### Basic Information of the Department #### I. History and Background The Department of Joint Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, is a major specialty under the Department of Orthopedics and Microsurgery. It includes the Joint Surgery Division at the main campus and the Joint Surgery Division at the Huangpu Campus. The main campus division has 26 beds, while the Huangpu Campus division has 40 beds. Our hospital was the first among affiliated hospitals of medical schools in Guangdong Province to establish a joint surgery specialty, and it remains one of the few such specialties in the province. The development of our Department of Joint Surgery has spanned over 30 years, with the unremitting efforts of several generations. In 2000, the Joint Surgery Ward was established at the Huangpu Campus, and a Joint Surgery Professional Group was formed at the main campus. In 2005, the independent Department of Joint Surgery was officially established, under the Department of Orthopedics and Microsurgery. To date, we have performed artificial joint replacement and arthroscopic surgery on major human joints, including the hip, knee, shoulder, and elbow. Each year, we perform over 300 artificial joint replacement surgeries and over 200 arthroscopic surgeries, achieving satisfactory outcomes and restoring joint function to numerous patients who had lost it. #### II. Clinical Features and Advantages Clinically, based on the diagnosis and treatment of various common joint diseases, we apply advanced domestic and international knowledge and technologies to actively diagnose and treat complex and technically demanding bone and joint disorders, achieving good results. Current clinical work includes: primary and revision arthroplasty of the shoulder, elbow, hip, and knee; complex hip and knee arthroplasty and revision; treatment of complex congenital hip dislocation; reconstruction and repair of various joint and ligament injuries; and arthroscopic procedures. We have accumulated extensive experience in osteoarthritis, femoral head necrosis, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis-related joint disease, hip dysplasia, hip dislocation, joint fractures and dislocations, and sports injuries. We have significant advantages in artificial joint surgery and arthroscopic techniques (meniscal repair and cruciate ligament reconstruction): (1) The joint surgery specialty has been established for 10 years, with dedicated wards, beds, and a professional team, highlighting its specialized nature; (2) A large number of artificial joint and arthroscopic surgeries are performed annually; (3) All physicians at the associate chief physician level and above have received training and studied at foreign joint surgery centers, mastering the latest international technologies and applying them in clinical practice; (4) We have established cooperative training and research relationships with Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis (USA), Nagoya University Hospital (Japan), Aarhus University (Denmark), Tampere University (Finland), and Dresden University of Technology (Germany), strengthening international academic exchanges and ensuring the synchronous development of the Joint Surgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University with the international joint field; (5) We have established an artificial joint database and a long-term follow-up system, providing lifelong care for patients who have undergone artificial joint replacement. #### III. Technical Team and Research Quality The Department of Joint Surgery has a highly skilled and qualified technical team, including 5 full professors (chief physicians), 4 associate professors (associate chief physicians), 6 attending physicians, and 6 resident physicians. The department has 2 doctoral supervisors and 4 master's supervisors. The core members of the specialty hold doctoral or master's degrees and have received training and conducted research in advanced countries such as Europe, the United States, and Japan. International exchanges are frequent, with physicians sent annually to renowned foreign joint surgery and sports medicine centers for further study, while high-level foreign experts are invited for academic exchanges and surgical demonstrations. We conduct research based on our clinical work, using research as a driving force to promote and advance clinical progress. In the past three years, the Department of Joint Surgery has received 5 grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and 10 research grants at the provincial, ministerial, and university levels, with total research funding reaching 5 million RMB. In the same period, we have published 12 papers in international SCI journals and over 50 papers in domestic journals, placing us at the forefront of domestic peers. #### IV. Service Philosophy and Medical Quality Assurance System Our service philosophy is: "Patient safety is paramount, surgical techniques are pursued with excellence, and patients are cared for with meticulous attention." We have established a comprehensive medical quality assurance system: (1) Preoperative discussions are held for every case to study and formulate surgical plans, providing patients with realistic surgical options; (2) Preoperative consultations are conducted based on the patient's specific condition, involving relevant internal medicine and anesthesiology departments; (3) A dedicated surgical team is responsible for each patient, conducting daily ward rounds; (4) A close postoperative observation system is implemented by medical and nursing staff; (5) Complication prevention measures include infection prevention, venous thromboembolism prevention, and pain management; (6) Gradual rehabilitation is implemented; (7) A database and lifelong follow-up system are established; (8) Patients can contact the specialty at any time for admission to the ward for diagnosis and treatment in case of special circumstances after discharge. The Joint Surgery Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University will continue to strive and work hard to elevate the bone and joint treatment and research level of the department to new heights. ### Clinical Work We perform approximately 300 artificial joint replacement surgeries and about 200 arthroscopic surgeries annually. We have always maintained strict requirements for surgical quality, striving for perfection. Through a series of studies on certain joint diseases, we have developed relatively comprehensive diagnostic and treatment protocols: We have further refined the diagnosis and management methods for patients of different ages with acetabular dysplasia, including various treatment methods for developmental dysplasia of the hip in children and various treatment methods for adult DDH. In particular, the surgical method of rotational acetabular osteotomy for treating adult DDH has reached a high level. The diagnosis and management of patients of different ages with acetabular dysplasia have formed a diagnostic and treatment system with our own characteristics. We have further improved the early prevention and treatment methods for osteoarthritis, achieving significant results, especially in the integration of basic research and clinical practice. We have established comprehensive treatment methods for ischemic necrosis of the femoral head in children and adults. In the management of hip fractures in the elderly, we adhere to the principles of rapid, timely, stable, reasonable, and correct treatment, achieving good clinical outcomes. In the management of emergency trauma, we maintain a high level of proficiency in treating joint-related injuries, lower limb fractures, and multiple fractures throughout the body. For the management of some common orthopedic diseases, we combine various effective treatment methods, significantly improving treatment outcomes, such as corrective surgery for sequelae of poliomyelitis, surgical correction of some congenital deformities, and management of old fractures of the extremities. **Appendix: Scope of Diagnosis and Treatment for Joint Surgery Diseases** 1. Diagnosis and surgical treatment of various joint diseases 2. Artificial joint replacement and revision surgery for hip, knee, shoulder, elbow, etc. 3. Surgical treatment of hip and knee joint diseases caused by osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis 4. Surgical treatment of avascular necrosis of the femoral head 5. Surgical treatment of femoral neck fractures and intertrochanteric fractures 6. Surgical treatment of intra-articular fractures and ligament injuries 7. Diagnosis and treatment of congenital hip dislocation; various bone and joint diseases in children's extremities 8. Various congenital and traumatic deformities of bones and joints 9. Surgical treatment of lower limb fractures, pelvic fractures, and acetabular fractures; treatment of nonunion 10. Arthroscopic examination and minimally invasive treatment 11. Various bone diseases of the extremities, including osteomyelitis, tuberculosis, deformities, etc. 12. Complex cases of bone and joint diseases of the extremities 13. Osteoporosis ### Scientific Research Currently, the Department of Joint Surgery has 14 ongoing provincial and ministerial-level research projects. In the past three years (2010-2012), 12 new projects at the national, provincial, and ministerial levels were added, including 4 projects from the National Natural Science Foundation of China and 1 project from the Sun Yat-sen University Clinical Medical Research 5010 Program. In the past three years, our physicians have published a total of 57 papers in international SCI journals and domestic national-level journals, including 12 papers in SCI journals. They have also served as editors-in-chief for 2 monographs. ### Talent Development The core members of the specialty hold doctoral or master's degrees and have received systematic training and conducted research at joint surgery centers in advanced countries such as Europe, the United States, Canada, and Japan. International exchanges are frequent, with physicians sent annually to renowned foreign joint surgery and sports medicine centers for further study, while high-level foreign experts are invited for academic exchanges and surgical demonstrations. The Department of Joint Surgery has a tradition of emphasizing the training of young physicians. In addition to creating a favorable platform to help them complete their doctoral studies in orthopedics, every young physician retained by the hospital must undergo standardized two-stage residency training. This lays a solid foundation for their future work as joint surgery specialists, both in clinical knowledge and surgical skills. After entering the specialty, the training of each young physician follows a structured path. Through various methods such as case discussions, teaching rounds, English corners, literature reviews, thematic lectures, model surgery practice, standardized surgical operations under the guidance of senior physicians, large group lectures, teaching of interns, conference exchanges, experimental design, grant applications,