Shanghai, China, 21 May 2025 — MicroPort^® OrthoBot, a wholly owned subsidiary of MicroPort^® MedBot™ (2252.HK), announced that its SkyWalker^® Orthopedic Surgical Robot (SkyWalker^®) has been included in the Early Value Assessment (EVA) guidance on robot-assisted surgery for orthopedic procedures issued by the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). SkyWalker^® is one of six robotic systems recommended for clinical use within the National Health Service (NHS). 

This recommendation reflects a key milestone for SkyWalker^®, highlighting its clinical potential in improving orthopedic surgical care. The NICE guidance supports the use of robotic systems for total and partial knee arthroplasty and total hip arthroplasty, with the goal of improving surgical accuracy, reducing complications, and enhancing patient recovery. Over the next three years, NICE will collect further clinical and economic evidence to evaluate the long-term value of these systems. 

Dr. Anastasia Chalkidou, programme director of NICE’s HealthTech programme, stated: 

“These innovative technologies have the potential to transform both soft tissue and orthopedic surgical care in the NHS. The data gathered over the next three years will allow us to evaluate exactly how these technologies can improve patient care and help ensure NHS resources are directed toward interventions that deliver meaningful clinical benefits and long-term value to our health service”.

The committee also emphasized that several important considerations for implementing robot-assisted surgery services, including ensuring equitable access across different regions, as current evidence shows lower uptake of minimally invasive surgery in more deprived areas of the country. Additionally, the availability of training, resources and staff to support these services will require careful planning.

SkyWalker^® integrates intelligent planning software, real-time navigation, and a lightweight, high-precision robotic arm. The system supports personalized preoperative plans and enables accurate bone cutting during joint replacement procedures. A clinical study with one-year follow-up data published in 2023 demonstrated that the SkyWalker^® robot performed comparably to the field’s leading robot in terms of the accuracy of lower limb alignment, operation time, estimated blood loss, and results of postoperative clinical and functional knee assessment at 6-month and 1-year follow-ups. ¹

To date, SkyWalker^® has been used in over 2,000 TKA procedures worldwide, and is currently deployed in more than 90 hospitals across more than countries, including China, US, the EU and Brazile. 

The inclusion of SkyWalker^® in NICE’s guidance underscores MicroPort^® MedBot™’s ongoing commitment to delivering high-performance, intelligent surgical solutions to clinicians and patients around the world.

1：MicroPort^® SkyWalker™ Robot Demonstrates Comparable Results to Leading Product in Clinical Study Published in International Orthopaedics