A Collaborative Project Between Harvard Medical School and AUA Presented at the VII Congress of Traumatologists and Orthopaedics

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YEREVAN, Armenia ‒ On October 26, 2018, the VII Congress of Traumatologists and Orthopaedics of the Republic of Armenia (RA) took place in Yerevan. Scholars and researchers in the field gathered to showcase and discuss the latest inventions and achievements in traumatology and orthopaedics, as well as to expand collaboration and networks. The event was co-organized by the RA Ministry of Health and the RA Ministry of Education.

Ara Nazarian, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Harvard Medical School (HMS) and the Center for Advanced Orthopaedic Studies at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), presented the findings from the collaborative project carried out with Sargis Zeytunyan, Chair of the Industrial Engineering and Systems Management (IESM) program and Director of the Computer Aided Design/ Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAD/CAM) Lab of the American University of Armenia (AUA). The project team also includes AUA students Levon Stepanyan (IESM ‘19), Davit Kandayan (IESM ‘15), and Vahagn Mkhitaryan (IESM ‘16).

The presentation was on the “Design and Implementation of Short Intramedullary (IM) Nails” project on the development and implementation of a simplified intramedullary (IM) nail system.

The first initiative is the modified IM nail, a mainstay of trauma care for elderly bone fractures. As a result of the sustained cooperation between HMS and AUA, the team has been able to design a system that reduces the complication of the surgical kit, reduces inventory and cost, and streamlines care delivery. Over the past two years, the team has completed  the design and revision work for this IM nail and produced the first prototype.

Zeytunyan has been engaged in the project from its inception, providing student supervision and preparing the final design and production drawings. During his presentation, Dr. Nazarian recognized the immense efforts and contribution to the project by Zeytunyan and his students.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia and affiliated with the University of California. AUA provides a global education in Armenia and the region, offering high-quality, graduate and undergraduate studies, encouraging civic engagement, and promoting public service and democratic values.