Prince Albert II discovers Rosa the surgical robot at IM2S’s 20th anniversary
© Communication Department - Manuel Vitali
The Sovereign visited the Monegasque Institute of Sports Medicine and Surgery (IM2S), which is now equipped with this robotic assistance system already in use at several French healthcare facilities.
On Thursday 28 November, IM2S celebrated its twentieth anniversary in the presence of Prince Albert II, marking the symbolic milestone with the presentation of its new surgical robot, Rosa. The purchase reflects the technological innovation strategy the institute has pursued since it was founded.
A robot tried and tested in France since 2019
The Rosa system (Robotic Orthopedic Surgery Assistant), developed by the French company Zimmer Biomet Robotics and assembled in Montpellier, has been deployed in numerous French facilities since its market launch in 2019. Hospitals and clinics in Versailles, Valenciennes, Colmar, Strasbourg and Brittany use this technology to support orthopaedic surgeons in knee replacement procedures.
The device combines a robotic arm fitted with sensors, a camera and an IT system that creates a three-dimensional model of the knee being operated on. The technology offers accuracy to a tenth of a millimetre—far greater than the human eye—allowing implants to be positioned according to each patient’s specific anatomy.
During his remarks to Prince Albert II, IM2S Director Thierry Loirac outlined the institution’s development priorities. In his words, robotics and augmented intelligence will form “the two pillars of Monaco’s modern medicine” in the decades to come. He added that the new direction foreshadows “the new engineering in Monaco’s private and public healthcare facilities in the years ahead.”
The robot does not perform the procedure itself but assists the surgeon with real-time data and guidance throughout the operation. It steers the placement of the implant with millimetric precision. Robot-assisted surgery also helps reduce the length of hospital stays.