Adult Reconstructive Surgery

The Division of Adult Reconstructive Surgery is the oldest separate division within the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at NUH. It has a long history of being a regional pioneer in the treatment of a wide variety of bone and joint disorders, and has the distinction of having trained many of the current generation of orthopaedic surgeons in Singapore.

The division specialises in the surgical treatment of conditions like osteoarthritis (arthritis), rheumatoid arthritis and ankylosing spondylitis, which usually result in hip and knee pain. We also specialise in corrective surgery for joint and limb deformities as well as management of post-trauma or neglected musculoskeletal deformities.

Routine knee and hip replacement surgeries are a mainstay of our division and we are also a tertiary referral centre for failed knee or hip replacement cases that require revision surgery. We also perform advanced arthroscopic or keyhole operations for ligament, meniscal, cartilage and other sports injury.

The division is at the cutting edge of orthopaedic surgery and research. We have the expertise in minimally invasive (MIS or small-incision) joint replacement, partial joint replacement (such as the "uni" or unicondylar knee replacement) as well as patellofemoral joint replacement. Our division performed the first hip surface replacement procedure in Singapore. This procedure has the advantage of preserving more of the patient's own bone and is suitable for young patients with arthritis of the hip. We also recently conducted a cadaveric hip surface replacement course for regional and local surgeons in the STAR laboratory of NUH.

An exciting and emerging technology in orthopaedic surgery is the use of computers to allow for three-dimensional computer-aided or navigation surgery, allowing for more accurate and reproducible surgery. The National University Hospital is one of only a few centers in South East Asia that has a BrainLab(TM) Computer Navigation System, and this is increasingly utilized to aid in minimally invasive total joint replacement, advanced trauma surgery, and certain arthroscopic minimally invasive sports injury operations. We have also acquired the Traumacad Software System for preoperative digital templating (planning) of our hip and knee replacement cases.

We have a very strong research culture and our emphasis is on translating cutting edge technology to useable bedside applications for the patient's benefits. We have many collaborations with scientists in the various NUS departments, including the bioengineering and science departments. Some of our ongoing projects and collaborations include research into new bone graft substitutes using nanotechnology and stem cells, the role of stem cells in osteoarthritis, the use of stem cells in cartilage repair and regeneration and new scaffolds for cartilage repair.

The Division of Adult Reconstructive Surgery is also committed to the treatment of foot and ankle problems arising from sports injuries, degenerative conditions like arthritis, post-trauma deformities and diabetes mellitus. These conditions include the management of foot disorders and deformities like hallux valgus, flat feet and heel pain, ligament reconstruction and diabetic foot problems, and the treatment of tumours of bones and soft tissues.

Our Adult Reconstructive orthopaedic surgeons are available for consultation at NUH Specialist Outpatient Clinics daily. For appointments, click here.

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