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Society News

ALAS holds inaugural meeting
On March 7, 2008, the American Association of Latino Orthopaedic Surgeons (ALAS) held its inaugural luncheon meeting in San Francisco. The keynote speaker was Augusto Sarmiento, MD, AAOS past president. The luncheon featured installation of the group’s first slate of officers, headed by Ramon L. Jimenez, MD, as president.

AOA “Own the Bone” program shows promise
Data from the American Orthopaedic Association’s (AOA) “Own the Bone” pilot program document significant improvement in efforts to coordinate and enhance care of patients with fragility fracture. According to the report, which appeared in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, the performance of orthopaedists in educating patients regarding the prevention of fragility fractures, and in educating primary care physicians about the risks of osteoporosis and secondary fractures, nearly quadrupled. Compliance in providing patients with education regarding intake of calcium and vitamin D more than doubled during the program. The education of fracture patients about the benefits of exercise and smoking cessation was also statistically significant. The full article is available at www.jbjs.org

The AOA hopes that the initial positive results will help to secure additional funding to introduce the program to more hospitals in 2008 to reduce the incidence of preventable secondary fractures due to poor bone health.

AOFAS seeks abstracts, volunteers
The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) is seeking abstract submissions for Specialty Day 2009 (Feb. 28, 2009, Las Vegas). The deadline for submitting abstracts is midnight, Wednesday, June 4, 2008.

Registration is now in progress for the AOFAS Military Visitation Program: Center for the Intrepid, April 10–11, 2008. The Center for the Intrepid, located at Brooke Army Medical Center, Ft. Sam Houston, Texas, is designed to help wounded service members with severe extremity injuries, burns, and amputations maximize their ability to live and work productively. The program chair is Col. James R. Ficke, MD. Information and registration materials can be found at www.aofas.org

Mark your calendar for June 25–28, 2008, and save the dates! The 24th annual summer meeting of the AOFAS takes place at the Marriott Denver City Center, Denver, Colo., and program chair Stephen J. Pinney, MD, has a great session planned. Come early and attend the premeeting course on State-of-the-Art Management of Ankle Arthritis, on June 25, organized by program chair Nicholas A. Abidi, MD. Information and registration can be found at www.aofas.org

ASSH seeks fellowship, grant applicants
The American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) is now accepting applications for the 2008 Bunnell Traveling Fellowship; the application deadline is June 1, 2008. The ASSH, with the support of the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand (AFSH), has also issued a call for grant proposals for Clinical and Basic Science Research Grants. Grant funding (a maximum of $10,000 per year for up to two years for clinical research and a maximum of $20,000 for one year for basic science grants) has been established to encourage young investigators to perform clinical and basic science research studies.

The application deadline is April 14, 2008.

For full information, visit the ASSH Web site, www.assh.org

Register now for ASSH 2008 SAE
Registration is now open for the ASSH 2008 self-assessment examination (SAE). Designed to assist the physician in reviewing basic principles of hand care, the exam also helps to keep the physician abreast of new developments and concepts within the specialty. The examination covers diagnostic and therapeutic problems, both surgical and nonsurgical, basic science knowledge, and fundamental principles of hand surgery. The interpretation of the illustrative material (clinical photographs and radiographs) is an integral part of this examination.

Direct questions to Bernadette McGreevy at (847) 384-8300 or bbicek@assh.org; registrations will be accepted through April 4. Learn more and register online at www.assh.org

CSRS offers traveling fellowship
The Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS) will once again offer a traveling fellowship designed for the clinician-scientist who has completed a year or more of spine fellowship training. The intent of the fellowship is to foster academic pursuits and future contributions to the area of the cervical spine. A maximum of three sites could be visited with a one-month minimum stay at each site. The CSRS will pay $10,000 per month for a maximum of 3 months. Deadline for applications is April 15, 2008.

Contact Carol Swift at csrs@aaos.org or (847) 698-1628 with questions. Additional information and an application form is posted on the CSRS Web site, www.csrs.org

FOSA hosts 600 at specialty day
More than 600 spine surgeons attended the 23rd Federation of Spine Associations (FOSA) Specialty Day on March 8, 2008, in San Francisco. The program featured didactic presentations and symposia on hot topics in spine, as well as a special debate on cervical diskectomy and fusion. Michael H. Haak, MD, serves as current FOSA president.

JRGOS celebrates 10th anniversary
The J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society (JRGOS) celebrated 10 years as a formal organization focused on diversity in orthopaedics and the elimination of musculoskeletal healthcare disparities on March 6, 2008, at the San Francisco Marriott Hotel. E. Anthony Rankin, MD, and Charles H. Epps, Jr., MD, JRGOS founding members, addressed attendees.

The 2008 J. Robert Gladden Orthopaedic Society Biennial Meeting will take place April 25–27, 2008, at the JW Marriott Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D.C. Program faculty will address issues of culturally competent care, eliminating healthcare disparities, contemporary race issues, and U.S. healthcare financing. A black tie event honoring Dr. Rankin will take place on April 26. Meeting information and registration materials are posted on the JRGOS Web site at www.gladdensociety.org

Contact the JRGOS at (847) 698-1633 or at jrgos@aaos.org

JRGOS offers 10 PGY 5 minority resident scholarships
Ten qualified fifth-year minority residents will be awarded scholarships to attend the AAOS Board Preparation and Review Course (#3221). The goals of the scholarship program are to prepare underrepresented ethnic group residents for the rigors of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Part 1 exam.

Each scholarship recipient will receive $1,000 to defer a major part of the registration fee to attend the course in Chicago, April 30–May 4, 2008. Each scholarship recipient will be responsible for his or her own travel/lodging expenses.

Registration open for OTA resident course
The Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) will hold a Comprehensive Fracture Course for Residents April 24–27, 2008, in St. Augustine, Fla. This course will provide a comprehensive survey of orthopaedic trauma in a fast-paced, interactive format.

The OTA will hold the 4th Annual Trauma Techniques Course for Residents May 16–17, 2008, in Dallas. This course is designed for the advanced level orthopaedic resident with basic surgical fracture fixation training. Scholarships are available for both courses. More details and online registration are available at the OTA Website, www.ota.org

AAOS Now
March 2008 Issue
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/mar08/youraaos8.asp

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