Introduction

The Foot and Ankle Surgery Department at the National Orthopedic Medical Center, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, includes 23 specialists, with 81-bed orthopaedic ward. In January 2024, the Foot and Ankle Integrated Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment Center was inaugurated, and was approved as the National Key Clinic Specialized Subject Project in July 2024. The department performs approximately 6000 surgeries annually, with over 60% being high-level and minimally invasive procedures.

Key Personnel:

Professor Ma Xin is the Chief Physician and PhD Supervisor. He holds multiple prominent positions including Deputy Chairman of the Foot and Ankle Committee of Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Deputy Leader of the Microsurgery and Reconstruction Committee of Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Vice President of the Shanghai Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Director of the Foot and Ankle Surgery Physician Training Center of Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, and Chairman of the Shanghai Trauma Society of the Chinese Medical Association.

Director Shi Zhongmin serves as a member of the Foot and Ankle Committee of Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, a standing member of the Foot and Ankle Committee of the Sports Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Association, Deputy Leader of the Foot and Ankle Committee of the Sports Medicine Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Deputy Leader of the Foot and Ankle Correction and Basic Committee of Orthopedic Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Deputy Chairman and Training Base Director of the Chinese Foot and Ankle Medical Training Project, and Leader of the Foot and Ankle Committee of the Orthopedic Branch of the Shanghai Medical Association.

Team Composition and Specializations:

The department covers both the Xuhui and Lingang campuses, and includes 3 chief physicians, 8 deputy chief physicians, 7 attending physicians, 4 resident physicians, and 1 rehabilitation therapist, with 1 PhD supervisor and 2 master supervisors. The Foot and Ankle Surgery Department of Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital has established the sub-discipline focused on foot & ankle trauma and sequelae, deformity correction, and sports injuries. Specialized treatment plans emphasize minimally invasive treatment for hallux valgus, calcaneal fractures, ankle instability, Lisfranc injuries, and stepwise treatment for ankle arthritis.

Facilities and Equipment:

The department features an integrated clinical diagnosis and treatment center and a 3D printing center, equipped with advanced surgical instruments including mini C-arm, 4K arthroscopy, and mini power tools. Digital diagnostic equipment includes weight-bearing CT, musculoskeletal ultrasound, plantar pressure testing, gait analysis, joint motion function testing, and joint ligament examination instruments. Rehabilitation equipment includes intelligent foot and ankle rehabilitation robots, digital weight-bearing assessment systems, anti-gravity treadmills, low-temperature cryotherapy, neuromuscular electrical stimulation devices, shock wave, and ultrasound equipments. On this foundation, the department has been approved for the National Key Clinic Specialized Subject Project.

International Collaboration and Training: 

The team has extensive international exchange experience. Professor Ma Xin has visited esteemed medical institutions such as Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University, and was an AOFAS traveling fellow in 2011. Director Shi Zhongmin has been invited to present at international conferences such as AAOS, IFFAS, AOFAS, and EFAS, and currently serves on the AOFAS International Outreach Committee, participating in the selection and international outreach support services of the Traveling Fellow.

The department maintains strong ties with renowned international experts and institutions. Former AOFAS President Professor Thomas Lee and Singapore Foot and Ankle Surgery Chairman Professor Chong Keen Wai are visiting professors at Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine. The department collaborates with medical schools and hospitals in Australia, Singapore, and Hong Kong, and accepts foot & ankle specialists for short-term training.

Academic Research: 

The department has published over 400 academic articles, including more than 90 SCI papers. Emphasizing interdisciplinary cooperation and industry-academia collaboration, the team works on biomechanics testing, wearable detection devices, and intelligent braces with several prominent domestic enterprises. The department has translated 4 specialized books on foot & ankle surgery, and participated in the translation of 5 others. It has led the formulation of 1 international clinical guideline and 1 international expert consensus, participated in 2 international consensuses, led 3 domestic expert consensuses and participated in 5, led 1 domestic group standard, and participated in 8 others. The department holds 11 domestic invention patents, 81 utility models, and 1 design patent. It has undertaken multiple national and provincial research projects, leading 1 major R&D project of the Ministry of Science and Technology, 2 sub-projects, and participating in 1 project; and has 5 National Natural Science Foundation projects. The department leads major projects of the Shanghai Science and Technology Commission and 11 special projects of the Shanghai Economic and Information Commission, with 6 enterprise cooperation projects and over 20 million yuan in funding. The team has won 2 Shanghai Medical Science Second Prizes and 1 Medical Promotion Award.

Teaching and Continuing Education: 

The department is a doctoral program site at Shanghai Jiaotong University, Fudan University, Shanghai University of Science and Technology, and Suzhou University, having trained over 80 graduate students. As a standardized training base for resident physicians and orthopedic specialist physicians in Shanghai, the department has trained 21 resident trainees and 10 specialist physicians in the past three years. It is a national training base for foot and ankle surgery of the National Health Commission, a training center of the Chinese Medical Association Orthopedics Branch, and the Shanghai base of the Chinese Foot and Ankle Medical Training Project. Since 2010, it has recruited three-month foot & ankle specialized training doctors, with over 100 doctors completing the training. The department also undertakes several national continuing education projects, including new progress in the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle trauma sequelae, and basic courses on foot and ankle arthroscopy.

In April 2024, the Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital Foot and Ankle Surgery Alliance was officially established, with the first batch of 28 hospitals joining the alliance.  first batch of 28 hospitals joining the alliance.