Orthopaedic Thesis Topic Suggestions

🦴 Trauma & Fracture Surgery

1. Functional outcomes of intramedullary nailing vs. plate fixation in distal tibial fractures - prospective comparative study
2. Predictors of non-union in femoral shaft fractures - a retrospective audit with risk factor analysis
3. Outcome of elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) in paediatric femoral shaft fractures vs spica casting
4. Early vs delayed fixation of unstable pelvis fractures - effect on blood loss, ICU stay, and mortality
5. Role of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in open fracture management - infection rates and wound healing outcomes
6. Functional outcome of proximal humerus fractures managed by PHILOS plate vs conservative treatment in patients >60 years
7. Incidence and risk factors of implant failure after DHS fixation of intertrochanteric fractures - a 2-year follow-up study

🦿 Joint Replacement / Arthroplasty

1. Short-term functional outcomes of cemented vs cementless total knee arthroplasty in patients under 60
2. Robotic-assisted vs conventional total knee arthroplasty - alignment, blood loss, and 90-day outcomes
3. Effect of tourniquet vs tourniquet-free technique in TKA on blood loss and postoperative pain
4. "Quiet knee" rehabilitation protocol vs early aggressive physiotherapy after TKR - RCT design
5. Incidence and outcomes of periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) after TKA/THA - single-center retrospective review
6. Two-stage vs single-stage revision for infected total hip arthroplasty - systematic review or comparative study
7. Functional outcomes of Birmingham hip resurfacing vs total hip arthroplasty in young active patients
8. Metal ion levels (cobalt, chromium) in patients with metal-on-metal hip implants and correlation with clinical outcomes

🏃 Sports Medicine & Arthroscopy

1. Return-to-sport rates after arthroscopic ACL reconstruction using hamstring vs BPTB graft - prospective comparative study
2. Outcomes of meniscal repair vs partial meniscectomy in young patients with bucket-handle tears
3. Bankart repair vs Latarjet procedure for recurrent anterior shoulder instability - comparative outcomes
4. Functional outcomes and re-tear rates after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair stratified by tear size
5. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) vs corticosteroid injection in lateral epicondylitis - RCT
6. Outcome of ankle arthroscopy in chronic ankle instability with ligament repair
7. MRI predictors of failure of conservative treatment in partial-thickness rotator cuff tears

🧠 Spine Surgery

1. Microdiscectomy vs transforaminal epidural steroid injection in single-level lumbar disc herniation - 1-year outcomes
2. Minimum clinically important difference (MCID) after TLIF for lumbar spondylolisthesis - a prospective cohort
3. Adjacent segment disease after lumbar fusion - incidence and risk factors over 5 years
4. Outcome of decompression alone vs decompression + fusion in lumbar canal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis
5. Pedicle screw vs hook instrumentation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) - correction and complication rates
6. Cervical disc arthroplasty vs ACDF at single level - functional outcomes and adjacent level changes at 2 years
7. Sarcopenia and nutritional status as predictors of surgical outcomes in elderly spine patients

👶 Paediatric Orthopaedics

1. Outcome of Ponseti method in idiopathic clubfoot (CTEV) - relapse rates and predictors over 5 years
2. Functional and radiological outcomes of DDH treated with Salter innominate osteotomy vs Pemberton osteotomy
3. Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) - single vs double screw fixation and avascular necrosis rates
4. Gait analysis before and after surgical correction of spastic diplegia (selective dorsal rhizotomy / Botox + casting)
5. Outcomes of limb lengthening using Ilizarov fixator vs PRECICE intramedullary nail in congenital short femur

🏥 Bone & Soft Tissue Tumours

1. Functional outcomes of limb salvage surgery vs amputation in primary malignant bone tumours around the knee
2. Accuracy of CT-guided biopsy in musculoskeletal tumours - sensitivity, specificity, and complications
3. Outcomes of endoprosthetic reconstruction after resection of distal femur osteosarcoma - survival and functional scores
4. Role of denosumab in the management of giant cell tumour (GCT) of bone - a systematic review

🦷 Hand & Upper Limb

1. Outcome of carpal tunnel release - open vs endoscopic: grip strength, sensory recovery, return to work
2. Volar vs dorsal plating for unstable distal radius fractures - range of motion and DASH scores at 1 year
3. Functional outcome of tendon transfer vs primary repair in zone II flexor tendon injuries
4. Outcomes of replantation vs revision amputation in ring avulsion injuries - a retrospective review

🦶 Foot & Ankle

1. Operative vs non-operative management of acute Achilles tendon rupture - re-rupture rates and functional outcomes
2. Outcome of chevron osteotomy vs Scarf osteotomy in hallux valgus correction - radiological and functional analysis
3. Total ankle arthroplasty vs ankle arthrodesis - gait analysis and patient-reported outcomes

📊 Emerging / Technology-Based Topics

1. Artificial intelligence for fracture detection on plain radiographs - sensitivity and specificity in a regional hospital setting
2. 3D-printed patient-specific cutting guides vs conventional jigs in TKA - accuracy of bone cuts
3. Teleorthopaedics for remote fracture triage - accuracy of remote assessment vs in-person examination
4. Augmented reality navigation in pedicle screw placement - a cadaveric or clinical accuracy study
5. Machine learning prediction of 30-day readmission after total joint arthroplasty

💊 Bone Metabolism / Osteoporosis

1. Prevalence of osteoporosis and vitamin D deficiency in patients presenting with fragility fractures - a cross-sectional study
2. Effect of zoledronic acid on re-fracture rates after hip fragility fracture - prospective cohort
3. Bone mineral density changes after bariatric surgery and orthopaedic implications

Tips for Choosing a Topic

• 53 thesis topics across 10 sub-specialties
• Color-coded section headers for easy navigation
• A tips table at the end covering feasibility, ethics, outcome tools, and high-impact areas for 2025-26