Orthopaedics Techniques

The Bachelor's degree programme in Orthopaedics Techniques (degree class L/SNT3 - Health professions for technical assistance) has a three-year duration.

Listed below are the learning objectives of the degree programme, which adhere to the guidelines set by the European Union. Upon achieving these learning objectives, graduates will be fully equipped to pursue a Master's degree in the healthcare disciplines, or another graduate programme offered by one of the Departments grouped under the Faculty of Medicine.
Graduates in Orthopaedics Techniques should be able to:
- identify, prevent and respond to various risks (and correlated critical events) in the orthopaedics laboratory;
- demonstrate knowledge of the Italian legislation governing technical professions in healthcare, lab activities, medical and surgical devices and public health;
- assess the reliability of pre-analytical, analytical and productive processes, by applying their knowledge of biological, physiological and pathological phenomena;
- have a dynamic understanding of concepts such as automation, informatisation and communication;
- apply their knowledge of scientific progress to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of analytical and production processes;
- participate in planning and organisation processes (including cost analysis) for the introduction of new materials and technologies, or identify and anticipate factors that may affect the quality of information and production processes;
- verify the correct functioning and efficiency of machinery through functional tests, calibration and preventive maintenance, as well as extraordinary maintenance in the event of malfunctions;
- assess and verify the safety of any devices manufactured, supplied or customised by them;
- draft and define technical specifications;
- manufacture, assemble, modify and customise medical devices for the human body and the locomotor system in particular, including but not limited to orthoses, prostheses, technical aids, postural supports and other corrective, compensatory, palliative, retentive, position, functional and compression devices;
- verify the clinical/morphological suitability and technical/functional usability of the device in question (whereas any assessment on its therapeutic/rehabilitative effectiveness should be left to the professional who prescribed the device);
- supply manufactured and customised medical devices;
- verify the compliance and safety of devices, and sign certificates of conformity as prescribed by the law;
- oversee the quality of production processes and protocols;
- take all necessary actions to manage risks and guarantee the efficiency of any devices manufactured or commissioned, including by recalling products and planning technical assistance protocols;
- provide (or manage the provision of) technical assistance on medical devices manufactured or supplied by them;
- follow up and monitor the efficiency of devices already in use, highlighting cases where the device is no longer safe or coherent with the target treatment, with a view to proposing repairs or a replacement of the device itself;
- comply with ethics principles and rules of conduct applicable to orthopaedic technicians in the technical and manufacturing settings contemplated by the study plan;
- recognise their own role and area of competence and respect those of other healthcare professionals, adopting a collaborative approach;
- interact and collaborate proactively with interprofessional teams in order to plan and manage manufacturing activities, including decentralised activities;
- use information systems and IT systems when communicating with healthcare professionals, suppliers and end users;
- learn the basics of research methodology and apply the results of technical/methodological research to improve the quality of methods;
- know the principles of economic analysis and the basics of public economics and business economics;
- know the essentials of human resource management, with particular regard to HR management issues in the healthcare sector;
- demonstrate adequate proficiency (written and spoken) in at least another language of the European Union, in addition to Italian;
- demonstrate computer literacy skills enabling them to use IT systems and self-learning resources.