44 Modern Medical Innovations and Strange Surgeries

It’s been a rough ten days for Tom Brady, who has had two surgeries in the past fortnight on his injured left knee. The Patriots quarterback has been sidelined ever since he sustained the injury back in September, and it’s reported that his second surgery is due to an infection from his first trip under the knife.

While medical breakthroughs probably aren’t at the top of Tom Brady’s list these days, he should take comfort in the vast improvements that have been made in sports rehabilitation and surgery. In generations past, a knee injury typically meant the end of a season--or a career. Today, complete reconstructive surgery can be completed and athletes like Tom Brady can return to the field better than they were before their injury.

From transluminal catheters to zero-gravity surgeries, technology and science are catching up to face modern health problems at light speed. Tom Brady might just be going in for knee surgery now, but as the athlete ages, the demands football places on his body will be far more apparent. By then, medical technology will probably have been revolutionized once more.