From international surgical collaboratives to AI-powered clinical tools โ a portfolio of initiatives designed to advance surgery, education, and patient care worldwide.
OrthoGlobe is an international orthopaedic collaborative network founded by Professor Imam, connecting surgeons, researchers, and educators across the globe. The collaborative runs multi-centre studies, educational programmes, and professional community for orthopaedic professionals worldwide.
The mission: to democratise access to world-class orthopaedic knowledge and build a global community committed to evidence-based practice, continuous improvement, and equitable patient care.
Co-founded to address a critical gap in surgical training: the absence of structured, accessible mentorship for orthopaedic trainees preparing for the FRCS (Tr & Orth) examination โ one of the most demanding surgical fellowship examinations in the world.
The initiative pairs senior consultants with trainees at pivotal points in their career, providing structured guidance on clinical skills, exam preparation, and professional development. Free and accessible to all trainees.
AI-powered clinical research assistant. Designed to help clinicians and academics conduct faster, smarter literature reviews and evidence synthesis. Built because the gap between the best available evidence and bedside practice was unacceptable.
Visit ResBot.ai โAI-powered citation management tool. Removes the friction from academic referencing so researchers spend less time on administration and more time on discovery.
Visit CiteSort.ai โAs Professor and Medical Director of the Smart Health Centre at the University of East London, Professor Imam leads a multidisciplinary research unit applying artificial intelligence and machine intelligence to improve clinical diagnosis, surgical outcomes, and patient care. The Smart Health Centre sits at the intersection of clinical practice and technological innovation.
Research at the Smart Health Centre spans AI-assisted surgical decision support, clinical risk prediction, bias auditing in health algorithms, and the translation of academic machine learning research into practical clinical tools โ including tools that comply with the NICE Evidence Standards Framework and MHRA SaMD regulations.
In an exclusive interview with OrthoSpaceX (Issue 19, November 2025), Professor Imam set out his vision for AI's role in modern orthopaedics. Key positions:
"Software that surfaces the correct data and proper evidence at the right moment, reduces omissions and bias, and makes complex decisions transparent. It standardises what should be standard and personalises what must be personal."
"The next breakthrough in orthopaedics won't come from a sharper scalpel but from better decisions โ indications, risk assessment, implant selection, knowing when not to operate โ made consistently and fairly."
"Two forces drove me to AI: variation, because patients with the same condition received different care; and speed, because evidence now advances faster than any clinician without assistance can follow."
"Adoption will follow the NICE Evidence Standards Framework and MHRA SaMD programme โ with prospective 'silent mode' testing, bias audits, and performance-drift monitoring embedded in routine practice."
One of four surgeons on the national shoulder and elbow research committee โ British Elbow and Shoulder Society โ leading national multi-centre trials.
Serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Orthopaedics and multiple international peer-review panels.
Faculty member nationally and internationally. Consultant interview panel member. Training Orthopaedic Trainers, BOA (May 2021).
Faculty member at the ISAKOS 2023 Congress, Boston โ one of the world's most prestigious orthopaedic surgery meetings.
Member of AAOS, AANA, ISAKOS, EFORT, AO Foundation, and the British Orthopaedic Association.
Chief investigator of multiple leading national and international clinical studies. Multi-centre trial leadership.
Interested in research collaboration, innovation partnerships, or joining the OrthoGlobe network?
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