Gachon University Gil Medical Center is pursuing the establishment of South Korea's first "smart orthopedic department," which will comprehensively manage all stages of treatment—from patient diagnosis to surgery and rehabilitation—using artificial intelligence (AI) and robotic technology.

Gil Medical Center recently signed a business agreement on the 19th with five companies, including Connective, a medical software and medical robot specialist, and plans to present a new clinical care model aimed at establishing a patient-specific precision treatment system.

During the diagnosis stage, AI will analyze X-ray images of the knees and lower extremities to evaluate joint conditions. In the surgery stage, joint replacement surgical robots will be introduced to establish personalized surgical plans through three-dimensional computed tomography (CT) image analysis, after which bones will be precisely cut using robotic arms and haptic technology.

In the rehabilitation and functional recovery stage, the center will build a system that supports customized rehabilitation exercises for each patient using mobile devices.

"Through the establishment of the smart orthopedics department, we will lead the future of healthcare utilizing AI and robotic technology," said Kim Woo-kyung, President of Gil Medical Center.