An increasing demand for robotic surgery has kept intuitive on this list since 2007, when it made its debut at No. 4. The company's da Vinci technology, which is used heavily in medical procedures such as hysterectomies, saw an increase in usage of 35% in 2010 alone, to 278,000 procedures. Intuitive also sold 441 of the surgical systems in 2010, up from 338 in 2009.
Fortune's annual roster of high performers reveals the promising saplings that are rising in a difficult economy and some stalwarts that deliver year after year.
