Forty-Six Years of Technological Innovation in Musculoskeletal Medicine: An Analysis of a Patent Database (1973 to 2018).

Background: Technological innovation in orthopaedics is key to advancing patient care. As emerging technologies near maturity, clinicians must be able to objectively assess where and when these technologies can be implemented. Patent databases are an underappreciated resource for quantifying innovation, especially within orthopaedic surgery.