Best practice in digital orthopaedics

Abstract

Digitization in orthopaedics and traumatology is an enormously fast-evolving field with numerous players and stakeholders. It will be of utmost importance that the different groups of technologists, users, patients, and actors in the healthcare systems learn to communicate in a language with a common basis. Understanding the requirements of technologies, the potentials of digital application, their interplay, and the combined aim to improve health of patients, would lead to an extraordinary chance to improve health care. Patients' expectations and surgeons’ capacities to use digital technologies must be transparent and accepted by both sides. The management of big data needs tremendous care as well as concepts for the ethics in handling data and technologies have to be established while also considering the impact of withholding or delaying benefits thereof. This review focuses on the available technologies such as Apps, wearables, robotics, artificial intelligence, virtual and augmented reality, smart implants, and telemedicine. It will be necessary to closely follow the future developments and carefully pay attention to ethical aspects and transparency.

The Era of Digital Orthopedics: A Bone or Bane?

“…While digital orthopedics holds great promise, it is not without its challenges and considerations, which are as follows [ 18 , 21 - 23 ].…”

Wearable Sensors in Other Medical Domains with Application Potential for Orthopedic Trauma Surgery—A Narrative Review

“…Wearable devices are increasingly being used to complement classic study outcomes to generate additional evidence [ 2 , 4 ]. Depending on their type, wearables contain different arrays of sensors that are positioned directly on the body or in clothing and can measure user and environmental data (i.e., location, meteorological data) continuously over longer time periods [ 5 ]. Reviews from the field of orthopedic trauma surgery have already focused on the different applications of these systems within the field [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ].…”

“…Depending on their type, wearables contain different arrays of sensors that are positioned directly on the body or in clothing and can measure user and environmental data (i.e., location, meteorological data) continuously over longer time periods [ 5 ]. Reviews from the field of orthopedic trauma surgery have already focused on the different applications of these systems within the field [ 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 ]. The primary reasons for use are outcome assessment, diagnostics (i.e., event detection of falls), patient engagement, (self-)management, (bio-)feedback, education, rehabilitation/adherence monitoring, and exergaming.…”

“…In addition, wearable technology can be used as a preventive tool by using biomarkers to provide data to assess the risk of an event (i.e., atrial fibrillation), or minimize risk factors for the onset of a disease [ 12 , 13 ]. While the investigation of digital biomarkers in other fields offers new perspectives for orthopedic trauma surgery, the increasing diversity of systems and limited oversight over tools can be challenging [ 5 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 14 ].…”

A conceptual model of factors associated with health-related quality of life in men and women with knee osteoarthritis in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia: A multicenter cross-sectional study

“…It is of the utmost relevance since HRQoL research may impact medical practices and treatment strategies. [5] Therefore, it may be helpful to comprehend HRQoL in populations with KOA while creating therapies and rehabilitation programs, especially in Saudi Arabia.…”