Description
In this engaging presentation, John Skinner introduces Miss Sarah Muirhead-Allwood as the esteemed recipient of the Robert Jones lecture and the Royal College of Surgeons' highest accolade, honoring her contributions to modern orthopedic surgery. Sarah recounts her journey from her beginnings in Cheshire, through her medical education at St Thomas Hospital Medical School, to becoming a highly regarded revision hip surgeon, breaking barriers in the field often met with skepticism. She showcases her impressive record with one of the lowest revision rates in the UK and a remarkable volume of over 16,000 hip replacements throughout her career.
The lecture delves into significant historical advancements in joint replacement surgery, illustrating the essential collaborations between surgeons and engineers. Sarah highlights pioneering figures such as Robert Jones and his groundbreaking work related to X-rays and the development of joint replacement technology. She shares her insights on various hip prosthesis designs over the decades, discussing both successful models and those that failed to perform as expected, including the evolution of cemented and uncemented stems.
Her narrative reveals key lessons learned through years of practice, touching upon the importance of rigorous training, innovation in surgical techniques, and the necessity of maintaining strong collaborations across disciplines. As she reflects on the future of hip surgery, she emphasizes the potential role of artificial intelligence and robotics in surgery, closing her speech with an acknowledgment of the essential joint ventures that have shaped her professional journey and the field of orthopedic surgery.