Uzbekistan U-23 national team player undergoes knee surgery in Germany

Iranian taekwondo athlete Sayna Karimi underwent surgery after sustaining a serious knee injury during a match against her Japanese opponent at the Asian Games in Nagoya.

Karimi, who represented Iran in the women's category up to 49 kg, had ACL surgery on Monday. She is expected to be sidelined for several months during her recovery period.

Prior to this, the Iranian athlete began her campaign with a victory over an athlete from Hong Kong in the first match. She then faced Ruka Okamoto from Japan in the round of 16.

Karimi started the match confidently, winning the first round 17-6. However, her Japanese opponent managed to catch up and won the second round 10-3, forcing the bout to continue into a decisive third round.

In the final round, the Iranian led 3-1 when she sustained a leg injury after an exchange of kicks. Despite attempts to continue the fight, Karimi could not cope with the pain and was ultimately forced to leave the match.

She ultimately lost the third round 15-6, which ended her participation in the Asian Games. This injury presents a serious obstacle for the international athlete, who now faces a long rehabilitation period before returning to competitive taekwondo.

A complex hip joint replacement operation was conducted for the first time in the Republican Specialized Center for Traumatology and Orthopedics of Uzbekistan using an artificial intelligence-based robotic assistant. Doctors from various regions of the country monitored the intervention online.

The robot supports surgeons by ensuring a high degree of precision during operations. Before the procedure, the system processes the patient's CT scan data and creates a virtual plan for the surgical intervention. During the operation, it helped the surgeon make extremely precise movements and implant the prosthesis at the necessary angle, which is critically important when there are complex joint deformities.

The application of robotic technologies also contributes to reducing the duration of the operation, minimizing the probability of complications, and facilitating faster patient recovery after surgical treatment. Specialists from China participated in this operation, demonstrating cooperation with foreign colleagues and the ability of Uzbek medics to master advanced treatment methods.

Thanks to the possibility of online broadcasting, medical workers from across Uzbekistan could observe the surgeons' work, study every stage, and learn from their colleagues' experience. It is planned that similar operations involving an AI robot will be conducted in the regional departments of this center. It should be noted that robotic systems have previously been used in Uzbekistan: a one-and-a-half-year-old child with severe epilepsy was successfully operated on at the Republican Neurosurgery Center using a robotic assistant and navigation system.