in treatment. Specializing in the management of compartment syndrome, MY01’s Continuous Perfusion Sensing Technology (CPST) platform aims to transform trauma programs by converting complex biological signs into dynamic, actionable, real-time data to facilitate better decision making, reducing variation in care, and delivering better outcomes, thereby allowing hospitals to allocate resources as efficiently as possible.

Sonogen Medical, Inc.—Ultrasonic Fracture Assessment: Baltimore-based Sonogen is developing a portable, inexpensive, and radiation-free ultrasound device that can diagnose bone fractures and monitor the fracture healing process safely in real time, and without specialized imaging expertise.

StabilityIQ—Re-Kinesis: This device brings reliable gait and balance testing to the clinic, providing longitudinal, full-leg kinematic data to patients with gait-impacting pathologies without requiring a dedicated gait lab.

This year’s OrthoPitch competition will occur on March 3, after the first full day of the AAOS 2026 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. The event is designed to help foster and accelerate orthopedic innovation.

“OrthoPitch is always a highlight of the Annual Meeting,” said Jason Dragoo, M.D., chair of the AAOS Committee on Devices, Biologics, and Technology. “It’s a dynamic showcase where groundbreaking technologies come to life. It’s exciting, fast-paced, and offers a firsthand look at the innovations that will shape the future of orthopedics. I encourage everyone to make time to experience it in person this year.”