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Becoming an expert in hip-joint arthroscopy
Attend the Advanced EHS-EFORT BAT Instructional Course on Hip pathology in young adults, Bern, Switzerland, from 27 to 29 August 2014
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The first of two BAT (Basic, Advanced and Traumatology) courses organized by EFORT-EHS on joint-preservation surgery of the hip was a complete success. The program will be continued with an advanced course in Bern designed for experienced surgeons who “want to become experts on the hip and its conservative surgical treatment.”
The first of two courses organized in the framework of the EFORT-EHS BAT program took place in Madrid from 5 to 7 March 2014. BAT stands for Basic, Advanced and Traumatology courses and offers orthopaedic surgeons the opportunity to engage more intensively with trauma and surgery of the hip joint. Course director Dr. Oliver Marín-Peña of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology at Madrid’s Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, underlined the course’s tremendous success: “The first BAT course consisted of four workshops and three operations that were broadcast live from the operating room into the course classroom. Participants thus had the opportunity for a very practice-oriented involvement in the subject-matter of hip surgery. Opportunities for interaction and discussion were also put to especially good use in the practical part of the course. I would describe our course as very successful.” Dr. Marín-Peña also sees particular value in the opportunity for small group or private discussions: “Questions get asked in such an environment, for example, that one would probably not ask in the framework of a congress.” Even language problems tend to lose importance in smaller settings.
The program will be continued with an advanced course in Bern, Switzerland, this August that will build upon the first course. The focus will be on joint preserving hip surgery, said Prof. Dr. Klaus Siebenrock of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University Hospital Bern. The objective is the “targeted additional training for advanced hip specialists, senior physicians, for example, or experienced assistants who want to specialize in joint-preserving hip surgery. So we are catering to those who want to become experts for the hip and its conservative surgical treatment.”
Worldwide, joint-preserving hip surgery is currently generating a strong growth in interest. Prof. Siebenrock said: “When we speak of hip surgery, most people immediately think of joint replacement. But this is no longer true today. Through new surgical techniques, such as hip-joint arthroscopy, a new and innovative field has been opened.” Typical indications are diseases of the hip that are diagnosed in relatively young people.
“Previously, there was not much one could do in such cases. But we now understand the pathophysiology of this disease and can therefore intervene accordingly. A typical example is hip impingement. This involves a deformity of the hip joint that leads to early abrasion. It is very common. Every fourth man can be classified as a risk patient, women are less frequently affected.
“In impingement cases today one can intervene with arthroscopic and joint-preserving surgery. Conversely, osteoarthritis in elderly patients remains a typical indication for joint replacement,” the specialist explained. New capabilities in hip surgery have also led to an increased need for corresponding education and training opportunities.
Now that the basics were covered in Madrid, five theoretical sessions and four workshops in Bern will delve more deeply into detail. A live operation is planned, as well as interactive case discussions. Prof. Siebenrock said: “Our particular interest is the practical part of the course in which hands-on means – among other things – working with cadaveric specimen. Practice here will especially include hip arthroscopy. Course participants get plenty of time this way to work out the anatomy of the hip joint.”
Additional training sessions will be conducted with plastic bones. These will involve practical exercises, for example, in drilling, screwing and setting plates. A model will also be available for practicing arthroscopy. In addition to hip arthroscopic techniques, caring for hip luxation will also be trained as well as pelvis and thigh displacement osteotomy. The course will be concluded with an evaluation by the participants rather than an examination of the candidates.
The concept of the BAT program involving a basic and advanced course shall be repeated. Whether this will be annually or every two years has not yet been decided.
- info
- More on EFORT BAT Course: www.efort.org/bat
- Upcoming BAT, with EHS: www.efort.org/ic-ehs2014-advanced