What Does the Latest Research Say About NICE1, SAM® Pro 2.0, Smart Triad 3LT® and MAXM Skate?
- 5 days ago
- 8 min read
A Look at the Evidence Behind Four Orthopedic Recovery Technologies
Orthopedic recovery technology is changing quickly.
Patients are spending more time recovering at home, providers are looking for ways to extend care beyond the clinic, and orthopedic reps are increasingly expected to understand the clinical evidence behind the technologies they recommend.
But there is an important distinction:
Evidence for a treatment modality is not automatically evidence for a specific device.
That distinction matters.
NICE1® has emerging device-specific research comparing it with traditional ice. SAM® Pro 2.0 is part of a larger body of research on Sustained Acoustic Medicine. Smart Triad 3LT® uses red and near-infrared light, an area with a growing body of photobiomodulation research. MAXM Skate has randomized controlled trial data examining home-based rehabilitation after total knee arthroplasty.
So what does the research actually show?
Let's take a closer look.
1. NICE1®: New Research Looks at Cold Therapy Adherence
One of the most interesting recent developments involving NICE1® is research from UConn
Health examining cold therapy after hand and wrist surgery.
The study followed 92 patients undergoing either CMC arthroplasty or distal radius ORIF.
Patients used either the NICE1 cold and compression system or traditional ice packs according to the same general treatment schedule.
The researchers were interested in something that doesn't always receive enough attention:
Would patients actually continue using their cold therapy?
That's important because a treatment can't provide its intended support if the patient stops using it.
What did the study find?
Among patients recovering from distal radius surgery, the NICE1 group reported substantially greater adherence.
The NICE1 group reported:
96% continued cold therapy beyond three days
88% continued beyond seven days
100% reported more than three sessions per day
72% reported more than seven sessions per day
In comparison, the traditional ice group had much lower reported use.
The study also reported high patient satisfaction and confidence with NICE1. Distal-radius patients rated satisfaction with pain relief at 9.68/10 and confidence using the device at 9.92/10.
For CMC arthroplasty patients, reported pain-relief ratings were also higher with NICE1 than with ice packs: 9.56/10 versus 3.42/10.
Why this matters to orthopedic reps
The most interesting takeaway may not be simply "cold therapy works."
It's adherence.
A recovery technology can be clinically appropriate, but if it is inconvenient for patients to use repeatedly, adherence can become a challenge.
NICE1 is designed around that problem by providing iceless cold and compression without requiring patients to continually prepare and replace traditional ice packs.
Importantly, the study did not establish that NICE1 replaces medication or independently improves every surgical outcome. The authors' findings are better interpreted as evidence about patient use, experience, and reported outcomes in the studied hand and wrist populations.
There is also additional research underway. A registered clinical trial is comparing outcomes in spinal-surgery patients receiving NICE1 cold and compression with standard care.
Bottom line: NICE1 now has device-specific research suggesting an important potential advantage in postoperative cold-therapy adherence, while additional research is continuing.
2. SAM® Pro 2.0: Growing Evidence Around Sustained Acoustic Medicine
SAM® Pro 2.0 uses Sustained Acoustic Medicine (SAM), a form of long-duration, low-intensity therapeutic ultrasound.
The evidence base here is broader than a single device study.
A systematic review and meta-analysis of Sustained Acoustic Medicine evaluated clinical research involving musculoskeletal injuries and found meaningful reductions in pain and improvements in joint function across the studies reviewed.
The review reported pain reductions of approximately 1.96 to 3.94 points on 0–10 pain scales across nine studies and improvements in joint function across six studies.
What about newer research?
A 2025 randomized placebo-controlled study examined SAM's effect on local circulation.
The study included 64 healthy participants and compared active SAM with placebo treatment. Researchers found that SAM significantly increased local blood flow and tissue temperature during treatment.
Blood flow increased significantly within approximately 10 minutes and remained elevated through the 60-minute treatment period.
The researchers also found that the addition of 2.5% diclofenac gel did not eliminate SAM's circulation or temperature effects.
Why does circulation matter?
Adequate blood flow is an important component of tissue recovery because circulation supports delivery of oxygen, nutrients, immune cells and other factors involved in tissue repair.
That doesn't mean increased circulation automatically equals faster healing in every patient.
But it provides additional insight into one of the physiological effects associated with Sustained Acoustic Medicine.
What does this mean for SAM® Pro 2.0?
SAM® Pro 2.0 brings Sustained Acoustic Medicine into a wearable, home-use format, allowing treatment to take place outside of the clinic under appropriate provider direction.
For orthopedic reps, the important conversation is not simply:
"This is ultrasound."
It's:
"How can long-duration therapeutic ultrasound fit into a patient's recovery plan between clinical visits?"
That distinction turns a product conversation into a clinical workflow conversation.
Bottom line: The research supporting Sustained Acoustic Medicine continues to grow, including newer work examining circulation and physiological effects. However, evidence from SAM studies should not automatically be interpreted as evidence for every indication or outcome with SAM® Pro 2.0.
3. Smart Triad 3LT®: New 2026 Research Examines Near-Infrared Light and Surgical Healing
Light-based recovery technologies are receiving increasing attention in rehabilitation and postoperative care.
Smart Triad 3LT® combines:
630nm Red Light
830nm Infrared Light
950nm Infrared Light
The broader research area is known as photobiomodulation or low-level light therapy.
One of the most notable recent publications is a 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis examining near-infrared light therapy for surgical wound healing.
Researchers reviewed 56 trials involving 4,920 participants, with 35 trials contributing data to the meta-analysis.
The pooled analysis found that near-infrared therapy was associated with:
Improved postoperative wound healing
Reduced postoperative pain
The pooled standardized mean difference for wound healing was 0.78, while the effect for postoperative pain was 0.71.
That sounds promising—but there is an important qualification.
The evidence isn't definitive.
The researchers reported high heterogeneity between studies and rated the overall certainty of evidence as very low.
The evidence also varied depending on wavelength, treatment schedule, application method and surgical site. The authors specifically emphasized that additional high-quality randomized trials are needed.
In fact, the evidence was strongest in certain postoperative wound populations, particularly oral/maxillofacial wounds, meaning the findings should not automatically be generalized to every orthopedic procedure.
Why is this still important?
Because the research direction is significant.
Researchers are continuing to investigate how red and near-infrared light may interact with biological processes involved in tissue recovery.
For orthopedic reps, that means understanding the science without overpromising the clinical outcome.
Smart Triad 3LT® should be discussed as a provider-directed recovery technology, not as a universal solution for every patient or every injury.
Bottom line: Recent research supports continued interest in near-infrared photobiomodulation, including postoperative healing and pain, but the evidence remains heterogeneous and more high-quality research is needed.
4. MAXM Skate: Evidence for Digital, Home-Based Knee Rehabilitation
MAXM Skate has perhaps one of the clearest examples of device-specific research among these technologies.
The MAXM Skate program was evaluated in a randomized controlled trial involving patients
recovering from total knee arthroplasty.
The study compared a home-based MAXM rehabilitation program with standard rehabilitation.
The program combined the physical MAXM Skate device with sensors and an app designed to provide objective rehabilitation data, including range of motion and exercise completion.
What did researchers find?
The study included 73 participants who completed the 12-week follow-up before recruitment was stopped because elective surgery was suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The MAXM group demonstrated greater mean gains in range of motion at 12 weeks:
43.7° vs. 30.9°
The reported difference was 12.9°, with a p-value of 0.005.
The analysis also found MAXM to be less costly from the healthcare-sector perspective while producing greater gains in ROM and QALYs in the study's economic analysis.
Why digital tracking matters
MAXM Skate isn't simply a home exercise device.
The system was designed to provide objective information about rehabilitation progress.
Patients can see their performance, while clinicians can gain visibility into range of motion and exercise completion.
That creates a different type of recovery experience:
Patient performs exercise → Data is generated → Progress can be tracked → Provider has greater visibility.
That can be particularly valuable when patients spend much of their recovery outside the clinic.
The research is continuing
A separate randomized controlled study on the MAXM Skate digital rehabilitation solution following total knee arthroplasty is registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry.
That continued research is important because digital rehabilitation is becoming a larger part of modern orthopedic care.
Bottom line: MAXM Skate has randomized controlled trial evidence supporting its use as a home-based rehabilitation program after total knee arthroplasty, including improved ROM outcomes in the study population.
What These Four Technologies Have in Common
At first glance, NICE1, SAM® Pro 2.0, Smart Triad 3LT®, and MAXM Skate are very different technologies.
But they share a larger trend:
They move recovery beyond the clinic.
NICE1®
Cold and compression designed to support postoperative recovery and make repeated cold therapy easier for patients to maintain.
SAM® Pro 2.0
Wearable, long-duration ultrasound designed to deliver Sustained Acoustic Medicine outside of the clinic.
Smart Triad 3LT®
Wearable red and infrared light therapy designed to fit into provider-directed recovery programs.
MAXM Skate
Digital rehabilitation designed to provide structured home exercise and measurable progress.
The common theme is continuity of care.
Why This Matters for Orthopedic Sales Reps
Orthopedic sales is becoming increasingly clinical.
Surgeons, physical therapists, athletic trainers and practice leaders don't simply want to know:
"What does this device do?"
They want to know:
What evidence supports it?
Where does it fit in the recovery pathway?
Which patients may be appropriate?
How does the patient use it at home?
Can the practice integrate it into its workflow?
What information does the provider receive?
Does it complement existing rehabilitation?
What limitations does the evidence have?
The best orthopedic reps can answer those questions without overstating the science.
The Most Important Lesson: Evidence ≠ Marketing Claims
One of the biggest mistakes in medical-device marketing is taking a study involving a technology or modality and turning it into a blanket claim about a specific product.
That's not how clinical evidence works.
For example:
A study showing potential benefits of near-infrared therapy does not automatically prove that
every infrared device produces the same results.
A study involving Sustained Acoustic Medicine does not automatically prove every SAM-related outcome for every patient.
A study of cold therapy adherence does not mean every postoperative patient will have the same experience with NICE1.
And a randomized trial in total knee arthroplasty doesn't mean MAXM Skate produces identical results for every orthopedic procedure.
The strongest marketing is accurate marketing.
What the Current Evidence Tells Us
Looking across the four technologies, several trends stand out.
1. Patient adherence matters.
The NICE1 research highlights how difficult it can be for patients to consistently follow traditional cold-therapy routines.
2. Home-based treatment is becoming more important.
SAM® Pro 2.0 and MAXM Skate demonstrate how technology can extend aspects of recovery beyond the clinic.
3. Digital visibility is becoming part of rehabilitation.
MAXM Skate shows how sensors and software can provide objective information about rehabilitation progress.
4. Light-based therapies are receiving increased research attention.
The 2026 NIR meta-analysis demonstrates growing interest in photobiomodulation while also highlighting the need for better standardized research.
5. The evidence is evolving.
None of these technologies should be viewed as a replacement for appropriate surgical care, physical therapy or provider-directed treatment.
Instead, they represent tools that may fit into a broader recovery strategy.
What Should an Orthopedic Rep Take Away?
The orthopedic rep of the future needs more than a product catalog.
They need to understand:
The technology.
The evidence.
The patient journey.
The provider's goals.
The practice's workflow.
And perhaps most importantly:
The limitations of the evidence.
When a surgeon asks, "What does the research say?" the strongest answer isn't an exaggerated claim.
It's an informed explanation of what has been studied, what the results show, and where additional research is needed.
That builds credibility.
Final Thoughts
The orthopedic recovery landscape is moving toward technologies that help extend care beyond the clinic.
NICE1®, SAM® Pro 2.0, Smart Triad 3LT®, and MAXM Skate each represent a different approach to supporting the recovery journey.
The research surrounding these technologies is also evolving.
Some have direct device-specific evidence.
Others are supported by research into the underlying treatment modality.
And in every case, the evidence needs to be interpreted within the population, protocol and clinical context in which it was studied.
For orthopedic sales reps, that creates an opportunity.
Know the product. Know the research. Know the limitations.
That's how you move from being a product representative to becoming a trusted clinical resource.
Research Sources
UConn Health / HAND research comparing NICE1 with traditional ice following hand and wrist surgery.
2025 randomized placebo-controlled study examining Sustained Acoustic Medicine and local circulation.
Systematic review and meta-analysis of Sustained Acoustic Medicine for musculoskeletal injuries.
2026 systematic review and meta-analysis of near-infrared light therapy for surgical wound healing.
Randomized controlled trial research on MAXM Skate following total knee arthroplasty.
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