Professor Cobb was invited to write an article for Issue 4 of Orthopaedics Today Europe about the role technology has in orthopaedic surgery and if it does indeed make a difference in outcomes – “Technology can make a difference in outcomes for most arthroplasty Luddites”. There have been a number of discussions in medical journals the last few months about technology and the role of robotics in surgery; however this article gives a plotted history of how surgical tools have developed over the last 20 years and the impact they have had.
The article concludes with Professor Cobb summarising;
Only two things are required from surgical technology: a precise plan of surgery, including the size of the devices needed and exactly where they should go, and a timely and cost-effective way of carrying out the plan.