“We have to set long-term objectives for innovation”

Allston J. Stubbs, MD and MBA, demands more personalized treatments to ensure a better quality of life. The Professor for Orthopedic Surgery at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in Winston-Salem and Member of the “Hip Preservation Society” (ISHA) sees the future in cost-effective solutions that first and foremost focus on patient needs.

Prof. Stubbs: It’s always about meeting patients’ expectations: a better quality of life based on reduced pain and improved joint function. I see the future in a differentiated combination of conservative and surgical measures that meet patient needs in a cost-effective way. For this, we have to set long-term objectives for innovation to improve our care platforms, techniques, and treatment products.

„Hip braces are a valueable option for non-surgical and surgical treatment plans .“

Prof. Allston J. Stubbs, MD, MBA

Prof. Stubbs: Non-surgical measures are very important. But they should be recommended on a case-by-case basis in consultation with a specialist. For the perfect implementation, we need team work where communication, use, and follow-up care are seamless. Hip braces are an important aid for continuity in joint-preserving treatment because they support proprioception, posture, and confidence in the joint as well as minimizing the risk of falling. That’s why they’re a valuable option for both non-surgical and surgical treatment plans. Depending on age, physical build, constitution, and physio support, their part in the treatment regime can be adjusted, with the result that we can create a low-risk rehabilitation environment, leading to increased patient satisfaction. In a post-operative setting following arthroscopies, we successfully use the SofTec Coxa brace for stabilization with most hip patients. The CoxaTrain now gives us another option for patients who need a more lightweight and more flexible brace because of different requirements relating to fit and post-operative stabilization.

Prof. Stubbs: For surgical techniques and rehabilitation measures, we need more in-depth understanding of the patient’s medical history to be able to better meet the patient’s expectations of the joint-preserving treatment. Genetic risk factors and those relating to the environment will provide an input for treatment plans which will focus more on personalization. This will safeguard the outcome of surgical procedures in the long term – an objective that was the key aspect at the annual ISHA conference in 2024. New options offered by digitization are also promising. The main topic at this year’s ISHA conference taking place at the beginning of October in Fukuoka, Japan, will be: how can professionals and patients communicate with each other via mobile apps as well as augmented reality and AI-inspired solutions?

For more information about the Hip Preservation Society (ISHA) and its annual conference, please visit www.ISHAsoc.net.

Pictures: private, Bauerfeind AG, © ISHA – The Hip Preservation Society