Robotics in spine surgery is no longer just a topic for congress presentations, product launches or future-looking strategy decks. It is gradually entering hospitals, operating rooms and clinical routines.
A recent example comes from Shore Medical Center in Somers Point, New Jersey, which has announced that it is now offering the VELYS™ Active Robotic Assistance Platform for spine surgery. According to the hospital, Shore is the first and only hospital in New Jersey to make this technology available for spinal procedures.
That makes the announcement relevant beyond the local level. It is another sign that VELYS Spine, Johnson & Johnson MedTech’s robotic and navigation platform for spine surgery, is beginning to gain real market visibility.
From technology promise to hospital adoption
The VELYS™ Active Robotic Assistance Platform combines advanced navigation with robotic assistance to help surgeons perform complex back and neck procedures with greater precision and control.
One of its key features is VELYS ADAPTIVE TRACKING™ Technology, designed to continuously adjust to patient movement and help maintain alignment with the surgical plan. Importantly, the platform is intended to support the surgeon, not replace the surgeon. The surgeon remains in control throughout the procedure.
This point matters. In spine surgery, robotics is not simply about adding a robot to the operating room. The value is in the workflow: planning, navigation, tracking, instrumentation and execution. When those elements work together, the system can help surgeons perform procedures with more confidence, especially in complex anatomy or minimally invasive cases.
Why this milestone matters
Shore Medical Center is an independent nonprofit community hospital. That is an important detail.
For years, robotic spine surgery has been associated mainly with large academic centers, major hospital systems or highly specialized surgical programs. The fact that a community hospital is investing in this technology shows how the market is evolving.
The message is clear: enabling technologies are becoming part of the competitive landscape in spine care. Hospitals want to offer advanced procedures closer to home. Surgeons want tools that can support accuracy and reproducibility. Patients want access to modern techniques without necessarily traveling to a large urban medical center.
Shore Medical Center’s leadership described the investment as part of its commitment to bringing leading-edge care to South Jersey. For patients in the region, that means access to advanced spine technology in their own community.
The arrival of VELYS Spine in New Jersey also has a wider industry reading.
Spine robotics is already a highly competitive field. Companies are no longer competing only with implants, screws, cages or biologics. They are competing with complete ecosystems: imaging, planning, navigation, robotics, data and implant portfolios.
For Johnson & Johnson MedTech and DePuy Synthes, VELYS Spine is a strategic step. The VELYS name is already known in orthopaedics, particularly in robotic-assisted knee surgery. Its expansion into spine gives J&J a stronger position in one of the fastest-evolving areas of surgical technology.
The key question now is not whether robotic assistance has a place in spine surgery. That debate is largely moving on. The real question is which platforms will be adopted, how easy they are to integrate into daily workflow, and how quickly companies can build installed bases.
About Johnson&Johnson
At Johnson & Johnson, we believe health is everything. As a focused healthcare company, with expertise in Innovative Medicine and MedTech, we’re empowered to tackle the world’s toughest health challenges, innovate through science and technology, and transform patient care. All of this is possible because of our people. We’re passionate innovators who put people first, and through our purpose-driven culture and talented workforce, we are stronger than ever. Learn more at http://www.jnj.com