Primary service persons: Athletes and the general public
Disease groups: Foot and ankle correction surgery, foot and ankle arthroscopic surgery, minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair
The Foot and Ankle Surgery team has successfully developed the world’s first technology for minimally invasive Achilles tendon rupture repair surgery using ultrasound guidance and has further applied it to other types of minimally invasive surgery, bringing significant technological innovation to traditional surgery. The technique breaks through the previous limitations of relying on large wounds and traditional open surgery. Through precise ultrasound guidance, it enables physicians to complete complex suture operations under extremely small incisions, significantly shortening operation time and reducing the risk of intraoperative and postoperative complications such as wound infection, nerve injury and scar tissue formation. At the same time, due to the extremely small surgical wound, the patient's postoperative pain sensation is significantly reduced, the recovery period is significantly shortened, and daily life and motor functions can be restored in a shorter time, which is of particular significance for patients who need to quickly return to work or sports.
Ultrasound-guided minimally invasive Achilles tendon suture surgery significantly reduces wound size and postoperative complications, achieving a wound size of 0.8-1 cm—the smallest globally—and lowering the postoperative complication rate (infection rate, rerupture rate) of traditional large wounds from 15% to only 0.9%.
Arthroscopic foot and ankle surgery, including arthroscopic repair and reconstruction of the anterior talofibular ligament and calcaneofibular ligament, has shown significant effectiveness in treating chronic ankle instability.
Development of diverse foot and ankle allograft bone or tendon transplantation surgeries.
Ultrasound-guided minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair surgery: Over 500 cases have been completed in Taiwan.
Arthroscopic foot and ankle ligament repair and reconstruction surgery: The quality and quantity of these surgeries rank among the top in Taiwan.
Allogeneic talus cartilage transplantation to reconstruct talus osteochondral defects: Over 40 cases have been completed in Taiwan.
Ultrasound-guided minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair surgery, with a success rate of 99%.
Arthroscopic foot and ankle ligament repair and reconstruction surgery, with a success rate of 95%.
Allogeneic talus cartilage transplantation to reconstruct talus osteochondral defects, with a success rate of 90%.
Ultrasound-guided minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair surgery has a postoperative complication rate of only 0.9%.
Arthroscopic foot and ankle ligament repair and reconstruction surgery has a postoperative complication rate of less than 1%.
Allogeneic talus cartilage transplantation to reconstruct talus osteochondral defects has a postoperative complication rate of less than 1%.
Ultrasound-guided minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair surgery, with a postoperative patient satisfaction rate of 97%.
Arthroscopic foot and ankle ligament repair and reconstruction surgery, with a postoperative patient satisfaction rate of 95%.
Allogeneic talus cartilage transplantation to reconstruct talus osteochondral defects, with a postoperative patient satisfaction rate of 92%.
Published over 30 papers in internationally renowned journals, cited in numerous international textbooks.
The team (Astron Medtech) won the 2022 SelectUSA Pitch Competition in the United States.
In October 2024, TendMIN minimally invasive surgical instruments officially received FDA approval in the United States. Since its American launch, the technology has been used to treat more than 200 patients suffering from Achilles tendon ruptures. Currently, over 40 American physicians across 16 states utilize this pioneering Taiwanese technology to treat Achilles tendon rupture in their practices.
Taipei Tzu Chi Hospital serves as a training center for foot and ankle surgery, attracting domestic and international physicians to observe and learn.
Advantages of the TendMIN system: Integrating real-time ultrasound navigation and minimally invasive instruments, it provides a less invasive and more precise tendon surgery solution. Currently, it has completed training for over 170 physicians and has been used in over 200 clinical applications in the United States.
Branding of Taiwanese technology: From research and development, clinical trials to commercialization and international certification, it fully demonstrates Taiwan's global competitiveness in medical innovation.
