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AAOS Annual Meeting offers international attendees learning opportunities
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The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting will get underway on March 12. My first AAOS Annual Meeting was in 1988 in Atlanta. Since then, I have only missed one AAOS Annual Meeting. I am probably among the most consistent attendees at that meeting as this is my 30th time to participate in the meeting.
In my younger days, I even went to the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) Meeting which, at the time, was always held in the same city on the days right before the AAOS Annual Meeting. My time at the ORS Meeting involved getting an update and more education on the latest orthopaedic science and research, whereas the subsequent days spent at the AAOS Annual Meeting were when I learned and was updated in my area of interest, which is adult hip reconstruction. For me, the AAOS and ORS meetings quickly became an annual event focused on networking. The meetings gradually gave way to being business meetings that proved an ideal venue at which I would meet with old and new friends and colleagues from around the world.
The AAOS Annual Meeting took on another purpose after I entered the leadership ranks within the European Federation of National Societies of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT) in 2012. As I am the president of EFORT this year, it will make being at the AAOS Annual Meeting something truly special.
There are many offerings at the AAOS Annual Meeting, so I encourage those who are attending the meeting in Las Vegas on March 12-16, to explore the program in-depth before arriving.
Updated knowledge, news of trends
Although my schedule already looks busy, there are some sessions I will do my best to attend. First, I will be at the Academy Session at 10:15 a.m., Thursday, March 14 in Palazzo Ballroom E, listening to leaders of the AAOS discuss their thoughts and strategies.
Next, being a hip surgeon who is focused on joint replacement, I seek updates on areas that are most focused on at our institution, which is Vejle Hospital in Vejle, Denmark. My goal is to return fully informed about the latest trends and knowledge on key topics. Therefore, on Tuesday, March 12 at 8:00 a.m., I plan to attend Symposium A, which is moderated by Thomas Fehring, MD, and entitled, “Management of Periprosthetic Infection – Technical Tips for Success. On Wednesday, March 13, I hope to learn from presenters at the case presentation session entitled, “Trunions, Tapers, and Corrosion in Total Hip Arthroplasty: What’s All the Fuss About? What Every Surgeon Should Know.”
Female orthopaedic surgeons
In Europe, and in Denmark in particular, women represent more than 70% of the University graduates who have a degree as a medical doctor. We all need to better understand the specific challenges women have with a career in medicine, so we can better help them succeed in all areas. At my institution, we also have more female orthopaedic surgeons, and that is a statistic with which everyone seems happy. I know from my colleagues across Europe, however, that is not always the case. Therefore, I will certainly be listening closely when I attend Instructional Course Lecture 364 on Thursday, March 14, entitled, “Women in Orthopaedics: What You Really Want to Know (But Are Too Afraid to Ask),” which is moderated by Meghan Imrie, MD.
At every AAOS Annual Meeting I try to identify and attend one or two sessions outside of my area of expertise, just to be on the lookout for any news that may be of interest or use in my practice. This year, I will do that by attending a symposium entitled, “A Step-by-Step Guide to Successful Operative Treatment of Common Fractures in Children: Indications, How to Set Up the Room, Position the Patient, and Do the Procedure,” at 8:00 a.m. on March 13. It is moderated by Pooya Hosseinzadeh, MD, and is being held in Room 4303.
For Spanish-speaking meeting attendees, some poster tours are being conducted in Spanish, including a new trauma poster tour on March 13 at 11:30 a.m. in the Academy Hall of the Venetian Ballroom. Another poster tour in which European attendees may be interested is of sports medicine posters from European investigators, which will be held March 15 at 1:30 p.m. in the Academy Hall.
I hope you all have a successful and productive time at the AAOS Annual Meeting.
- Reference:
- www.aaos.org/annual/
- For more information:
- Per Kjaersgaard-Andersen, MD, is Chief Medical Editor of Orthopaedics Today Europe. He can be reached at Orthopaedics Today Europe, 6900 Grove Road, Thorofare, NJ 08086, USA; email: orthopedics@healio.com.
Disclosure: Kjaersgaard-Andersen reports no relevant financial disclosures.