New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery received a $10 million gift from Lauren and Robert Steers to advance the HSS Digital Twin Platform, a technology that uses 3D imaging to create virtual replicas of a patient’s anatomy for orthopedic surgical planning.
The four-year project aims to support surgical decision-making, intraoperative planning and outcome prediction across multiple procedures. The platform initially focuses on the knee and enables surgeons to simulate different surgical options based on magnetic resonance imaging data, according to a Nov. 25 system news release.
The digital twin tool, developed over more than a decade by HSS orthopedic surgeons and biomechanical engineers, has already been used to evaluate candidates for anterior cruciate ligament revision surgery. In one application, the platform allowed surgeons to model slope reduction osteotomies one degree at a time to assess risk of re-injury. A milestone study demonstrating its clinical use was published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine.
The gift marks a “landmark moment” for the hospital, HSS President and CEO Bryan Kelly, MD, said in the release. Andrew Pearle, MD, who serves as chief emeritus of sports medicine and director of the digital twin project, was also named the inaugural holder of the Lauren and Robert Steers chair in orthopedic research and innovation.
