Assistive Devices and Systems for Orthopaedic Surgery
Kaddour Bouazza-Marouf, Loughborough University

The medical profession is continually required to strive for improvement in healthcare provision. In orthopaedic surgery, numerous computer and robotic systems for assistance with various surgical procedures have been introduced but the uptake has not been high. Such systems are often restricted to better funded and/or research active medical establishments. The main constraints have been the added cost of implementation and the need for additional staff and training; in addition the benefits of introducing such technology cannot be established over the short term. Precision is usually referred to as one of the benefits, but this is often at the cost of increased operating time, which results in increased blood loss and risk of anaesthesia related complications. Debate continues over the benefits of robotic/computer assistance.

Orthopaedic surgery is ideally suited for the application of mechanical, electromechanical and optical systems. The focus of this discussion group will be on the remaining scope in providing cost-and-outcome effective aids for assisting orthopaedic surgeons. In particular, the group will focus on the demand for simpler procedure-specific devices, the need for purely passive and hybrid passive-active devices for the enhancement of various orthopaedic procedures, as well as the need for effective assistance with surgical procedures to small bones in the hand and foot.