Current status and progress of digital orthopaedics in China

Summary Based on the development of digital medicine and digital anatomy, the concept of “digital orthopaedics” was raised by Pei Guo-Xian in China in 2006. The most striking feature of digital orthopaedics is the combination of basic and clinical orthopaedic knowledge with digital technology. In this review, we summarised the development of digital orthopaedics in China in recent years with respect to: the foundation of the Chinese Association of Digital Orthopedics, virtual human project (VHP), three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction, finite element simulation, navigation in orthopaedic operations, and robot-assisted orthopaedic operations. In addition, we briefly reviewed digital orthopaedics in world leading institutes. We also looked into the future of digital orthopaedics in China and proposed the major challenges in digital technology and application in orthopaedics.