The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UNMC has developed the infrastructure to train faculty, residents, students and surgeons from outside the organization in the latest surgical techniques. This will be accomplished by utilizing full and partial cadavers in an operating room setting. This hands-on approach is offered in only a few facilities around the nation and UNMC plans to become a leader in this type of training.

The Department of Orthopaedics is also pioneering new frontiers with exciting freehand navigation research that is being done in the Biomechanics Laboratory at UNMC. Orthopaedic Department engineers, computer scientists, researchers and surgeons have joined in a collaborative effort to develop a freehand computer navigational system.

The software allows for 3-D tracking of bone-cutting instruments and simulates (on screen and in real time) the cutting and removal of bone, and also allows for more accurate placement of implants. The outcome is surgery that can be less invasive and damaging to soft tissue and bone.

The Biomechanics Laboratory is also rapidly gaining an international reputation as a center of excellence in knee and hip implant simulation and wear testing. It houses many advanced single and multi-axes implant testing machines and two state-of-the-art multi-station simulators. Important research tests are performed for the major orthopaedic manufacturing companies to evaluate durability and performance of total knee and hip replacement implants. Our faculty members are involved in designing the next generation of knee and hip simulators and developing new implant test methods for the International Standards Organization and the American Society of Testing and Materials.

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