Technology across the world is improving and innovating with time. Over the years, man-managed labor has almost finished from the market and more and more technological and scientific gadgets are taking place making human labor more effective, efficient, and precise.
Medical science has also taken a lot of advantage from this scientific advancement therefore, we can say that doctors are making full use of science and technology and the world of medicine has evolved quite rapidly.
Orthopedic hospitals have also seen a remarkable transformation over time and the days when a regular orthopedic clinic only comprised of a few tools and a bad. The launch of innovative technologies, biologics, and hybrid items into the orthopedic industry is increasingly growing.
Any of these emerging inventions gain regulatory approval by showing significant equivalence to the US System of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k).
Surgeons play a key role in the implementation of emerging technology to patients and will play a leading role in supporting healthy, efficient, adequate, and cost-effective treatment, particularly for surgical procedures. Surgeons will track and record the health results and adverse effects of their patients utilizing modern technologies and ensure that the new technology works as expected.
Table of Contents
Latest Inventions in the Orthopedic Industry
Ortho-Biological Tech to Make the Wounds Heal Faster
Ortho-biologics utilizes the regenerative ability of cells in the human body. Ortho-biologics are created from compounds naturally present in the body which are used to facilitate the recovery of fractured bones which injured joints, ligaments, and tendons.
· What are Ortho-Biologics Comprised of?
These involve bone graft, growth factors, stem cells, platelet-infused plasma, autologous blood, and autologous controlled serum. The mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) contained in the bone marrow has been shown to be successful in the production of the appropriate tissues.
Result in Orthopedic Procedures
Recent advances in this area, including growth factor and stem cell therapies, may contribute to faster recovery. One breakthrough is drug-free bone grafts, which may be used to cure conditions such as orthopedic surgery. Clinical trials have demonstrated that growth factors can improve the healing cycle.
Stem cells will continually self-regenerate and transform into either form of cell, providing an unmatched source of regenerative medicine technology. Definitions of musculoskeletal procedures utilizing stem cells are listed below.
Biotechnology firms began utilizing orthopedic stem cells. For starters, BioTime works on stem cell therapies for age-related degenerative diseases, IntelliCell BioSciences on adipose-derived stem cells for orthopedic conditions, and Bio-Tissues on Ortho-biological treatments for cartilage defects.
· Robotic Surgeries for Faster Surgeries with Lesser Cuts
Orthopedic procedures using robots are less intrusive and deliver reproducible accuracy, resulting in shorter hospital stays and quicker recovery times. The Swiss clinic, La Source, recorded a decline in average hospitalization from 10 to 6 days with the usage of surgical robots. Nevertheless, this technology is also costly to develop, so solid, evidence-based trials are required to prove that robotic technology contributes to improved outcomes.
Da Vinci Surgery Process
The Da Vinci Surgical Method became the first U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-an authorized robotic surgery program in 2000. More businesses are investing in this technology to enhance navigation during service or to receive 3-D scans that aid in the design of custom joints.
Popular Orthopedic Robotics
Organizations that are interested, in robotics are inclined towards the following technological masterpieces:
- Zimmer Biomet, Stryker, Smith & Nephew, Mazor Robotics, Think Surgical, OMNlife Scientific Inc., Intuitive Surgical and Verb Surgical
- Zimmer Biomet, for instance, has introduced the ROSA robotic system used for brain and spine surgery to the product line following the purchase of Medtech. Stryker acquired Mako Surgical Corp for complete knee repair and complete hip replacement robotic products
- Smith & Nephew acquired Blue Belt Assets for robotic-assisted operation for partial knee replacement.
· Innovation in Surgical Processes
Several modern surgical techniques are enhancing the results. These involve motion-preservation methods, minimally intrusive surgery, tissue-guided surgery, and cement-free joint repair.
Motion recovery strategies require partial or complete disk removal and the usage of active stability systems and interspinous spacers that do not impair versatility.
Minimally intrusive procedures involve the use of endoscopes, tubular retractors, and computer-aided guidance devices, allowing an incision of just 2 cm instead of 12 cm in conventional therapies. Minimally invasive treatments are gaining popularity in joint and hip replacement and spinal surgery.
· Smart Sensors for Better Diagnosis and Patient-Care
Smart devices provide built-in sensors to offer real-time tracking and post-operative evaluation details to surgeons for better patient safety across the clinical process. Such implants have the ability to minimize periprosthetic infection, which is an increasing orthopedic issue. Sensor-enabled innovations also presented health care professionals with a range of innovative, cost-effective goods.
Some popular companies to provide this technology
Companies working in this field include:
- Zimmer Biomet and OrthoSensor who have entered into a co-marketing agreement for smart implants.
- Stryker and OrthoSensor function on a smart knee implant to improve joint alignment through complete knee arthroplasty.
· Patient-Friendly 3-D Printing
3-D orthopedic printing is gaining traction in the manufacture of personalized braces, surgical equipment, and orthotics from a range of materials. 3-D printing technology cuts operating times, saves energy, increases the long-term reliability of the implant, and enhances the health effects of surgical procedures. 3-D printing technologies of orthopedics are inclusive of:
- Instruments
- Implants
- Anatomical Models
- Biologics
Companies investing in 3-D Orthopedic Printing
- Johnson & Johnson, Stryker, and Zimmer Biomet are among the firms involved in 3D printing.
- Stryker also set up a factory for 3-D-printed titanium products.
- Zimmer Biomet also gained clearance from the FDA for a few 3-D-printed devices, such as an ankle fusion device.
Conclusion
Medical science has taken a huge turn with the introduction of technology. The orthopedic industry has also transformed to a huge extent making sure that the specialists and surgeons are able to treat and operate on their patients without any hassle. Almost all the orthopedic hospitals are equipped with high-end gadgets and tools to assist the doctor.
Even though the technology has evolved greatly since the field of medicine was invented, it is important to understand that this is just a beginning and there are many more things to come in the future.
