The German Congress of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery have successfully ended in Berlin. The Congress (26th-29th October), which was held at the International Congress Centre (ICC) was attended by mandarins of this important sector of medicine.
A major significance of this year’s Congress was manifested in the fact that it brought together the 96th Conference of the German Association of Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery (DGOOC); the 74th Annual Conference of the German Association for Trauma Surgery and the 51st Congress of the Professional Association of Orthopaedic Specialists and Trauma Surgeons (BVOU).
Among the items on Business Calendar of the Congress include Trauma and Emergency Surgery, Kinematics which addresses questions such as the following: Does the unstable shoe design affect the gait pattern during walking and upright standing?
Topics on the agenda also dealt with Gait analysis study on patients with varus misalignment; Accuracy of a new protocol for estimating joint derogation during gait in children with cerebral palsy.
The highly scientific Congress also addresses issues ranging from the influence of multi-level lumbar disc arthroplasty on spine kinematics and facet joint forces – a finite element study.
Other scientific sessions include seminars on Management of Abductor Insufficiency after Hip Replacement.
Speakers at this session addressed topics like the Functional anatomy of hip abductors – what surgeons should know; Value of differentiated diagnostic tests in glutei insufficiency; Conservative treatment; recommendations and reality; surgical therapy as well as reconstruction of delayed tendon ruptures.
Congress delegates were conscious of the demographic changes in Germany which inevitably mean older people who suffer from age-related diseases. These include joint and spinal diseases, osteoporosis and osteoarthritis.
To be prepared for the anticipated increase in care needs, experts at the Congress discussed future-oriented concepts that will assist them in coping with the problem. These, they hope will show which structures clinics and medical practices can in future continue to ensure adequate supply closer to home.
It emerged at the Congress that due to the increasing number of patients in need of artificial joints, the workload of doctors also went up. Numerous lectures and courses were devoted to this topic. The aim is to recognise and effectively treat complications.
Among the major focal points at the Congress were emphasis on transparency in medical safety and patient care.
“Patient and implant safety are an important focus,” emphasised DGU President Prof. Dr. Norbert Südkamp, DGOOC President Dr. Daniel Frank and BVOU President Helmut Maltster, Consultant Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgeon.
Delegates at this year’s Congress also addressed the equally important issue of assessing the quality of new implants. Other important question which occupied the attention of delegates include the care of patients with injuries of different degrees of severity.
Overall, the 2010 German Congress of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery has lived up to its motto: “Innovation, Safety, reliability”. The Berlin Congress offered an important platform for research, further training opportunities, product information and inspiring presentations.
The series of sessions in English goes a long way towards the Congress goal of better integrating international societies and delegates and overcoming challenges together. The increased number of visitors from non-German speaking countries gave an added boost to the event.
Overall, there were 276 sessions at the Scientific programme with 1515 paper presentations and 161 posters. In addition, 46 workshops, lunch and 104 committee meetings were conducted. At the trade exhibition, 240 companies took park on 5565 square feet of space in the exhibition hall.
The Congress was attended by over 11,000 delegates from the medical profession, nursing care, physiotherapy, emergency services, the industrial sector, the economic sector, public relations as well as patients and their relatives.
Dr Mohamed Osman & Musah Ibrahim Musah