The 4th Annual World Congress of Orthopedics was held in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, from Sept 22 to 24.

Sponsored by Shanxi Medical Association, No 2 Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Shanxi Traumatic Orthopedics Research Institute and Shanxi Traumatic Orthopedics Hospital, the congress attracted more than 2,000 guests, including 150 experts, from nearly 50 countries and regions.

The congress, consisting of six parts, such as forums on basic osteology, advanced orthopedics technologies and orthopedics clinical nursing, set 46 special activities and 425 lectures, gathering attendant experts for discussions on cutting-edge research topics in orthopedics, including sports medicine and orthopedic microsurgery.

A 3D printing center and Nobel Prize workstation, the fourth of its kind in China, was founded at No 2 Hospital of Shanxi Medical University to make 3D printing play a greater role in orthopedics treatment, according to an agreement signed between the hospital and George Fitzgerald Smoot at the congress, winner of Nobel Prize in Physics in 2006.

"The 3D printing technology can print models at a scale of 1:1 according to patients' CT 3D reconstruction data, letting patients clearly understand their state and help doctors accurately diagnose and treat patients," said Lyu Zhi, director of orthopedics department of the hospital.

"Orthopedics surgery in Shanxi used to rely on radiographs and CT images of patients' trauma site, which required good spatial imagination of doctors. When it came to delicate operations, the traditional references tended to increase difficulty faced by the doctors." He added.

Through years of development, Shanxi province has won a national reputation in orthopedics level and diagnosis technologies. Currently, robots and 3D technologies have been applied to orthopedics development in the province.

The opening ceremony of the 4th Annual World Congress of Orthopedics is held in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, Sept 22. [Photo/sxrb.com]

More than 2,000 guests, including 150 experts, from nearly 50 countries and regions attend the 4th Annual World Congress of Orthopedics in Taiyuan, capital of Shanxi province, Sept 22. [Photo/sxrb.com]