Amid rising cases among Hong Kong’s ageing population, procedure promises to be safer, less intrusive method that reduces blood loss, researchers say
2-MIN READ2-MINConnor MycroftPublished: 7:00pm, 21 Aug 2026A team of researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) has conducted the city’s first robot-assisted pelvic fracture surgery in what promises to be a safer, less intrusive alternative to a procedure typically considered among the most challenging.
CUHK’s faculty of medicine on Friday said the novel orthopaedic robotic surgical system could turn a “new page” in trauma care amid a rising number of pelvic fracture cases among the city’s rapidly ageing population.
Dr Ronald Wong Man-yeung, clinical associate professor in the CUHK’s department of orthopaedics and traumatology, said the system provided a “safe, precise, and minimally invasive” means for pelvic fracture reduction.
He said this could prove especially meaningful for geriatric patients, who commonly suffer from multiple medical conditions which can make traditional surgical procedures more high-risk.
“Pelvic fracture surgery is one of the most challenging surgeries or operations in orthopaedic trauma,” he said, citing the high concentration of blood vessels and vital organs surrounding the pelvis.
“So minimising the surgical trauma via minimally invasive means would then significantly reduce complications, and this robotic system, from our early experience, has shown to be a safe and efficient treatment option for these higher-risk patients.”
Pelvic fractures are a serious injury that can be life-threatening, particularly for the elderly, and have become increasingly common in Hong Kong as the city grapples with a rapidly ageing population.
