During my 40 years of involvement with hand surgery, I have witnessed the following
major breakthroughs:
– Tendon surgery and tendon program
– Development of artificial finger joints
– Microsurgery
– Various fixation systems for fractures
– Wrist arthroscopy
Certain breakthroughs are appearing in the horizon:
– 3-D printing
– Tissue engineering
– Genetic engineering
– Intra-uterine surgery
At organizational level, the following are also important:
– Team approach for rehabilitation
– IFSSH, APFSSH, national societies
However, all these technical and scientific advances should be guided by future breakthroughs
in the arts and humanities of medicine – the love and care for our patients.