Heraeus Medical and Naitive^® Technologies Collaborate to Characterize Bone Health and Fixation Methods in THA and TKA Patients

Corporate

Heraeus Medical, a global leader in the field of bone cements and biomaterials for surgical orthopedics and trauma surgery, today announced a new research collaboration with Naitive^® Technologies, a medical technology company developing AI-driven software to reimagine orthopedic care, and Sah Orthopaedic Associates, a leading orthopedic practice in northern California, known for its patient-first, research-driven care.

The project will use Naitive’s flagship technology, OsteoSight™, to estimate the prevalence of low bone mineral density (BMD) in patients with an AP hip or pelvic X-ray who have undergone primary elective total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA) at Sah Orthopaedic Associates. The research study will also assess the proportion of patients with low BMD, as estimated by OsteoSight, who received cementless fixation. The analysis will provide a data-driven analysis of current fixation patterns among patients with a range of bone quality.

Low BMD is highly prevalent among patients undergoing joint replacement surgery¹, yet preoperative bone health assessment remains rare, despite its significant impact on surgical outcomes. In primary elective THA and TKA, implant fixation method can influence complication rates, particularly in patients with poor bone health. In the US, uncemented fixation is the most common approach for primary elective THA and is growing in popularity for primary elective TKA. However, evidence suggests that patients with low BMD may benefit from cemented fixation, to reduce the risk of intraoperative and post operative periprosthetic fracture, implant loosening, and early revision.

With an established history in joint fixation, we’re looking to explore how bone health and fixation choices intersect in real-world settings. Characterizing bone density helps us understand where cemented fixation with PALACOS^® technology benefits patients with compromised bone quality.

Dr. Andrew Williamson

Co-President

Heraeus Medical

We’re excited to be leading the clinical component of this collaboration. By contributing real-world clinical data from our joint replacement patients, we can help characterize variability in bone health among patients. Understanding these patterns is essential to optimizing surgical planning and improving long-term outcomes.

Dr. Alexander Sah

Co-Director

Institute for Joint Restoration in Fremont

OsteoSight, which received FDA 510(k) regulatory clearance in September 2025, opportunistically analyzes routine hip and pelvic X-rays in patients 50 years and older and identifies those cases at risk for low BMD. It can be embedded into routine orthopedic clinical workflows without changing existing imaging protocols.

We’re proud to be working alongside Heraeus and Sah Orthopaedics on this project. OsteoSight is redefining how we care for bone health in the orthopedic workflow. When combined with the deep clinical and surgical expertise of our partners, it creates an opportunity to better understand and ultimately improve outcomes in joint replacement.

Dr. Will Briggs

CEO

Naitive Technologies