Smartphones in orthopaedics: a decade of innovation

Smartphones have become a mainstream feature in medicine since the introduction of the Apple iPhone in 2007. Over the last decade they have taken on increasing prominence with multiple uses in daily practice. They have long been used for group messaging and accessing patient's electronic records while mobile. More recently, however, smartphones have allowed clinicians to improve patient assessment in clinic and manage follow-up appointments remotely. Furthermore they have been used to aid procedural tasks in surgery and provide a medium for simulation training for junior doctors. The role of smartphones in the future is predicted to increase exponentially and there will no doubt be countless further roles for them in the ever-expanding field of orthopaedics.