CentraCare M Physicians Orthopedics Surgeon to Deliver TEDx St. Cloud Talk on Artificial Intelligence
CentraCare M Physicians Orthopedics Surgeon and Assistant Professor Kyle Martin, MD, FRCSC, will be delivering a TEDx Talk in St. Cloud on Oct. 12 where he will discuss his experience with artificial intelligence (AI) in his field.
“My research focus over the last five years has shifted to the clinical translation of machine learning, which is a subset of artificial intelligence,” said Dr. Martin.
In general, AI has already started to impact modern medicine. For example, stroke patients may benefit from robotic-assisted therapy to aid in their recovery, and people with Alzheimer’s disease are being helped by virtual assistants. In orthopedic surgery, the application of AI-based technology largely remains in the early stages. Dr. Martin believes that one potential advantage of AI technology in orthopedics is the ability to predict clinical outcomes more accurately by simulating how a patient might respond after surgery. This information can be used to inform clinical decisions and patient expectations.
Dr. Martin is originally from Winnipeg, Canada, and is one of 10 orthopedic surgeons in his department working toward the collective goal of providing world-class orthopedic care in Central Minnesota.
“I think that is the reason most, if not all, of us in this group are here. It’s that vision,” Dr. Martin affirmed.
A strong partnership with the University of Minnesota has helped CentraCare M Physicians Orthopedics grow over the last two years from three to 10 surgeons.
“We are building a practice of subspecialty-trained surgical and academic leaders to deliver the level of care you would normally only expect to find in major cities and academic institutions.”
Part of their approach is building up a network of colleagues from across the world to share ideas and stay up to date with new medical approaches and advancements.
“It’s less about where we are right now and more about where we’re going to be in one, three, five, and 10 years,” he explained.
He has personally traveled to more than 35 countries, which includes spending a year-long fellowship in Oslo, Norway. There he had the opportunity to learn from a leading expert in knee surgery and sports medicine, Lars Engebretsen, MD, PhD, at the University of Oslo.
It’s that global learning and well-rounded perspective that has allowed him to pave the way for orthopedic care in Central Minnesota and the Midwest.
Shortly after starting at CentraCare M Physicians Orthopedics, Dr. Martin performed one of the first meniscus transplants in St. Cloud using a cadaver donor from a bone bank.
He is also credited with being the first orthopedic surgeon in the Midwest to perform an arthroscopic trochleoplasty. This is a minimally invasive procedure where the end of the femur is re-shaped to keep the kneecap stable. Traditionally, this procedure is done through a large open incision, but Dr. Martin is trained to do it arthroscopically through small poke-holes using a camera and small instruments.
“I learned the technique when I was working in Europe. It hadn’t been done in the United States before I came to the U.S. in 2018,” he added.
Dr. Martin also continues to work closely with the world’s first national knee ligament registry, which was started in Norway in 2004. It’s a national database that collects information on every anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction performed in the country. They record patient data, injury details, surgical findings, and most importantly, patient outcomes. The information collected by the registry has been used to produce several important studies related to ACL surgery.
Regarding his international experience and engagement, Dr. Martin says, “If I were on an island by myself, I think I would find it challenging to keep up with what is happening in the rest of the world. That’s why I try to remain involved and connected with the international orthopedic community.”
Recently, he has been collaborating with colleagues from all over North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia on a prospective multicenter study where he is the principal investigator.
“We are applying for grant funding, so the study is only in the planning stages for now, but I’m really excited about the opportunity.”
Dr. Martin is also a former athlete, having played both hockey and rugby in university before his own knee injury ended his athletic career. He currently serves as team physician for the St. Cloud State University teams and for the St. Cloud Rox baseball team in the Northwoods League. In his free time, he remains physically active, enjoying cycling, golf, and coaching his six-year-old son’s youth hockey team. He and his wife continue to travel with their two sons whenever they can.
“That’s how we are trying to raise our boys … looking at the world from a global perspective rather than only through a local lens.”
Dr. Martin’s TEDx Talk will give a deeper insight into how AI technology can be used, the potential it has for patients and its role in clinical care.
While popular movies like The Matrix (1999) and television series like Black Mirror may have villainized artificial intelligence, Dr. Martin says, “I don’t want to give away too much about my presentation … but AI isn’t all bad.”
His presentation is 6:30 p.m. Oct. 12 at Paramount Theatre. Purchase tickets today.
