Predictions and Innovations Shaping the Next Decade of Musculoskeletal Care

We’re at a remarkable moment in human history. Technology is advancing faster than ever, promising transformations in how we live and work.

The field of musculoskeletal care is no different. It’s an exciting time at Carolina Joint and Arthritis as Dr. Austin Yeargan III and the team think about how best to serve our patients in the next few years.

Here’s a look at a few predictions and innovations shaping the next decade of musculoskeletal care.

Personalized, precise care

Treatments will more and more be tailored to each individual patient based on their unique situation, anatomy, lifestyle, and genetics. This will provide much better results compared with one-size-fits-all treatments. We may even be able to predict who might be at risk for conditions such as osteoarthritis so we can intervene earlier to prevent more severe problems.

Regenerative therapy

While Dr. Yeargan has pioneered the use of regenerative therapies in the orthopedic field, the rest of the world will follow suit in the next 10 years as treatments such as PRP therapy, stem cell injections, and orthobiologics become more widespread.

The focus will turn more to repairing and regenerating damaged tissues rather than just managing symptoms, and Dr. Yeargan will continue to lead the way.

Wearable tech

Wearable technology, such as smart sensors, will become even more sophisticated and useful for rehabilitating orthopedic injuries. Smart sensors embedded in your clothes or braces can track your movement patterns, joint loads, range of motion, muscle activation, gait analysis, and rehab progress in real time. 

This data will allow your physical therapist to assess the effectiveness of your treatment and make adjustments as necessary to give you the fastest recovery.

Surgery advancements

Surgery for musculoskeletal issues will continue to become less invasive, which will reduce your pain and recovery time. This includes expanded robot-assisted procedures and integrations with AI and augmented reality to offer greater precision, smaller incisions, and shorter recovery times.

Focus on prevention

We’ll also see more of a shift from reactive treatment to proactive prevention. We love our patients, but we’d also love it if they didn’t have painful injuries. The orthopedic world will continue to focus on education to empower patients to live in a healthy way that strengthens their bodies. We may even be able to use predictive analytics to identify potential issues early and specific training to prevent injuries from occurring. Apps and virtual coaching will make prevention more accessible as well.

If you’re dealing with a musculoskeletal issue, Dr. Yeargan and our team at Carolina Joint and Arthritis are constantly developing new and better ways to serve you. To schedule an appointment, call our Wilmington, North Carolina, office or use our online scheduler to book your own time.