LeeHighSchool

TechnologyAdvancementsinOrthopedicSurgery

JessicaCalderon
SeniorCapstonePaper
Mr.Cahoon
March282016

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Technologyhasadvancedrapidlythesepastfewyears,especiallyinthemedicalfield.As
wespeaktherearemoreideasandmoreimprovementsbeingmade.Themedicalfieldisawide,
broadfield.Therearelotsofdifferentthingsthatpeopledontevenknowexist.AnOrthopedic
SurgeonisaSurgeonwhooperatesdifferentconditionsofthemusculoskeletalsystemsuchas
variousformsofarthritis,osteomalacia,carpeltunnelsyndrome,anddisordersoftheneck,back,
hipsandknees.TherearehundredsofdifferentconditionsthatanOrthopedicsurgeontreatsthat
includeproceduressuchas,arthroscopicsurgery,jointreplacement,andopenreductionand
internalfixationsoffractures.Theseproceduresallowsurgeonstoaccuratelyperformsurgeries.
ThesehavebeensomeofthenumerousOrthopedicSurgerytechnologyprocedure
advancementsthathavehelpedmakerecoverytimequicker,lessenmorbidityrate,and
allowlessdirectvisualcontrol.
Arthroscopicsurgeryisaminimallyinvasivesurgerythatsurgeonsusetosee,diagnose,
andtreatproblemsinsideajoint(Wilkerson,1).Backthen,surgeonshadtomakelargeincisions
inordertobeabletoexposetheareaneededandoperate,thereforemakingrecoverytimelonger.
Now,therearethesmallincisionsbeingdone.Intheprocedure,theOrthopedicSurgeoninserts
smalllikepencilinstrumentsthathaveacameratobeabletolookintotheinteriorofajoint
(Wilkerson,1).Thelensthatisonthecameraallowsthesurgeontoviewtheinteriorofthejoint
onatvscreen(Wilkerson,1).Ontherethesurgeoncanseethecartilageandligaments.Without
theneedofalargeincision,thesurgeoncanseeallthenecessaryinformationneededtomakea
diagnosesothatthepatientcanbetreatedcorrectly.Usually,beforethearthroscopicsurgerywas
created,patientshadtowaittillsymptomswerehighlyseeableandmorbiditywasverycommon.
Withthissurgery,morbidityratewaslowersensediagnosingwasfaster,andoperationswere

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morelikelytobesuccessfulaswell.Recoverytimewasalsoshortersincetherewerentlarge
incisionsbeingdonetothepatient.Patientswerebackhomeseveralhoursaftersurgeryand
some,usuallywentbacktoworkorschoolinafewdays.Fullrecoverytakesafewweeks.This
helpedfindadiagnoseforeachpatientbasedontheirindividualbonestructureandcomposition.
Jointreplacementisanotheradvancementinorthopedicsurgery.Duringsurgery,the
patientisputtosleepwhilethesurgeonputsinaprosthesis,whichisanartificialbodypartof
somesort(Escalante,1).Thesurgerycanlasttwohoursorless.Italldependsonhowcriticalthe
conditionis.Beforethis,therewereothersurgeriessuchas:arthrodesis,theestablishmentof
pseudarthrosis,andanalgesicmedicationstohelpwiththepain.Theseprocedureswere
temporarypainrelieving,andnonlonglasting.Untilthejointarthroplastycamealong,itwasa
longlastingreliefandthepatientshadafunctionalimprovement(Jackson,4).Thistypeof
surgeryhasexpandedtobeoneofthelargestandmostsuccessfulareasoforthopedicsurgeryin
todaysworld(Jackson,4).Therecoveryforthisisafewmonthsbecauseoftheneedfor
rehabilitationandphysicaltherapyandalsobecauseoftheincisionsbeingdone.Itisknownto
besuccessful,dependingonhowwellthepatientfollowsdirectionsaftersurgery.
Openreductionandinternalfixationoffracturesisasurgeryusedtofixbrokenbones
(Bodine,1).Itisdonebecauseofthefactthatsplintingorcastsarentabletorepairthefracture.
Alsobecauseofthefactthefractureisreallybad.Thisprocedureisatwopartprocedurein
whichforthefirstpart,thebrokenboneisreduced/putbackinplace.Forthesecondpart,an
internalfixationdeviceisplacedontheboneandisdonewithscrews,plates,rods,orpinsand
theyhelpwithkeepingtheinternaldeviceinplace(Bodine,1).Theaveragehospitalstayforthis

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procedureis17days(Bodine,1).Recoverywillbeacoupleofmonthsbecauserehabilitation
andphysicaltherapywillbeneededtoregainmovementandtostrengthenthemuscles.

Astheworldevolves,technologyevolvesfasterandtherearemoretechnologyoperated
thingscreated/improved.Advancementsinthemedicalfieldareseenalot.Therearetonsof
trialsthataredonetoseeifthenewadvancementwillworkornot.Therearewaymore
proceduresthathavemadeanimpactinthemedicalworld.Theseproceduresallowsurgeonsto
preoperativelyplanhighlyaccurateproceduresforeachoftheirpatientsbasedonindividual
bonestructureandcomposition
("NewTechnologiesandSurgicalTechniquesPromise
'personalized'OrthopedicOperations,"1)
.Theyhavehelpedsurgeonsofmanykindstomake
fewerincisionsonthepatientsandfewerhandsonforthesurgeons.Asstatedearlier,someof
theproceduresarearthroscopicsurgery,jointreplacement,andopenreductionandinternal
fixationoffractures.Allowingpatientstohaveashorterrecoverytimeandlessdirectvisual
control.Innovativecomputerbasedtechnologieswillfurtherimprovesurgeriesthathavebeen
optimizedusingmanualtools(Pearle,1).Thisallowsthepatientstorecoverfasterandthereis
alsolessmoneyoutoftheirpocketbecausetheprocedures/surgeriescanbedoneinanoutpatient
centerandhospitalstay,forsome,isntnecessary.

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<http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Joint_Replacement/#6>.
"NewTechnologiesandSurgicalTechniquesPromise'personalized'Orthopedic
Operations."NewsMedical.net.N.p.,2010.Web.28Mar.2016.
<http://www.newsmedical.net/news/20101011/Newtechnologiesandsurgicaltechniqu
espromisepersonalizedorthopedicoperations.aspx>.
Wilkerson,Rick.
Arthroscopy
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