Orthoplastic Surgery is based on a combined approach in the treatment of substance losses of the musculoskeletal system using both plastic and orthopedic skills. Such (super)specialization has become necessary given the current multidisciplinary treatment protocols for severe losses of substance, both traumatic and oncological, of the limbs and trunk that strictly provide for the integration of more skills to provide the best possible treatment to the patient.  From a healthcare point of view, therefore, this discipline aims to offer innovative solutions to the treatment of many pathologies, not only posttraumatic and oncological, which find inadequate or incomplete responses in other specialist fields. Furthermore, Hand Surgery has always combined plastic and orthopedic capabilities as it is dedicated to the repair and reconstruction of both bones and soft parts and therefore is part of the care offer that an Orthoplasty Unit should guarantee.

The research activity is divided into some projects directly linked to the mission of the Orthoplastic Surgery Unit. This new discipline in fact needs a characterization not only of assistance but also of science which, specifically, could be expressed in the application of the following lines of research.

Allotrapianto di articolazioni vascolarizzate da donatore multiorgano:

Vascularized Composite Allografts (VCAs) represent the final frontier in transplantology. They consist of multitissue transplants (hand, face, abdominal wall, etc.) which, unlike solid organ transplants (kidney, heart, liver, etc.) are not considered “life-saving”. Therefore, ethical issues related to the need to administer immunosuppressive therapy for life that is not free from even serious side effects have been much debated. Joint transplantation, on the contrary, could be supported by immunosuppressive therapy limited in time and therefore not very harmful, resolving serious joint pathologies of any nature, especially for the benefit of young and active patients.

Microchirurgia Robotica:

Over the last 15 years, robotic technology has successfully entered many surgical specialties, significantly improving outcomes and reducing invasiveness. The advent of robotics in reconstructive microsurgery aims to overcome the limits of the human hand by making it possible for many microsurgeons to push themselves beyond their physiological limits by being able to dominate “supermicrosurgery” or a microsurgery that targets vessels with a diameter of less than 0.5 mm. E’ currently available the first robotic platform dedicated to microsurgery, with which we performed the first robotic interventions in the world. The use of this innovative method opens new research scenarios applicable to lymphedema surgery and supermicrosurgery in general. E’ an international register has been created for the purpose of collecting homogeneous data and objectifying the advantages resulting from the introduction of this technology which currently sees us as world leaders.

Bionic Reconstruction of the Arts: Through the breaking down of disciplinary barriers, it is proposed to create a Joint Translational Medicine Center between the Rizzoli Institute and the BioRobotics Institute of the Sant'Anna School of Pisa, in which to experiment with surgical reconstruction techniques in combination with latest generation biorobotic devices for the treatment of pathologies that currently do not present fully functional therapeutic alternatives for the patient. The Joint Centre is developed in specially equipped spaces through which to allow continuous permeation between the clinical world and that of translational bioengineering and to promote with adequate critical mass the capitalization of results.