China's First Orthopedic Robot Real-World Database Established in Beijing

Background

Orthopedic surgeries addressing fractures, spinal disorders, joint degeneration and trauma require high precision to avoid damage to surrounding nerves, blood vessels and tissues. Traditional approaches can involve significant radiation exposure from repeated imaging and rely heavily on surgeon experience in complex anatomies such as the pelvis or spine.

Beijing Jishuitan Hospital has played a leading role in orthopedic robot development in China. The Beijing Engineering Research Center for Orthopedic Surgical Robots was approved by the Beijing Municipal Development and Reform Commission and established in 2021, led by the hospital. The center focuses on overcoming key technological and equipment bottlenecks and building an integrated platform for research and development, clinical validation, and remote training.

What was achieved

On October 29, 2026, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital held a press conference releasing the construction achievements of the Beijing Engineering Research Center for Orthopedic Surgical Robots. The center established China's first multi-center real-world database for orthopedic surgical robots. Hospital president Jiang Xieyuan noted that real clinical data is the core support for promoting and popularizing surgical robot technology.

The database system collects clinical information including surgery duration, equipment error, and preoperative and postoperative planning. This supports research teams in identifying problems, developing solutions and driving iterative upgrades to the robots. The hospital's intelligent orthopedics research ward, relying on the National Orthopedic Medical Center, has completed more than 6,000 robot-assisted surgeries.

More than 1,500 remote surgeries have been performed via the 5G remote platform. Multiple core domestically developed systems have moved from technological breakthrough to clinical application. These include a shoulder replacement robot achieving sub-millimeter precision for challenging procedures such as reverse shoulder arthroplasty, a fracture reduction robot that progresses from navigation to active reduction to address complex pelvic trauma, and the Tianji all-orthopedic surgical robot for screw placement across full spine segments, pelvis and limbs. The Tianji system supports minimally invasive routine surgeries, precision in difficult cases, and serves as a core carrier for 5G remote orthopedic surgery.

How it works

In robot-assisted orthopedic surgery, the process generally begins with preoperative imaging such as CT scans. Surgeons create a detailed three-dimensional plan for implant placement, screw trajectories or bone alignment. In the operating room, the robot registers the digital plan to the patient's actual anatomy using tracking systems or intraoperative imaging. The robotic arm then provides stable guidance or active assistance for instruments, enabling the surgeon to follow the planned path with high accuracy, often reported at sub-millimeter levels for certain applications. This can facilitate smaller incisions, reduce radiation exposure by limiting fluoroscopy use, and improve consistency in complex areas like the pelvis or spine.

The real-world multi-center database aggregates de-identified data from actual clinical cases performed across participating sites. It captures metrics such as operative times, deviations between planned and executed results, and equipment performance. Analysis of this large-scale real-world evidence enables refinement of robot algorithms, hardware improvements, standardized clinical protocols and broader application. Related studies have examined robot-assisted techniques in traumatic orthopedics across multiple fracture sites including femur, pelvis and clavicle.

What it means for international patients

Beijing Jishuitan Hospital operates a VIP Clinic and International Medical Service Department that provides services in English, Korean and Japanese. The hospital's extensive experience with more than 6,000 robot-assisted orthopedic surgeries, its development of specialized robotic systems and the new national database may interest international patients seeking advanced orthopedic care.

Patients should contact the hospital's international department directly to confirm eligibility for robot-assisted procedures, current availability, appointment requirements, necessary medical documentation and suitability for their specific condition. Individual assessments by the clinical team are required, and all details must be verified with the hospital.

About the hospital

Beijing Jishuitan Hospital was founded in 1956 in Beijing. It is a Grade A tertiary comprehensive hospital affiliated with Capital Medical University and serves as the National Orthopedic Medical Center. The hospital has national key clinical specialties including orthopedics, hand surgery, burn and wound repair, sports medicine, emergency medicine, intensive care medicine and cardiovascular medicine.

It operates multiple campuses and maintains strengths in trauma orthopedics, burns, medical engineering integration, research and teaching. The hospital has an International Medical Service Department supporting overseas patients and has contributed to national regional medical center projects.