Publications

Before moving into aesthetic and regenerative medicine, I trained and practised in orthopaedic surgery at Singapore General Hospital and the National University Hospital. Sixteen peer-reviewed papers came out of that work, thirteen of them indexed in PubMed. I am first author on seven. They are listed in full below. Each entry carries the citation, how many times other researchers have cited it, what the study set out to do, what it found, and a link to the original.

At a glance

  • 16 peer-reviewed publications, spanning 2009 to 2016
  • 13 indexed in PubMed, the US National Library of Medicine database
  • First author on 7
  • 238 citations by other researchers, recorded by Crossref as at 1 September 2026
  • 335 citations and 2,115 reads recorded on ResearchGate as at 28 September 2026
  • Published in journals including the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (American Volume), Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, European Spine Journal and The Knee
  • Work carried out at Singapore General Hospital and the National University Hospital
  • Full profile and PDFs on ResearchGate

What the research covers

The body of work falls into four areas, and they are the same areas that inform how I assess musculoskeletal problems today.

  • Spine — surgical site infection in minimally invasive versus open spinal surgery, treatment of osteoporotic compression fractures, cervical facet dislocation, and the prevalence of lumbar scoliosis in a 7,075-patient multiracial Asian cohort.
  • Knee and arthroplasty — computer navigation and joint line restoration in total knee replacement, unicondylar arthroplasty, meniscal pathology, and patellofemoral pain.
  • Shoulder — long-term outcomes of arthroscopic Bankart repair, and whether first-time anterior dislocations should be stabilised arthroscopically.
  • Trauma and general orthopaedics — atypical fracture after radiotherapy, analgesia after burns debridement, and parathyroid analogues in fracture healing.

The publications

Methods and results are summarised from the published abstract of each paper. Where a paper carries no abstract in PubMed, that is stated rather than filled in. Citation counts are from Crossref and change over time. Listed newest first within each area; my own name is shown in bold in its published position.

Spine

Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Am)  ·  2016
Morphology and prevalence study of lumbar scoliosis in 7,075 multiracial Asian adults
Liu G, Tan JH, Ee G, Chan YH, Low SL, Wong HK
J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2016 Aug 3;98(15):1307–12.  ·  cited 17 times  ·  Prognostic Level IV
Introduction. Lumbar scoliosis reduces quality of life and will place a growing burden on health services as the population ages, yet few studies have measured its prevalence in Asians. This study set out to establish the prevalence, curve characteristics and risk factors for lumbar scoliosis in an Asian population.
Methods. Retrospective cross-sectional study of spinal images taken from DXA scans in adults aged 40 and over. Scoliosis defined as a curve greater than 10 degrees. Multivariate analysis used to identify risk factors.
Results. 645 of 7,075 patients (9.1%) had scoliosis; 9.4% of women and 6.5% of men. Mean Cobb angle 16.5 degrees. Prevalence rose from about 4% in the fifth decade to about 25% at 90 and above. Risk was higher in women, in Chinese and Malay patients, and markedly higher where a spinal fracture was present. Most curves were left-sided, 10 to 19 degrees, with an L2 apex.
Journal of Spinal Disorders & Techniques  ·  2015
Comparison of clinical outcomes and radiographic measurements in 4 different treatment modalities for osteoporotic compression fractures
Ee GW, Lei J, Guo CM, Yeo W, Tan SB, Tow PB, Chen LT, Yue WM
J Spinal Disord Tech. 2015 Jul;28(6):E328–35.  ·  First author  ·  cited 20 times
Introduction. The timing and type of treatment for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures remain controversial. This study compared the clinical and radiographic outcomes of conservative management with three surgical techniques.
Methods. Retrospective analysis of a prospectively collected database over ten years, 2001 to 2011. 363 patients who had failed 30 days of conservative management were then managed conservatively or by vertebroplasty, balloon kyphoplasty or sky bone expander. Outcomes measured by Visual Analogue Score, Oswestry Disability Index and SF-36, with pre- and post-operative radiographs. Followed for six months in the conservative group and up to two years in the surgical groups.
Results. 62 patients were treated conservatively, 148 by vertebroplasty, 97 by balloon kyphoplasty and 56 by sky bone expander. All groups improved significantly on all three outcome measures by one month. The surgical groups achieved greater pain relief from the first postoperative day, and those gains were sustained to two years. Anterior vertebral height and kyphotic wedge angle improved similarly across the three surgical techniques.
European Spine Journal  ·  2014
Management of the neglected and healed bilateral cervical facet dislocation
Srivastava A, Soh RC, Ee GW, Tan SB, Tow BP
Eur Spine J. 2014 Aug;23(8):1612–6.  ·  cited 13 times
Introduction. Little has been published on how to manage a bilateral cervical facet dislocation that has been missed and has healed in its dislocated position. The report describes a patient who first sought treatment 14 months after the injury, once pain and deformity had developed.
Methods. Case report. A 42-year-old man struck his head on the bottom of a pool and presented with neck pain but no neurological deficit. Initial radiographs and MRI showed a grade 1 anterolisthesis of C4 on C5 with posterior ligament complex injury but no facet dislocation. He returned 14 months later with pain and cervical deformity, by which time the dislocation had healed in a fused position.
Results. Circumferential bony fusion around the deformity meant that correction required both posterior and anterior release before stabilisation. The report sets out the order in which that reconstruction should be carried out, and makes the point that a normal CT does not exclude cervical instability — a missed instability at presentation is what produced the late deformity.
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research  ·  2014
Does minimally invasive surgery have a lower risk of surgical site infections compared with open spinal surgery?
Ee WW, Lau WL, Yeo W, Von Bing Y, Yue WM
Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2014 Jun;472(6):1718–24.  ·  First author  ·  cited 79 times  ·  Level III, therapeutic
Introduction. Surgical site infection follows between 1.9% and 5.5% of spinal operations in most large series, and minimally invasive surgery has been proposed as a way to reduce it. The study asked whether minimally invasive surgery lowers the infection rate compared with open surgery, which other factors predict infection, and which bacteria are most often responsible.
Methods. Nested case-control study drawn from 2,299 patients who underwent transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion, laminectomy or discectomy at a tertiary hospital. 27 patients with surgical site infection were matched to 162 controls without infection, stratified by procedure and operated within 28 days of each case. Minimally invasive surgery was defined as procedures performed through a tubular retractor. Univariate and multivariate analysis.
Results. Open surgery carried a substantially higher likelihood of surgical site infection than the minimally invasive approach. Diabetes, the number of levels operated on, and body mass index were each independently predictive of infection. Staphylococcus aureus was the organism most often isolated, in just over half of the patients with a positive culture.
BMJ Case Reports  ·  2013
A silent acute abdomen in a patient with spinal cord injury
Malhotra R, Ee G, Pang SY, Kumar N
BMJ Case Rep. 2013 Mar 27;2013:bcr2013008548.  ·  cited 4 times
Introduction. Spinal cord injury can remove the pain and tenderness that normally signal an abdominal emergency. This case report describes a patient whose abdominal complications went unrecognised for that reason.
Methods. Case report. A 52-year-old man with cervical spondylosis sustained a hyperextension neck injury and developed central cord syndrome two weeks later, confirmed clinically and on MRI. He became febrile with Streptococcus anginosus bacteraemia from a gum infection and was treated with penicillin.
Results. He developed pseudomembranous colitis with abdominal distension and bloody diarrhoea, but without the abdominal pain that would normally accompany it — the spinal cord injury masked the usual presentation. His neurology then deteriorated and repeat MRI showed discitis at C5–C7, requiring two-level discectomy and debridement. The case illustrates how spinal cord injury can silence an acute abdomen.

Knee and Arthroplasty

The Knee  ·  2013
Computer navigation is a useful intra-operative tool for joint line measurement in total knee arthroplasty
Ee G, Pang HN, Chong HC, Tan MH, Lo NN, Yeo SJ
Knee. 2013 Aug;20(4):256–62.  ·  First author  ·  cited 14 times  ·  Prognostic Level II-1
Introduction. Restoring the native joint line in total knee arthroplasty is important for ligament balance and normal knee movement, and failing to restore it can lead to poorer outcomes. The study examined the clinical and functional results in patients whose joint line changed after computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty.
Methods. 168 knees underwent computer-assisted total knee arthroplasty by two surgeons at a single institution, with two years of follow-up. The final change in joint line was calculated from the verified tibial resection and distal femoral cuts. Patients were divided into those whose joint line changed by less than 4 mm and those whose change exceeded 4 mm. Oxford, Knee, Function and SF-36 scores were taken at six months and two years.
Results. Joint line change correlated significantly with Oxford, Function and Knee scores at six months, and with Oxford scores at two years — the greater the change, the poorer the outcome. Patients whose joint line moved less than 4 mm scored better on every measure at six months and on Oxford and Knee scores at two years. A joint line change of 4 mm or more marks the point at which outcomes deteriorate.
The Open Orthopaedics Journal  ·  2012
‘Not always a Baker’s cyst’ — an unusual presentation of a central voluminous postero-medial meniscal cyst
Sivasubramanian H, Ee G, Srinivasaiah MG, De SD, Sing AM
Open Orthop J. 2012;6:424–8.  ·  Open access  ·  cited 5 times
Introduction. Meniscal cysts are rare and usually form when synovial fluid escapes through a meniscal tear that acts as a one-way valve. A large cyst at the back of the knee can be mistaken for a Baker’s cyst, and this report describes such a case.
Methods. Case report. The standard treatment for a meniscal cyst is arthroscopic partial meniscectomy with intra-articular drainage.
Results. An unusually large medial meniscal cyst sat postero-medially and pressed on the posterior cruciate ligament, causing pain and difficulty squatting. It was initially misdiagnosed clinically as a Baker’s cyst. Arthroscopic debridement and decompression treated it successfully. The case is a reminder that a postero-medial knee swelling is not automatically a Baker’s cyst.
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy  ·  2012
Minimally invasive unicondylar knee arthroplasty in a patellectomized patient
Pang HN, Ee G, Lo NN, Yeo SJ
Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2012 Sep;20(9):1831–3.  ·  cited 5 times
Introduction. Patients who have had a patellectomy tend to do less well after total knee arthroplasty, because the extensor mechanism is less efficient and the knee is more prone to instability. Only three case series had reported unicondylar knee arthroplasty in this group, with mixed results.
Methods. Case report. A minimally invasive fixed-bearing unicondylar knee arthroplasty was performed in a patellectomised patient with isolated medial compartment osteoarthritis.
Results. Knee stability and clinical outcome were excellent at five years, suggesting that minimally invasive unicondylar arthroplasty is a viable option in this group rather than defaulting to total knee replacement.
Orthopaedic Proceedings  ·  2012
Computer navigation improves accuracy of joint line restoration in total knee arthroplasty
Ee G, Pang HN, Chong HC, Tan MH, Lo NN, Chin PL, Chia SL, Yeo SJ
Orthop Proc. 2012 Oct;94-B(SUPP_XLIV):30.  ·  Conference abstract, CAOS 2011. First author
Introduction. Accurate restoration of the native joint line is one of the aims of total knee arthroplasty. This work examined whether computer navigation improves that accuracy.
Methods. Conference abstract presented at CAOS 2011. Companion work to the Knee paper above, examining whether computer navigation improves the accuracy with which the native joint line is restored during total knee arthroplasty.
Results. Reported as a conference abstract rather than a full paper; the peer-reviewed findings from this line of work are those published in The Knee.
The Knee  ·  2009
The patellofemoral syndrome; the same problem as the Loch Ness Monster?
Grelsamer R, Moss G, Ee G, Donell S
Knee. 2009 Oct;16(5):301–2.  ·  Editorial  ·  cited 20 times
Introduction. Patellofemoral syndrome is widely discussed but poorly defined as a single diagnosis. This editorial examines why the condition is so hard to pin down.
Methods. Editorial. MEDLINE indexes this as an editorial rather than a research article, and it carries no structured abstract.
Results. A commentary on the difficulty of defining patellofemoral syndrome as a single diagnostic entity — the analogy being that it is much discussed and poorly pinned down.

Shoulder

Singapore Medical Journal  ·  2014
First-time anterior shoulder dislocations: should they be arthroscopically stabilised?
Sedeek SM, Bin Abd Razak HR, Ee GW, Tan AH
Singapore Med J. 2014 Oct;55(10):511–5.  ·  Review  ·  cited 5 times
Introduction. The glenohumeral joint is inherently unstable because a large humeral head sits against a shallow glenoid, and recurrent instability after a first traumatic anterior dislocation is common in young athletes. How to manage that first dislocation remains controversial.
Methods. Review of the nature of first-time anterior shoulder dislocation, the accepted management options, and the evidence for early surgical stabilisation. Traditional management is immobilisation for four to six weeks followed by rehabilitation.
Results. The review examines whether that traditional approach is appropriate given the high rate of recurrent instability in young athletes, and weighs the case for early arthroscopic stabilisation after a first-time dislocation rather than waiting for recurrence.
OA Orthopaedics  ·  2013
Evolution of arthroscopic shoulder stabilization: do we still need open techniques?
Mohamed S, Ee G, Tan AH
OA Orthopaedics. 2013 May 1;1(1):1. ISSN 2052-9627.  ·  Publisher no longer operating; archived copy linked
Introduction. Arthroscopic techniques have largely replaced open surgery for shoulder stabilisation. This review traces that change and asks where open techniques still have a place.
Methods. Review of the development of arthroscopic shoulder stabilisation and the indications that still favour an open procedure. Not indexed in PubMed; the publisher has ceased trading, so the archived copy is the only working source.
Results. No structured abstract is available through PubMed for this article. The archived full text is linked.
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research  ·  2011
Long term results of arthroscopic Bankart repair for traumatic anterior shoulder instability
Ee GW, Mohamed S, Tan AH
J Orthop Surg Res. 2011 Jun 14;6:28.  ·  First author. Open access  ·  cited 52 times
Introduction. Arthroscopic Bankart repair offers a less invasive way to treat traumatic anterior shoulder instability. This study reports the two-year clinical outcomes of repair with bio-absorbable suture anchors.
Methods. 79 shoulders in 74 patients collected over four years, 2004 to 2008, all undergoing arthroscopic Bankart repair with bio-absorbable suture anchors, performed at a single institution by a single surgeon. Each patient was followed for two years and assessed on the UCLA shoulder rating scale and the Simple Shoulder Test, scored before surgery and at two years.
Results. Simple Shoulder Test scores improved from a mean of 6.1 to 11.1, and UCLA scores from 20.2 to 32.4, both highly significant. 34 patients had excellent results, 35 good, one fair and three poor. 75% returned to sport, and 7.6% had a recurrence of dislocation or subluxation.

Trauma and General Orthopaedics

Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery  ·  2013
A subtrochanteric femoral fracture 15 years after radiotherapy: a case report
Sivasubramanian H, Ee G, Srinivasaiah MG, Das De S
J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). 2013 Aug;21(2):253–7.  ·  cited 3 times
Introduction. Pathological fracture is a rare but serious late complication of radiotherapy. This report describes a fracture that occurred 15 years after treatment.
Methods. Case report. A 44-year-old man presented with a subtrochanteric femoral fracture 15 years after radiotherapy for a soft-tissue sarcoma of the thigh.
Results. The report sets out the likely mechanisms behind post-radiotherapy pathological fracture, a scoring system for identifying patients at high enough risk to warrant prophylactic intramedullary nailing, and the radiographic signs that indicate an impending insufficiency fracture.
Archives of Trauma Research  ·  2012
The use of gabapentin to decrease morphine consumption after surgical debridement for burns
Ee G, Ho R
Arch Trauma Res. 2012 Summer;1(2):83–4.  ·  First author
Introduction. Opioids are the mainstay of pain relief in burns but carry numerous side effects, which has driven interest in opioid-sparing drugs such as gabapentin. This letter responds to a randomised trial showing that a single 1,200 mg oral dose of gabapentin reduced pain and morphine use after surgical debridement of burns.
Methods. Letter to the editor, taken from the full text in PubMed Central.
Results. The letter notes that pain after burn debridement differs from pain after other operations, which may explain why gabapentin trials give different results across procedures.
American Medical Journal  ·  2012
Recent clinical advancement of the effects of parathyroid analogues on fracture healing in humans: a review of literature
Ee WW, Lau WL, Sivasubramanian H, Murphy D
Am Med J. 2012;3(2):220–7.  ·  First author  ·  cited 1 times
Introduction. Animal studies show that parathyroid hormone and its analogues promote callus formation and bone union, but the human evidence has not been strong enough to justify their use in fracture healing. This review assessed the human evidence for their effectiveness and safety.
Methods. Systematic review of studies from the previous ten years on parathyroid hormone analogues in human fracture healing, excluding animal studies. 10 observational studies and 2 randomised controlled trials were included.
Results. With teriparatide, fracture-site pain resolved in a mean of 3.1 months, and delayed or non-union fractures bridged in 4.3 months. New fractures treated without surgery bridged sooner than controls, at 7.4 weeks against 9.1 weeks. 8 of 254 patients (3.1%) had mild side effects.

Publication record last verified 1 September 2026. More about my training and current practice is on the about page.