Overview
Let us keep you moving
Orthopaedics is a medical specialty that is concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. This field of medicine encompasses the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumours, and congenital disorders. Surgeons who specialize in orthopaedics are referred to as orthopaedic surgeons.
The Backbone of Health
With orthopaedics being one of our centres of excellence, we adopt a holistic approach in attending to your musculoskeletal treatments, helping you and your loved ones to recover as fully as you can from your injuries and illnesses.
Gleneagles Hospital Penang is a leading orthopaedic practice in Malaysia, and is home to one of the largest team of highly skilled and experienced orthopaedic specialists, who possess different sub-specialties.
Our approach to orthopaedics comprises of a multidisciplinary care for our patients to ensure the best possible clinical outcomes. Highly skilled and experienced specialists, a dedicated team of nurses, and rehabilitative services, warrant a comprehensive care for our patients.
Orthopaedic Services
At Gleneagles Hospital Penang, we offer comprehensive services in diagnosing and treating a multitude of orthopaedic conditions; covering general and specialised aspects of the musculoskeletal system.
Our services include but is not limited to:
Major Areas of Specialization
Hand Surgery & Reconstructive Microsurgery
- Common Hand Conditions
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Cubital tunnel syndrome
- Trigger fingers
- De Quervain’s tenosynovitis
- Ganglion cysts
- Hand Infections
- Hand and wrist arthritis
- Hand tumours
- Wrist Trauma & Disorders
- Acute and chronic wrist pain
- Distal radial fractures
- Carpal bone fractures including scaphoid fracture
- Wrist instability
- Minimally Invasive Hand & Wrist Surgery
- Wrist arthroscopy
- Hand Trauma
- Reattachment of amputated fingers and hand
- Fingertip injuries
- Tendon, nerve and joint injuries
- Hand fractures
- Congenital Hand Anomalies
Reconstructive Surgery
- Joint replacement surgery, including hip and knee
- Bone conserving joint replacement e.g., surface replacement
- Deformity correction surgery
- Revision joint replacement (hip and knee)
- Knee preservation procedure
Sports Surgery/ Arthroscopic Knee and Shoulder Surgery
- Arthroscopic anterior and posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL & PCL)
- Multi ligament reconstruction of the knee (PLC, MCL, LCL)
- Patella stabilization surgery
- Knee osteotomies
- Revision ACL reconstruction
- Arthroscopic meniscus repair
- Cartilage repair
- Arthroscopic shoulder stabilization surgery
- Arthroscopic shoulder rotator cuff repair
- Arthroscopic surgery to ankle and wrist
- Foot and ankle tendinoscopies
Spinal Surgery
Spine surgery may be recommended if non-surgical treatment such as medication and physical therapy fail to relieve the symptoms.
The common spine surgeries include:
- Scoliosis surgery
- Disc replacement surgery
- Spinal fusion and disc surgery
- Spine tumour surgery
Besides open surgery, spine surgery can be carried out through:
- Minimal invasive spinal surgery (MIS) - performing spinal surgery on the bones by utilising significantly smaller cuts and incisions than the traditional open spinal surgery
- Endoscopic spinal surgery - specialised video cameras known as ‘Endoscope’ and instruments to remove the herniated disc through very small incisions. A camera is inserted through a very small keyhole to the problem area of the spine. Extremely small and highly specialised instruments are then inserted through the keyhole to deal with the spine problem with direct visualization.
Orthopaedic Oncology
- Endoprosthesis replacement and limb salvage surgery
- Benign tumours, malignant tumours, bone tumours, soft tissue tumours and metastatic lesions
General & Advance Trauma Surgery
- Fracture fixation with emphasis on minimally invasive surgery
- Soft tissue reconstruction
Comprehensive Facilities
Successful and effective treatment is first preceded by accurate diagnosis. It is imperative to properly diagnose a condition in order to determine an efficacious treatment plan for our patients.
Gleneagles Hospital Penang is one of the leaders in the field of orthopaedics, with modern facilities and equipment including:
- Two dedicated digital operating rooms
- 3T MRI
- 640-Slice CT scanner
Gleneagles Hospital Penang houses two dedicated digital operating rooms where minimally invasive procedures are performed. Our digital operating rooms promote efficiency, efficacy, and overall control of the operating room, enabling our surgeons to provide high level of surgical patient care. The up-to-date sensors employed in these kinds of procedures serve to enhance a surgeon’s effectiveness while also minimizing the level of invasiveness for the patient.
The 3 Tesla (3T) MRI is an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner that enables a more accurate diagnosis due to its quicker, more detailed scans, as well as clearer images. With our latest 3T MRI scanner, we are able to overcome the challenges that come with abdominal MRI scan using FREEZEit technology, a feature which enables free-breathing examinations to those with limited breath-hold capability.
Our Imaging Department is home to an advanced 640-slice Toshiba Aquilion One CT Scanner, one of the most revolutionary and the world’s first dynamic volume CT scanner. This may be performed to assess bones, soft tissues, and joints for damage, lesions, fractures, or other abnormalities, particularly when another type of examination, such as X-rays or physical examination are not conclusive.
These revolutionary facilities assist our orthopaedic specialists in their diagnosis, and treatment of various conditions.
Orthopaedic Specialist Services
Our mobility is crucial in living an enriched and fulfilled life and plays a vital role in maintaining our overall health. Any injury to our bones and/or muscles can lead to serious health complications especially if left untreated. Gleneagles Hospitals' Orthopaedic Specialist team comprises of a panel of expert surgeons, physiotherapists, occupational therapists and nurses, all working together to ensure your recovery is a speedy and pleasant one.Joint Replacement Surgery
Minimally Invasive Procedures
Spine Surgery
Types of Diagnostic Tests
Needle (Open Biopsy)
Bone biopsy procedures require bone samples to be taken and scrutinised for abnormal cell activity.
Needle biopsies require a small incision of the skin and a needle is inserted into the bone to retrieve a sample. But fret not as this biopsy is performed under local anesthesia.
Open biopsies however require a much larger incision of the skin and a piece of bone is surgically removed instead. But relax, this procedure is performed under complete general anesthesia.
Imaging Diagnostic Techniques
Computerised Tomography (CT) Scan
This is a diagnostic imaging method which makes use of x-rays to digitally produce cross sectional images of one's bones, blood vessels and soft tissues within the body.
Diagnostic Ultrasound
Also known as sonography, this is a non-invasive technique which makes use of high-frequency sound waves to produce digital images of structures inside the body. High resolution imaging enables our specialists to detect any tendon tears, tiny calcifications as well as foreign bodies.
Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA)
This procedure utilises x-rays to assess factors such as bone density when diagnosing for osteoporosis. DXA is also capable to predict an individual's level of fracture risk which is useful for post-treatment monitoring.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
As a noninvasive imaging technique, the MRI utilises magnetic fielding and pulses of radio waves to produce pictures of bones as well as soft tissues. Because the MRI doesn't use x-rays it currently has no known side effects. The MRI can also be used to effectively diagnose and assess a wide array of medical conditions that affect soft tissues.
Magnetic Resonance Arthrography (MRA)
Similar to the MRI, MRA however produces much better images due to a contrast solution (gadolinium) being injected into the affected joint, allowing its structures and soft tissues to highlight tears and defects. The MRA is usually used to determine joint conditions and can efficiently detect any ligament, tendon as well as cartilage related diseases.
Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scan
This medical imaging procedure allows for more detailed information on organ functions or systems in the body. PET Images provide the specialist with physiological information regarding the bone and is mainly used to detect issues such as abnormal bone growth associated with tumours or other abnormalities.
Blood Tests
Electromyogram (EMG)
To evaluate the electrical activity and muscular response times to nerve stimulation, EMG diagnostic tests are recommended as they can help detect muscle and nerve disorders as well as those that affect their connectivity.
EMGs require the insertion of sometimes one if not more electrode needles through the skin into muscle tissue in order to record electrical activity of the muscles.
Physical Examination
Treatment Types
Decompression Laminectomy / Laminotomy
Limb Knee Reconstruction
Corrective Spine Osteotomy
Total Knee Replacement
Carpal Tunnel Release
Tumour Excision
Amputation
Discectomy
Knee Arthroscopy
Trigger Finger Surgery
Total Hip Replacement
List of Orthopaedic Conditions We Treat
Spine
- Degenerative spine condition
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Neck pain
- Nerve decompression
- Sciatica (pinched nerve)
- Scoliosis
- Slipped disc
- Spondylolisthesis (misaligned backbone)
Hands & Wrists
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- De Quervain’s tenosynovitis (painful wrist condition)
- Ganglion cysts
- Hand arthritis
- Hand fractures
- Hand trauma
- Trigger finger
- Wrist ligament injury
Knees
- Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury
- Anterior knee pain (runner's knee) / chondromalacia patellae (CMP)
- Medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury
- Meniscus tear / knocked knee chondromalacia patellae (CMP)
- Knee arthritis
- Knee bursitis
- Osgood Schlatter disease
- Osteoarthritis (locked knee)
- Patella femoral syndrome (knee cap pain)
- Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury
- Patella tendonitis (jumper's knee)
- Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury
Shoulders
- Cuff tears
- Frozen shoulder
- Rotator cuff injury
- Shoulder dislocation (chronic)
- Shoulder instability
- Shoulder tendonitis
Ankles & Feet
- Achilles tendonitis
- Arthritis
- Cartilage damage
- Diabetic foot problem
- Dislocation
- Fractures
- Gout
- Plantar fasciitis (foot pain)
- Sprains
- Tendonitis
Paediatric Orthopaedics
- Bowing of the knee (genu varum)
- Clubfoot -Dwarfism
- Greenstick fractures
- Growing pains
- In-toeing gait
- Limb length discrepancy
- Torticollis (wry neck)
Musculoskeletal Tumour
- Benign tumour
- Metastasis
- Primary cancers of the bones (bone tumour)
- Primary cancers of the soft tissues
Hips
- Hip arthritis
- Hip bursitis
- Hip dislocation (congenital)
- Hip fractures
- Lumbar pain
- Osteonecrosis
- Snapping hip syndrome
Sports Injury
- Degenerative spine condition
- Lumbar spinal stenosis
- Neck pain
- Nerve decompression
- Sciatica (pinched nerve)
- Scoliosis
- Slipped disc
- Spondylolisthesis (misaligned backbone)
Elbow
- Dislocation
- Golfer's elbow
- Tennis elbow