AI Technology, Surgical Robots... New Technologies are Changing Orthopedics

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Common Orthopedic Disorders Changed
New Interdisciplinary: Digital Orthopedics
AI: Injecting Vitality Into Orthopedics
Orthopedic Robots: A Big Help in the Operating Room
Conclusion

In recent years, cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet, big data, and AI technology have gradually penetrated into all aspects of orthopedic medicine, promoting the birth and evolution of new orthopedics in the new era and also endowing traditional orthopedics with new concepts, new connotations, and new scopes. New methods of diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation models will have a profound impact on both orthopedic surgeons and orthopedic patients.

Common Orthopedic Disorders Changed

Orthopedics is the discipline that studies the musculoskeletal system and treats injuries related to this system. With the changes of the times, society, and the continuous emergence of new technologies, the injury spectrum of the orthopedic system has changed significantly.

Bone and joint tuberculosis, osteomyelitis, polio, and other diseases have been significantly reduced, while trauma caused by traffic accidents has increased significantly; with the increase in the proportion of the elderly population in society, fractures and joint diseases caused by senile osteoporosis have increased year by year; environmental influences have also caused an increase in conditions like bone tumors and rheumatoid arthritis.

At the same time, important changes have taken place in orthopedic diagnosis and treatment technology in recent decades. Minimally invasive technology, application of new materials, regenerative technology, navigation technology, robotic technology, etc., have strongly promoted the rapid development of the discipline.

New Interdisciplinary: Digital Orthopedics

The combination of computer science and orthopedics has formed a new interdisciplinary subject – digital orthopedics, which involves knowledge in the fields of human anatomy, solid geometry, biomechanics, materials science, informatics, electronics, and mechanical engineering. Key aspects include orthopedic finite element analysis, orthopedic digital anatomy (3D reconstruction), orthopedic virtual simulation surgery, orthopedic rapid prototyping technology, orthopedic reverse engineering technology, computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM) technology, preoperative planning, computer-aided orthopedics Navigation surgery, orthopedic remote surgery, and orthopedic robotic surgery, etc.

These new technologies have gradually been widely used in various subspecialties of orthopedics. New theories and technologies have led to changes in the division of clinical specialties, making them more reasonable and efficient.

In fact, some relatively mature AI and related technologies (including intelligent computer software and mechanical and electronic equipment) have begun to enter or explore clinical applications, such as computer-aided detection, auxiliary diagnosis systems, wearable devices and telemetry systems, bioinformatics technology, etc.

In addition, a large number of modern medical new technologies based on computer or IT technology are also continuously entering clinical use, such as genetic diagnosis and gene manipulation technology, biomedical engineering technology, new drug synthesis technology (including the design and manufacture of drug molecules), 3D printing technology, AR/VR/MR technology, etc.

From the perspective of medical development history, scientific and technological progress and the use of new tools often lead to technological progress or even technological revolution, forming new disciplines and even new formats, thereby promoting the development of productivity. In the context of the gradual increase in the incidence of orthopedic diseases worldwide, precision treatment is the future direction of orthopedic surgery.

AI: Injecting Vitality Into Orthopedics

AI has learning and innovation capabilities comparable to humans and can be used in many clinical scenarios to achieve reasoning and decision-making capabilities through neural network systems and software algorithms.

The examination of medical imaging data is closely related to the diagnosis of orthopedic diseases. Clinicians have to interpret optical images such as CT, MRI, and X-rays of a large number of patients, which greatly tests human intelligence and physical strength. Nowadays, the reading results of the film-reading robot have reached the professional technical level, and the reading speed is faster than that of humans. AI can apply image recognition technology and massive experience data technology to assist orthopedic surgeons in auxiliary processing through learning experience knowledge, improve the work efficiency of orthopedic surgeons, and reduce misdiagnosis and missed diagnoses of certain diseases.

Just as AI’s ability to learn assists orthopedic surgeons, AI’s ability to learn can assist orthopedic nurses. Nursing knowledge, nursing cases, and nursing experience can be aggregated into an AI system to create big data on orthopedic patient care. When a new patient is admitted to the ward, and the case characteristics of the new patient are input, AI can quickly recommend the best nursing plan for the nursing staff.

Orthopedic Robots: A Big Help in the Operating Room

With the continuous development of precision medicine, orthopedic robots have attracted widespread attention. With technical features such as intelligence and precision, robots have highlighted advantages in actual orthopedic applications, which has greatly changed the traditional orthopedic surgery relying on the professional knowledge and experience of surgeons, and greatly changed the situation of inaccurate operations and large injuries. It achieves the purpose of minimally invasive, precise, and effective surgery.

In 1992, the first robot for joint replacement orthopedic surgery was approved by FDA. Orthopedic robots have been widely used in spine surgery, knee replacement, hip replacement, and other operations.

Conclusion

The new technology revolution has brought new impacts to orthopedics, and the new technology revolution will inevitably reshape and interpret new orthopedics in the new era to adapt to new technology revolution and keep the discipline at the forefront of scientific and technological development.

AI Technology, Surgical Robots… New Technologies are Changing Orthopedics