Orthopaedics and Traumatology

I. Specialty Introduction

Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine First Affiliated Hospital’s Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology is a large and distinctive TCM orthopedic-traumatology specialty integrating medical care, teaching, and scientific research, with the capacity to treat critical and difficult orthopedic-traumatology diseases through integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine. In 2008, it was rated a National Famous Specialty of TCM Orthopedics and Traumatology by the China Association of Chinese Medicine; in 2010, it was rated a Key Specialty of Tianjin; it is a key specialty under the 12th Five-Year Plan of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine; and in 2017, it was rated by the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine as a “Regional TCM (Orthopedics and Traumatology) Diagnosis and Treatment Center” in the TCM pharmaceutical industry. It is a clinical department of a national clinical drug research institution, a “Standardized Diagnosis and Treatment Base for Osteoporosis” of the Ministry of Health, the host institution of Tianjin’s “Ye’s Traumatology Research Laboratory,” the only training base in Tianjin for resident physicians specializing in TCM orthopedics and traumatology, the chairing institution of the Tianjin Committee of Orthopedics and Traumatology of TCM, the chairing institution of the Tianjin Committee of Minimally Invasive Orthopedics integrating traditional Chinese and Western medicine, the deputy-chairing institution of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Branch of the China Association of Chinese Medicine, and the host institution of the Tianjin Education Commission Model Workers’ Innovation Studio. It has established a 3D-printing physical-modeling laboratory and a short-focus far-infrared thermal-imaging research laboratory. It has now developed into a TCM orthopedic-traumatology specialty with outpatient and emergency services and four wards, featuring TCM and possessing the ability to treat difficult and critical orthopedic-traumatology diseases with integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine.

Through construction of the Regional Diagnosis and Treatment Center of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, it participates in the national clinical-base construction project and, while extending to three local secondary hospitals, contributes to driving and improving the level of TCM orthopedics and traumatology in Tianjin. As a regional diagnosis and treatment center of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine and a key specialty of the Administration, this specialty has supported and helped build institutions in Xinjiang, Tibet, Gansu, and Xiong’an New Area through paired assistance, technology promotion, clinical training, and hosting the National Continuing Education TCM Appropriate Technology Promotion Project for ten consecutive years; it formed a second-phase regional diagnosis and treatment alliance of thirteen institutions (including the Affiliated Hospital of Inner Mongolia University for Nationalities and institutions in Hebei, Beijing, Shanxi, Tianjin, etc.). It has received multiple Second Prizes for National Scientific and Technological Progress and provincial/ministerial Second and Third Prizes. It has led an evidence-based medicine project of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, promoted manipulative techniques in nine domestic medical institutions, and undertaken twelve projects at and above the levels of the National Natural Science Foundation, the National Health Commission, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. The books published under the TCM Orthopedics and Traumatology Regional Center construction project, including Collection and Commentary of Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Cases in TCM Orthopedics and Traumatology and Comprehensive TCM Diagnosis and Treatment of Periarthritis of the Shoulder, have been promoted nationwide. It was the first in China to offer the university elective course “American Chiropractic” and has published works including Practical Chiropractic Techniques. It has established teaching platforms such as an intelligent simulated manipulation robot and arthroscopy simulation training. Over the years, it has trained more than 1,000 trainees of various levels and types, including standardized-training residents, visiting trainees, and overseas students. It has become a famous TCM orthopedic-traumatology specialty centered in Tianjin, radiating to other provinces and cities, and enjoying a certain reputation overseas.

II. Talent Team

Professor Wang Ping, the academic leader, is Deputy Chair of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Branch of the China Association of Chinese Medicine, a National Advanced Individual in the Health System, a National Advanced Individual in Emergency Care in the TCM System, a Visiting Professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Minnesota, USA, Honorary Chair of the Orthopedics Professional Committee of the Tianjin Association of Chinese Medicine, a Distinguished Professor of Tianjin University, a Famous TCM Physician of Tianjin, one of Tianjin’s Top Ten Medical Workers, and a Tianjin Model Worker, among other honors. He has visited the United States and Japan and studied and trained in Germany and the United States.

He has led or participated in 5 national and provincial/ministerial projects, received 1 Second Prize for National Scientific and Technological Progress, 5 provincial/ministerial Science and Technology Progress Awards, 3 Ministry of Education achievement awards, and 2 national patents; served as chief editor of 8 monographs and deputy chief editor of 4 textbooks; published more than 40 papers as first or corresponding author; led 10 national continuing-education projects and 10 Tianjin continuing-education projects. His research achievements have been promoted nationwide as “Ten Years, One Hundred Projects” national continuing-education projects and at academic conferences in more than ten provinces and cities and abroad.

Director Liu Aifeng, the succeeding academic leader, is a backbone talent in the inheritance of national clinical characteristic TCM techniques, a postdoctoral fellow who completed postdoctoral training, a Tianjin “131” Second-Level Talent, a “Young and Middle-aged Backbone Innovative Talent” at Tianjin universities, and a Tianjin Youth Innovation Expert. He was a visiting scholar at United Hospitals of Ancona, Italy; Deputy Chair of the Youth Committee of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Branch of the China Association of Chinese Medicine; Deputy Chair of the Knee Preservation Professional Committee of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Branch of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine; an expert reviewer for the National Natural Science Foundation; Chair of the Sports and Rehabilitation Professional Committee of the Tianjin Medical and Health Association; and Deputy Chair of the Minimally Invasive Group of the Orthopedics Professional Committee of the Tianjin Medical Doctors Association.

The talent echelon of the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology is rationally structured and includes many highly educated and highly ranked professionals. There are 26 senior-title members, 20 intermediate-title members, 3 doctoral supervisors, 9 master’s supervisors, 5 doctors, 1 postdoctoral fellow, 32 master’s degree holders, 3 doctoral supervisors, and 9 master’s supervisors. Over the past 3 years, the department has trained more than 30 clinical and research doctoral and master’s graduate students, cultivating a group of outstanding TCM orthopedic-traumatology professionals for hospitals in Tianjin and elsewhere.

III. Scientific Research Achievements

National Natural Science Foundation: 5 projects led, 2 completed, and 1 mainly participated in and completed.

Evidence-Based Medicine Projects of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine: 1 led and 1 mainly participated in.

Provincial/ministerial scientific research projects: 10 led and 3 mainly participated in.

Municipal/bureau-level projects: 13 led.

After achieving the expected scientific-research objectives, the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology actively pursued the transformation and appraisal of research achievements, receiving a total of 12 national and provincial/ministerial awards.

Patents: 6 invention patents applied for, 2 authorized; 10 utility-model patents applied for, 6 authorized.

Tianjin/Ministry of Education and other provincial/ministerial achievements: 27.

IV. Specialty Diseases with Distinctive Advantages and Advantageous Treatment Techniques

1. Cervical spondylosis

Cervical spondylosis is a common and frequently occurring clinical disease. The Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology developed a TCM clinical pathway for “cervical spondylotic radiculopathy,” which received support from a Tianjin Municipal Health and Family Planning Commission project; led the formulation of the Tianjin Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s diagnosis and treatment protocol for orthopedics and traumatology; participated in the review and revision of the clinical diagnosis and treatment guidelines of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Branch of the China Association of Chinese Medicine and its manipulative treatment techniques; and the “Operational Specifications for American Chiropractic Techniques” was approved by the Tianjin Development and Reform Commission and Health and Family Planning Commission, filling a gap in Tianjin. It led one evidence-based medicine project of the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. This disease accounts for 1,400 admissions annually. The rate of TCM treatment reaches 100%. Four related cooperative projects have been introduced. It has led or participated in multiple related provincial/ministerial and municipal projects. Our department uses manipulative therapy to treat cervical spondylotic radiculopathy, with outstanding clinical efficacy and unanimous patient approval. It currently leads the National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine evidence-based medicine project “Evidence-Based Evaluation and Effect-Mechanism Research of a TCM Protocol for Cervical Spondylosis Based on the Theory of ‘Correct Bones and Flexible Tendons’”; the study “Research on the Efficacy Evaluation of a Comprehensive TCM Protocol for Cervical Spondylotic Radiculopathy,” in which it participated as a principal researcher, received the Second Prize for National Scientific and Technological Progress.

2. Lumbar Disc Herniation

Lumbar Disc Herniation (LDH) has a high risk of occurrence, and its incidence is increasing year by year. Guided by the holistic concept, TCM treats both the root and manifestations of LDH through acupuncture, oral Chinese medicine, moxibustion, manipulative techniques, fumigation, and other methods, achieving good clinical efficacy.

The Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology led the establishment of the TCM clinical pathway for LDH in Tianjin’s TCM orthopedics and traumatology specialty, optimized it for three consecutive years, and received support from multiple provincial/ministerial projects. This disease accounts for 1,300 admissions annually, with 1,300 annual enrollments and a discharge rate of 100%; the TCM treatment rate reaches 100%. Manipulative treatment has received provincial/ministerial scientific research achievement awards. In recent years, chiropractic techniques have been integrated and optimized; traditional Chinese medicinal plasters have been used to increase transdermal absorption; and intradiscal radiofrequency ablation, pulsed radiofrequency, and other techniques have been combined to optimize the course of manipulative intervention.

3. Knee osteoarthritis

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA): based on the concept of “equal emphasis on intra-articular and extra-articular treatment and on tendons and bones,” the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology combines TCM thinking with manipulative treatment, while using radiofrequency intervention combined with medical ozone injection to treat knee osteoarthritis. On the basis of eliminating inflammation, it relaxes the peri-knee soft tissues and exercises knee-joint function, improving patients’ symptoms and knee-joint function. It developed a TCM clinical pathway for “knee impediment disease,” which received support from Tianjin Education Commission/Health and Family Planning Commission projects. This disease accounts for 451 admissions annually, with 451 annual enrollments and a discharge rate of 100%. The TCM treatment rate reaches 100%. It has led 5 National Natural Science Foundation projects related to this specialty disease. “Research on Microenvironmental Regulation of Cartilage Repair in Knee Osteoarthritis” received the Second Prize for Tianjin Scientific and Technological Progress.

4. Blood-activating and tendon-relaxing manipulation for shoulder congelation syndrome

Blood-activating and tendon-relaxing manipulation was established in 1954 by the late veteran TCM physician Ye Xixian. It has been used clinically for nearly half a century and has achieved very clear efficacy. Professor Wang Ping, the second-generation inheritor of Ye’s Traumatology, summarized and standardized the experience of using blood-activating and stasis-resolving manipulation to treat shoulder congelation syndrome, and conducted systematic clinical observation and evaluation of this method. In recent years, the treatment course has been optimized through the combination of interventional techniques. The publication Comprehensive TCM Diagnosis and Treatment of Periarthritis of the Shoulder by the regional center has laid a theoretical foundation for the standardized, scientific, and prescription-based clinical use of TCM manipulation. It has received 2 provincial/ministerial achievement awards. “Pattern-Based Use of Blood-Activating and Tendon-Relaxing Manipulation for Treating Shoulder Congelation Syndrome” was promoted nationwide as a national “Ten Years, One Hundred Projects” promotion project.