Sawbones at 50: A Legacy of Confidence Through Practice

This year Sawbones turns 50!

Fifty years is a long time to earn trust—and an even longer time to keep it.

We’re extremely proud of this milestone because it represents something deeper than just an anniversary: 50 years of confidence through practice.

Where it started—and what it set in motion

A pivotal collaboration with Dr. Frederick Lippert shaped the first Sawbones models and set a standard we still prioritize: anatomical realism paired with reliable performance. That consistency matters for education, where instructors need repeatable outcomes, and it matters just as much for research, where repeatability supports meaningful comparison.

The “Sawbones Lab” and the standard it represents

In orthopaedics, you’ll often hear people refer to a hands-on skills session as a “Sawbones Lab”—sometimes even when the models in the room aren’t ours. That association didn’t happen by accident. It came about because Sawbones set the industry standard for anatomical simulation in orthopaedic training and became the most recognized and trusted name associated with it.

We don’t take that lightly. To us, it’s a reminder that when people say “Sawbones Lab,” they’re really talking about a level of expectation: realistic anatomy, consistent performance, and training tools that hold up to repeated use.

It’s a sign that what we created decades ago has moved from “nice to have” to a core part of how skills are taught and maintained.

Built for learners, labs, and the people who support the procedure

Education remains at the core of what we do, from foundational anatomy to advanced procedural training. As techniques evolved, training tools needed to evolve too—arthroscopy being a clear example. Minimally invasive procedures introduced new demands: spatial orientation, indirect visualization, and instrument handling that can’t be learned well from observation alone.

But “practice” doesn’t stop with clinicians. Our models are also used to support the broader ecosystem around patient care, including:

- Researchers and engineering teams for device testing and validation in anatomically relevant conditions
- Sales reps and clinical specialists for product training, procedural walk-throughs, and consistent demonstration
- Device demonstrations in labs, workshops, and customer visits—where showing technique and instrumentation clearly matters

Expanding across specialties

Over five decades, training needs have grown far beyond one discipline. Today, we support simulation across multiple areas of care, including:

- Point-of-care ultrasound training, where learners build image acquisition skills and pattern recognition through repetition
- Nursing skills training, where hands-on practice supports consistency in everyday clinical tasks
- Physical therapy training, where understanding anatomy, movement, and hands-on technique benefits from realistic models

50 years in, still focused on the work

If there’s a common thread across five decades, it’s this: practice matters when it’s structured, repeatable, and realistic enough to be useful. That’s what we mean by confidence through practice— better preparation through better repetition.

As we head into the next chapter, we’ll stay focused on building simulation tools that support stronger training, clearer testing, and more consistent readiness across healthcare.