New Technology Invigorates Pediatric Orthopedic Device Field

摘要

For decades, the treatment for childhood orthopedic conditions such as scoliosis was straightforward and relatively unchanged- a patient would receive a rigid brace to try to reduce the abnormal spinal curvature, and if the spinal curvature continued to get worse, the next step was likely to be invasive spinal fusion surgery. That's changing thanks to advances in three-dimensional (3D) printing, 3D imaging, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. These tools have resulted in an innovation boom for pediatric orthopedic devices and treatment, which are especially needed during the crucial time when children are growing. Among the most common orthopedic conditions for children is scoliosis, which affects six to nine million people in the United States and is usually diagnosed during adolescence.