On May 22, 2026, the founding conference of the first Osteoarthritis Prevention Professional Committee of the Shandong Provincial TCM Society was successfully held in Jinan. At the conference, Yantai TCM Hospital officially became a member unit of the Shandong Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine's Sports Medicine and Osteoarthritis Specialized Alliance. This marked that the hospital's osteoarthritis diagnosis and treatment technology has received authoritative recognition from the national professional platform, adding new wings for the hospital to carry out integrated Chinese and Western medicine osteoarthritis diagnosis and treatment and improve the level of knee joint disease diagnosis and treatment.

The Knee Preservation Specialty Alliance was initiated by Beijing Jishuitan Hospital. It is the highest-level and most influential specialty alliance in the field of knee preservation in China, bringing together the top orthopedic medical institutions across the country. The alliance aims to promote the "conservative treatment when possible, preservation of the knee when possible" step-by-step diagnosis and treatment concept, and to promote the standardization, normalization and popularization of knee preservation technology. The selection criteria for the alliance are strict, including rigorous assessments of hospital diagnostic and therapeutic techniques, research capabilities, talent梯队， equipment configuration and regional influence. This successful inclusion not only highly recognizes the comprehensive strength of Yantai City's Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital's Orthopedic Department， but also officially acknowledges the professional level of the orthopedic team.

As the leading unit in the development of traditional Chinese medicine in the city, the Orthopedics Department of Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital has always focused on the standardized diagnosis and treatment of joint diseases such as knee osteoarthritis. It adheres to the core principles of "minimally invasive and precise, integration of Chinese and Western medicine, and stepwise treatment", and has formed a unique integrated Chinese and Western medicine approach for knee joint protection. It has cumulatively protected the joint functions of thousands of patients with knee diseases. After becoming a member of the Knee Joint Protection Specialty Alliance, the hospital will collaborate deeply with the top domestic knee joint protection teams: sharing advanced diagnosis and treatment technologies, surgical plans and clinical experience, synchronizing the latest concepts of knee joint protection in China, allowing the team's technical strength to reach new heights; participating in multi-center research, academic discussions and expert lectures of the alliance to enhance the professional capabilities of the medical team and promote the standardized implementation of knee joint protection technology; driving the overall improvement of regional integrated Chinese and Western medicine knee joint protection diagnosis and treatment levels, enabling patients in Yantai and surrounding areas to enjoy national-level standard knee joint protection treatment services without leaving their homes, and effectively reducing medical burdens. Joining the Knee Joint Protection Specialty Alliance is both an honor and a responsibility. Relying on the national-level platform, the Orthopedics Department of Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital will adhere to the path of integrated development of Chinese and Western medicine, continuously improve technology and optimize services, bring more advanced knee joint protection technologies and more standardized diagnosis and treatment plans to patients, allowing every patient with knee diseases to avoid pain and regain healthy joints, and contribute the strength of traditional Chinese medicine and minimally invasive wisdom to the development of regional bone joint health!

The concept of preserving the knee

The knee preservation concept of the Orthopedics Department of Yantai Central Hospital keeps pace with the latest medical advancements. It focuses on minimally invasive techniques and combines traditional Chinese medicine therapies to create personalized knee preservation plans for patients of different ages and conditions. The technical expertise is widely recognized. The department is proficient in performing core knee preservation surgeries such as complex ligament reconstruction under knee joint arthroscopy, meniscus suture repair, minimally invasive excision of popliteal cysts, high tibial osteotomy (HTO), and single髁 replacement. With precise operations that "solve major problems with small incisions"， the department maximally preserves the patient's own joint structure and function. The minimally invasive technique skills are highly proficient. During the treatment process， the "three-step" treatment principle is strictly followed. In the early stage， health education and lifestyle adjustments are the basis； in the middle stage， joint cavity injection， PRP treatment， and minimally invasive arthroscopic intervention are adopted； in the late stage， precise replacement surgery is implemented to avoid patients' blind treatment or excessive medical care. The department emphasizes the organic integration of traditional Chinese medicine and modern Western medicine. After minimally invasive surgeries， acupuncture， moxibustion， and external application of traditional Chinese medicine are combined for rehabilitation. To accelerate recovery， traditional Chinese medicine therapy combined with self-made Chinese medicine preparations is used for patients in the early and middle stages to relieve pain and delay degeneration. A "closed-loop service of minimally invasive treatment + traditional Chinese medicine rehabilitation" is formed. For patients with complex conditions and advanced age， combined with the hospital's MDT (Multidisciplinary Team) consultation mechanism， the heart disease department， endocrinology department， and anesthesia department are involved to formulate safe treatment plans， safeguarding the knees of elderly patients. For patients with advanced age and multiple underlying diseases， relying on the hospital's mature MDT consultation mechanism， a multidisciplinary team including the heart disease department， endocrinology department， and anesthesia department is involved to formulate safe and standardized treatment plans， comprehensively building a safe treatment defense line and precisely safeguarding the knee health of elderly patients.

Department Introduction of Orthopedics and Rheumatology

The Department of Bone and Joint Diseases of Yantai Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital is a specialized department that adopts a combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine to treat joint diseases and joint injury. It focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of diseases and injuries of the shoulder, knee, hip, elbow, wrist, ankle, and other joints. It extensively conducts standardized treatment for conditions such as osteonecrosis of the femoral head, hip preservation and total hip replacement, knee osteoarthritis treatment, hip preservation and total knee replacement, as well as minimally invasive joint arthroscopic surgeries, such as arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, shoulder acromion impact syndrome acromion shaping surgery, shoulder periarthritis release surgery, minimally invasive treatment of shoulder calcific tendinitis, Outside-in and All-inside suturing for knee meniscus, anterior and posterior cruciate ligament stop point anatomical reconstruction, minimally invasive treatment of knee joint popliteal cyst, arthroscopic treatment of elbow joint bone spurs, minimally invasive treatment of ankle joint bone spurs and ligament repair and reconstruction, iliotibial band release under arthroscopic guidance for hip snapping, minimally invasive fixation of intra-articular fractures, etc. The surgical recovery is good. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment is also available for early and mid-stage osteoarthritis, with remarkable efficacy. The department has superb technical skills and is dedicated to safeguarding the bone and joint health of the citizens of the Port City. The treatment philosophy of the Department of Bone and Joint Diseases is to comprehensively focus on the prevention, health care, treatment and rehabilitation of bone and joint diseases and injuries, paying attention to the occurrence and development process of joint diseases, fully combining traditional Chinese and Western medicine, following standardized and individualized treatment of diseases, providing consultation and popularization of scientific knowledge on joint diseases, including the assessment of risk factors for bone and joint diseases to reduce the occurrence of diseases, dual physiological and psychological intervention during the illness to delay the progression of the disease, and the combination of traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment for patients to achieve the maximum control of the condition and alleviate the patient's pain.