Justin Cobb

Last updated

Justin Cobb
NationalityBritish
Education Magdalen College, Oxford
Known for
  • Robotic orthopaedic surgery
  • Royal orthopaedic surgeon to the Queen
Medical career
Profession Surgeon
Field Orthopedics
Institutions
Sub-specialtiesRobotic knee surgery
Research Haptic based robotics

Justin Peter Cobb CVO is a British professor of orthopaedic surgery at Imperial College London, known for introducing medical robotics into orthopaedic surgery. He is a member of the Royal Medical Household and was royal orthopaedic surgeon to the Queen. He is on the staff at King Edward VII's Hospital (KEVII) and is civilian advisor in orthopaedics to the Royal Air Force (RAF). His research has also included themes relating to designing new devices such as for ceramic hip resurfacing, 3D printing in orthopaedics, and training in surgical skills. He is a director of the MSk laboratory based in the Sir Michael Uren Hub.

Contents

Cobb was a demy at Magdalen College, Oxford, from where he graduated in 1982. He completed his early surgical training at St Thomas' Hospital, The Middlesex and the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH). In 1991 he was appointed consultant at The Middlesex and University College Hospital (UCH), and worked at the London Bone Tumour Unit, and in trauma and general orthopaedics. He is a recipient of the Hunterian Professorship, awarded for his work on surgery and osteosarcoma. Together with engineer Brian Davies from Imperial, he developed the world's first haptic based robotic assistant known as 'Acrobot', used to assist in knee surgery.

In 1999 he operated on the wounded following the London nail bombings, and he treated the injured following the 2005 attacks in London.

Education and training

Magdalen College, where Cobb was a demy Oxford - Magdalen College 5.JPG
Magdalen College, where Cobb was a demy

Justin Cobb was a demy at Magdalen College, Oxford, from where he graduated in 1982. [1] [2] He moved to London as a senior house officer in 1984, and completed his junior surgical training before rotating through orthopaedic firms at St Thomas', The Middlesex and the RNOH, including working for Sir Rodney Sweetnam in 1985. [3] At the RNOH, as orthopaedic registrar, [4] his work with Gordon Blunn and Peter Walker in the Biomedical Engineering Unit, led to being awarded the Hunterian Professorship. [1] [lower-alpha 1] He completed his master's in 1991 with a thesis titled "Prognostic factors in operable osteosarcoma". [6]

Surgical career

In 1991 Cobb was appointed consultant at The Middlesex and UCH, and worked at the London Bone Tumour Unit, and in trauma and general orthopaedics. [2] [7] In 1992, he delivered the Hunterian oration. [1] [6] [7]

In 1992 he received his first grant from the special trustees of The Middlesex and UCH, for the purpose of research in robotics in orthopaedic surgery. [6] Together with engineer Brian Davies from Imperial College, his work led to the development of 'Acrobot', the world's first haptic based robot for orthopaedics. [1] [6] [8] In 1999 they co-founded the spinout 'Acrobot'. [9] Cobb operated with the robot first in 2000. [10] [11] Acrobot was originally designed to be used in total knee replacement surgery with application for use in unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). [12] It allowed the surgeon to stay in touch with the patient and control the cutting tool at the same time as moving the robotic arm. [11] He subsequently reported a randomized, double-blinded study comparing the Acrobot with traditional knee surgery. [11] [13] It showed that the tactile-guided robot-assisted UKA was more precise than the traditional manually performed UKA. [11] [13] Where only 40% of traditionally operated knees were in the desired orientation, all of the robotic assisted knees were found to be within the desired two degrees offsimon orientation. [11] Acrobot was acquired by Stanmore Implants in 2010. [12] When the FDA approved Acrobot for clinical use in the USA, Mako surgical acquired the company, prior to Stryker acquiring Mako. [12] His research has also included themes relating to designing new devices such as for ceramic hip resurfacing, [14] [15] 3D printing to allow a minimally invasive joint preservation surgery, training in surgical skills, and looking at the impact of exercise, disability and drugs on bone health and material properties. [1]

In 1999, along with plastic surgeon Gus McGrouther, he treated the wounded following the London nail bombings. [16] [17] [18] He was appointed chair of orthopaedics at Imperial College London in 2005. [1] That year he had also treated the wounded of the 2005 London bombings. [7] As member of the Royal Medical Household, he was appointed royal orthopaedic surgeon to the Queen in 2008. [2] He is on the staff at King Edward VII's Hospital, and within the Royal Air Force, he is a civilian advisor. [3] [19]

MSk laboratory

Sir Michael Uren Building, houses the MSk laboratory Sir Michael Uren Building, White City, from north side.jpg
Sir Michael Uren Building, houses the MSk laboratory

Cobb is credited for developing the MSk laboratory at Imperial's Charing Cross campus, later based in the Sir Michael Uren Hub. [3] [20] Sir Michael Uren pledged £40m towards a building designed as a hub for scientists, engineers, clinicians and patients. [21] It was opened in December 2020 with Cobb and Alison McGregor as the MSk Lab's directors. [20] [22]

Honours

Cobb was appointed Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) in the 2023 New Year Honours for his services as orthopaedic surgeon to the Queen. [23]

Personal and family

In 1985, he married Iona, a general practitioner, and they have four children. [2]

Selected publications

Books

Articles

See also

Footnotes

  1. The Hunterian Professorship is awarded annually by the Royal College of Surgeons to a young surgeon for original research in surgery. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orthopedic surgery</span> Branch of surgery concerned with the musculoskeletal and bones system

Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital disorders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hip replacement</span> Surgery replacing hip joint with prosthetic implant

Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant, that is, a hip prosthesis. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi (half) replacement. Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery is generally conducted to relieve arthritis pain or in some hip fractures. A total hip replacement consists of replacing both the acetabulum and the femoral head while hemiarthroplasty generally only replaces the femoral head. Hip replacement is one of the most common orthopaedic operations, though patient satisfaction varies widely. Approximately 58% of total hip replacements are estimated to last 25 years. The average cost of a total hip replacement in 2012 was $40,364 in the United States, and about $7,700 to $12,000 in most European countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knee replacement</span> Surgical procedure

Knee replacement, also known as knee arthroplasty, is a surgical procedure to replace the weight-bearing surfaces of the knee joint to relieve pain and disability, most commonly offered when joint pain is not diminished by conservative sources. It may also be performed for other knee diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis. In patients with severe deformity from advanced rheumatoid arthritis, trauma, or long-standing osteoarthritis, the surgery may be more complicated and carry higher risk. Osteoporosis does not typically cause knee pain, deformity, or inflammation, and is not a reason to perform knee replacement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Computer-assisted orthopedic surgery</span>

Computer-assisted orthopedic surgery or computer-assisted orthopaedic surgery is a discipline where computer technology is applied pre-, intra- and/or post-operatively to improve the outcome of orthopedic surgical procedures. Although records show that it has been implemented since the 1990s, CAOS is still an active research discipline which brings together orthopedic practitioners with traditionally technical disciplines, such as engineering, computer science and robotics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joint replacement</span> Orthopedic surgery to replace a joint

Replacement arthroplasty, or joint replacement surgery, is a procedure of orthopedic surgery in which an arthritic or dysfunctional joint surface is replaced with an orthopedic prosthesis. Joint replacement is considered as a treatment when severe joint pain or dysfunction is not alleviated by less-invasive therapies. It is a form of arthroplasty, and is often indicated from various joint diseases, including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty</span>

Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is a surgical procedure used to relieve arthritis in one of the knee compartments in which the damaged parts of the knee are replaced. UKA surgery may reduce post-operative pain and have a shorter recovery period than a total knee replacement procedure, particularly in people over 75 years of age. Moreover, UKAs may require a smaller incision, less tissue damage, and faster recovery times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee</span> Medical condition

Spontaneous osteonecrosis of the knee is the result of vascular arterial insufficiency to the medial femoral condyle of the knee resulting in necrosis and destruction of bone. It is often unilateral and can be associated with a meniscal tear.

John Nevil Insall (1930–2000) was a pioneering English orthopaedic surgeon who contributed extensively to the advancement of orthopedic surgery and total knee replacement surgery. Insall designed four models of widely used systems, including the ground breaking Total Condylar Knee in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sean P. F. Hughes</span>

Sean Patrick Francis Hughes is emeritus professor of orthopaedic surgery at Imperial College London where he was previously professor of orthopaedic surgery and head of the department of surgery, anaesthetics and intensive care. Earlier in his career he had been professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Edinburgh.

"Professor" Derek McMinn is a British orthopaedic surgeon and inventor who practised in Birmingham, United Kingdom at the BMI Edgbaston Hospital. McMinn developed one of the successful modern metal-on-metal hip resurfacing and the instrumentation and surgical technique to implant it. Hip resurfacing is a bone-conserving, less invasive alternative to total hip replacement (THR) for young patients, markedly improves the health-related quality of life measures and currently makes up around a twentieth of all hip arthroplasty procedures performed in the United Kingdom. McMinn is also the inventor of several other prostheses for the hip and knee.

Michael J. Bronson, M.D., is an American orthopaedic surgeon, Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Mount Sinai West and Mount Sinai Morningside, and Chief of Joint Replacement Surgery at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, and the author of extensive advances in the development of minimally invasive surgical instruments to advance unicondylar partial knee replacement, including the Vision Total Hip System, a widely used hip replacement system that avoids the use of cement.

Limb-sparing techniques, also known as limb-saving or limb-salvage techniques, are performed in order to preserve the look and function of limbs. Limb-sparing techniques are used to preserve limbs affected by trauma, arthritis, cancers such as high-grade bone sarcomas, and vascular conditions such as diabetic foot ulcers. As the techniques for chemotherapy, radiation, and diagnostic modalities improve, there has been a trend toward limb-sparing procedures to avoid amputation, which has been associated with a lower 5-year survival rate and cost-effectiveness compared to limb salvage in the long-run. There are many different types of limb-sparing techniques, including arthrodesis, arthroplasty, endoprosthetic reconstruction, various types of implants, rotationplasty, osseointegration limb replacement, fasciotomy, and revascularization.

Andrew Jonathan Carr is a British surgeon and has been the sixth Nuffield Professor of Orthopaedics and head of the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences at the University of Oxford since 2001.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khaled J. Saleh</span>

Khaled J. Saleh is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of orthopaedic conditions, and is known for surgery relating to adult reconstruction and joint replacement. Saleh's work has been supported by nearly $7 million in grant funding, resulting in over 200 scientific publications.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to trauma and orthopaedics:

Ashok Rajgopal is an Indian orthopaedic surgeon, credited with close to 20,000 Arthroscopic and over 35,000 Total Knee Arthroplasty surgeries and reported to be one of the most experienced in his field in India. He was honoured by the Government of India in 2014, by bestowing on him the Padmashri, the fourth highest civilian award, for his services to the fields of orthopaedic surgery. He has also been awarded the Dr. BC Roy award by the Medical Council of India to "Recognize the Best Talents in Encouraging the Development of Specialties in Different Branches in Medicine" for 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J. I. P. James</span> British orthopaedic surgeon

John Ivor Pulsford James was a British orthopaedic surgeon. He was professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of Edinburgh from 1958 to 1979. Most commonly known as "JIP", he was secretary then president of the British Orthopaedic Association which later awarded him its honorary fellowship. James attracted orthopaedic specialists to work in Edinburgh, encouraging them to develop an interest in a specialist area of orthopaedics, and in this way he was able to establish a comprehensive regional orthopaedic service. He made contributions to hand surgery and surgical treatment of scoliosis, and was a prime mover in promoting specialist training and qualification in orthopaedic surgery in the UK.

Gopal Krishna Vishwakarma, more popularly known as G K Vishwakarma, was an eminent orthopedic surgeon, academician and public health administrator. He was the Director General of Health Services from October 1986 to his retirement in October 1992. He was awarded the Silver Jubilee Award (1983) and the Dr. B. C. Roy Award by Medical Council of India, The Government of India, in recognition of his contributions to the field of medicine and public health honored him with the Padma Shri (1985) one of India's highest civilian awards in India.

Sarah Muirhead-Allwood (FRCS), is a British orthopaedic surgeon known for performing complex hip resurfacings and unusual hip replacements. Those she has operated on include The Queen Mother and Andy Murray.

Brian Davies is a British emeritus professor of medical robotics at Imperial College London. He developed Probot, the first robotic device to operate upon a human being. Later, he developed the haptic based robotic assistant known as 'Acrobot', the first haptic based robot to be used in orthopaedic surgery. He is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

References

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  2. 1 2 3 4 "Bone & Joint 360". Bone & Joint Publishing. Archived from the original on 29 January 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 "Bone & Joint 360". Bone & Joint Publishing. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  4. Stoker, Dj; Cobb, Jp; Pringle, Ja (May 1991). "Needle biopsy of musculoskeletal lesions. A review of 208 procedures". The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume. 73-B (3): 498–500. doi:10.1302/0301-620X.73B3.1670457. ISSN   0301-620X. PMID   1670457.
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  6. 1 2 3 4 The Association of Surgeons in Training (PDF). March 2014. p. 37.
  7. 1 2 3 Edgar, Michael; Cobb, Justin. "9. The last fifteen years of orthopaedics at the Middlesex Hospital". The Middlesex Hospital Orthopaedic Department 1920-2005 (PDF). pp. 55–58.
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  9. "Simon Harris". www.imperial.ac.uk. Imperial College London. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
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  13. 1 2 Leelasestaporn, Chumroonkiet (2018). "6. Robotic UKA". In Sugano, Nobuhiko (ed.). Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery for Hip and Knee: Current State of the Art in Clinical Application and Basic Research. Singapore: Springer. p. 64. ISBN   978-981-10-5244-6.
  14. "A Prospective, Non-randomized, Consecutive Series, Multicentre, Observational Study to Evaluate the Clinical Outcome of ceramic-on- Ceramic Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty Using the Ceramic, Non-porous, Non-cemented H1 Hip Resurfacing Arthroplasty". Clinical Trials. clinicaltrials.gov. 15 October 2021. Retrieved 5 February 2022.
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