Speakers
Professor John Skinner
Alasdair Santini
Edward Davis
Peter Wall
Professor Rob Nelissen
Professor Mike Reed
Bayode Adisa
Steve Lee
Specialist Society
Robotics continues to be a hot topic when discussing how we perform hip and knee surgery in 2026. But will robots truly change the face of our surgical practice? This session will explore technology in hip and knee surgery, delving specifically into the research around the area with a critical eye.
With the results of the NIHR funded RACER Hip and Knee studies we will have prospective randomised trial data on the outcomes of robotics in UK practice. Will this data change the face of arthroplasty practice in the UK?
From robotics, the session will then turn to the Medical Device Regulation (MDR). An area of much contention, we will hear from a surgeon and industry on the impact of regulation on the face of arthroplasty surgery.
Chairs: Professor John Skinner & Alasdair Santini
Agenda:
08:30 - 08:45 Edward Davis, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham
RACER Knee
08:45 - 09:00 Panel: Edward Davis, Peter Wall, Philip Mitchell and Professor Mike Reed
Panel discussion of RACER Knee Results
09:00 - 09:15 Peter Wall, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham
RACER Hip
09:15 - 09:30 Panel: Edward Davis, Peter Wall, Philip Mitchell and Professor Mike Reed
Panel discussion of RACER Hip Results
09:30 - 09:40 Professor Rob Nelissen, Professor of Orthopaedics, Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC)
MDR - its aims for patients, impact on surgeons and what the future holds
09:40 - 09:50 Steve Lee, Executive Director, Regulation, ABHI and Bayode Adisa, Associate Director, Regulatory, ABHI
MDR - an industry perspective
09:50 - 10:00 Q&A
Panel Discussion and Q&A
Professor John Skinner is Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at University College London and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH), Stanmore. He is an internationally recognised authority in hip and knee replacement surgery, orthopaedic innovation and the application of technology to improve patient outcomes.
Alongside his clinical practice, Professor Skinner has served as President of the British Orthopaedic Association and has also served as President of the British Hip Society. He has been a member of the Council of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and previously chaired its Future Surgeons Forum.
Professor Skinner is Director of Research and Development at the RNOH and has authored more than 300 scientific publications. His research has contributed significantly to advances in joint replacement surgery, implant performance, surgical robotics and innovation in orthopaedic care. He is widely recognised for his leadership in both research and clinical practice and for helping to shape national and international orthopaedic policy and guidance.
Alasdair Santini is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at Liverpool University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, specialising in knee and hip surgery, with particular expertise in primary and revision knee arthroplasty, knee arthroscopy and hip replacement surgery. He trained at the University of Sheffield before completing higher orthopaedic training on the Mersey Orthopaedic Rotation, including a Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow Travelling Fellowship in St Louis, USA.
Appointed as a consultant in Liverpool in 2005, Mr Santini has extensive experience in lower limb arthroplasty and has held several clinical leadership roles. He is an Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the University of Liverpool and has published and presented research nationally and internationally, with particular interests in knee surgery, surgical education and quality improvement.
Mr Santini is President of the British Association for Surgery of the Knee (BASK), reflecting his longstanding commitment to advancing knee surgery, research and education across the UK. He has been President of the Grosvenor Orthopaedic Club and as Managing Partner of the Bone and Joint Centre in Liverpool. Through his clinical practice, research and national leadership roles, he has made a significant contribution to the development of modern knee and hip surgery.
Professor Edward Davis is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and Clinical Service Lead for Arthroplasty at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham, and Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham. He specialises in primary and revision hip and knee replacement surgery and is internationally recognised for his expertise in robotic-assisted surgery, computer navigation and advanced joint replacement techniques.
Professor Davis graduated from the University of Birmingham Medical School and completed his orthopaedic training in the West Midlands, followed by a specialist fellowship in revision hip and knee arthroplasty in Toronto, Canada. He holds an MSc in Trauma, a Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Education and FRCS (Trauma & Orthopaedics).
His clinical and academic interests focus on improving outcomes in hip and knee replacement surgery through the development and application of new technologies, including computer-assisted surgery, robotics and data-driven approaches to patient care. He has played a leading role in the development of navigation and robotic systems within orthopaedics and is widely invited to lecture, teach and demonstrate these techniques nationally and internationally.
Alongside his clinical practice, Professor Davis is actively involved in research, education and training, serving as Head of Academy at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital and contributing to the education of medical students, trainees and orthopaedic surgeons.
Peter is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon specialising in hip surgery at the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital, Birmingham. His research interests are the clinical effectiveness and safety of musculoskeletal interventions. He is the Co-Chief Investigator with Professor Ed Davis for the RACER-Hip Study; a multi-centre, blinded RCT comparing clinical and cost-effectiveness of robotic assisted total hip replacement to conventional total hip replacement for adults with hip osteoarthritis.
Professor Rob Nelissen is Professor of Orthopaedics at Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), where he served as Chairman and Professor of the Department of Orthopaedics, Rehabilitation and Physiotherapy from 2006 to 2026. He has also held senior academic and educational roles at Delft University of Technology and within the Leiden–The Hague Orthopaedic Residency Programme.
His research relates to “optimising clinical outcome” and “prediction modelling of outcome”. The latter relates both to fundamental research on Orthopaedic implant migration (i.e. implant-bone fixation with RSA / V3MA as 1 year predictor for 10 year implant loosening) as well as implant related infections (e.g. induction heating). Next to this, healthcare evaluation and quality of care research using large registry data is done (e.g. choosing wisely program, value-added health care and predictors of outcome after total knee and hip arthroplasty) has his attention of research with direct (de)implementation in clinical practice.
He successfully supervised about 80 PhD students on these topics. He published more than 600 peer-reviewed articles on these topics
Pubmed Link to publications ; Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1228-416
Professor Nelissen has supervised approximately 80 PhD students and has authored more than 600 peer-reviewed publications.
Alongside his academic work, he has held numerous national and international leadership positions. He is a Board Member of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT), serving in roles including Secretary General, Vice-President and President for 2026–2027. He also chairs the European Thematic Expert Panel for Orthopaedics, Trauma, Rehabilitation and Rheumatology under the Medical Device Regulation.
He was a co-founder of the Dutch Arthroplasty Register (LROI), one of the world's largest implant registries, and served as Chair of its Registration Council. He is also a co-founder and former President of the International Radiostereometry Society (iRSA) and previously served as Vice-President and President of the Royal Netherlands Orthopaedic Association (NOV).
Professor Mike Reed is a full-time trauma and hip and knee joint replacement surgeon. He trained in the North of England and did fellowships in New Zealand. He leads Trauma and Orthopaedics at Northumbria Healthcare, working with a team of 31 talented colleagues. His research focuses on clinical outcomes particularly around short stay surgery as well as infection prevention, diagnosis and management. He has co-developed and commercialised a validated medical device to predict perioperatice risk. Professor Reed is on the steering committee and executive of the National Joint Registry (NJR) and Chaired the Annual Report from 2019-2024. He now leads on Surgical Performance for the NJR, is a trustee for the Orthopaedic Research UK charity and is on the grant awards committee for the National Institute Health and Care Research (NIHR) (i4i PDA). He has led clinical trials for industry and NIHR, and works academically with the University of York.
Bayode has over 17 years' strategic and hands-on experience in the medical devices sector, including 13 years with the UK regulator of HealthTech, MHRA.
Previously, as Head of Regulatory Affairs at Real Digital International Limited, Bayode led the regulatory function for a portfolio of devices including procedure packs, specimen collection devices and kits. She oversaw registrations and post-market surveillance, while acting as the Person Responsible for Regulatory Compliance (PRRC) for the company.
At MCRA, she provided expert regulatory advice on EU and UK legislation, delivered UDI implementation strategies and helped clients meet global UDI requirements. Earlier, as
Devices Data and Surveillance Strategy Manager at the MHRA, she led on UDI requirements for the future UK Medical Devices Regulations and built strategic partnerships with other government agencies, device registries and key industry stakeholders.
Bayode began her career in post-market surveillance, playing a key role in MHRA investigations into BIA-ALCL, PIP breast implants and metal-on-metal hip replacements.
She holds a BSc in Biomedical Materials Science from the University of Nottingham and an MSc in Public Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Contact email: bayode.adisa@abhi.org.uk
Steve Lee leads ABHI engagement on UK, EU and global regulatory frameworks for medical devices, in vitro diagnostics and digital health.
He represents industry in dialogue with the MHRA, UK, European and international partners, focusing on advancing regulatory recognition and reliance, strengthening patient safety, improving patient outcomes and supporting innovation and clinical research. His work centres on ensuring regulatory systems are proportionate, aligned and support timely access to safe and effective technologies.
Steve works closely with ABHI members to ensure their priorities are clearly reflected in regulatory discussions, providing a consistent, evidence-based and credible industry voice across all areas of HealthTech regulation.
He brings a long career across the NHS, industry and the MHRA, with experience spanning diagnostics, devices and digital technologies.
In 2019, Steve was awarded the TOPRA Award for Regulatory Excellence.
