Smart Technology and Orthopaedic Surgery: Current Concepts Regarding the Impact of Smartphones and Wearable Technology on Our Patients and Practice

Purpose of Review While limited to case reports or small case series, emerging evidence advocates the inclusion of smartphone-interfacing mobile platforms and wearable technologies, consisting of internet-powered mobile and wearable devices that interface with smartphones, in the orthopaedic surgery practice. The purpose of this review is to investigate the relevance and impact of this technology in orthopaedic surgery. Recent Findings Smartphone-interfacing mobile platforms and wearable technologies are capable of improving the patients’ quality of life as well as the extent of their therapeutic engagement, while promoting the orthopaedic surgeons’ abilities and level of care. Offered advantages include improvements in diagnosis and examination, preoperative templating and planning, and intraoperative assistance, as well as postoperative monitoring and rehabilitation. Supplemental surgical exposure, through haptic feedback and realism of audio and video, may add another perspective to these innovations by simulating the operative environment and potentially adding a virtual tactile feature to the operator’s visual experience. Summary Although encouraging in the field of orthopaedic surgery, surgeons should be cautious when using smartphone-interfacing mobile platforms and wearable technologies, given the lack of a current academic governing board certification and clinical practice validation processes.