Scope out a symposium

Be sure to carve out time in your Annual Meeting schedule to attend at least one of the 23 symposia scheduled from today through Friday. It’s a unique chance to join panels of clinicians and experts in their fields as they discuss and debate current, high-interest topics. This year’s slate spans a range of clinical issues, but sessions also will take on some of the pressing legal, political, and economic questions facing physicians.

All interested individuals, including exhibitors, are invited to attend symposia.

Here’s a sampling of sessions happening today and Thursday. All rooms are in the Morial Convention Center. Full descriptions are in the Annual Meeting program (pp 88-96).

Wednesday, March 10
Symposium and Open Forum on Health Care Reform:Where Are We Now? 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., La Nouvelle Ballroom. Moderator: Joseph D. Zuckerman, MD. During this symposium, the House and Senate health care reform bills will be discussed, summarizing the areas of greatest interest to the orthopaedic community. It will also highlight the activities taken by the AAOS, including position statements, calls to action, coalition-building, and public relations campaign. AAOS lobbying activities and activities of the Orthopaedic Political Action Committee will be also reviewed.

Controversies in Spine Surgery. 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., La Louisiane Ballroom A. Moderator: Harry N. Herkowitz, MD. This symposium presents two opposing viewpoints on three controversial treatment options. The debates will address points of disagreement regarding cervical fusion, the value or need for novel technology and motion preservation in lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis, and whether or not adjacent segment disease has been shown to be altered by motion preservation.

Off-Label Device Use: When Clinical Need Outpaces Regulatory Approval. 1:30–3:30 p.m., La Louisiane Ballroom B. Moderators: A. Seth Greenwald, DPhil, and Michael J. Yaszemski, MD. Although the 1976 Safe Medical Devices Act brought medical device oversight under the Food and Drug Administration, it did not specify by regulation the physician-directed treatment that is medically determined to be in the best interest of the patient. As a result, standards of care often evolve far out in front of regulatory approval for devices. Panelists will address clinical/surgical experiences involving advancements and issues in medical devices and therapies such as pedicle screws, the pediatric device question, antibiotic-loaded bone cement, and recombinant human growth factor as well as reimbursement and legal parameters.

Youth Sports Injuries: A Case Based Approach. 1:30–3:30 p.m., La Louisiane Ballroom A. Moderator: Bradley J. Nelson, MD. This symposium will use a case-based approach to explore injuries common in the adolescent athlete. Panelists will discuss surgical and nonsurgical management of knee, shoulder, and elbow injuries.

Thursday March 11
The Haitian Earthquake: What We Saw, Did, and Learned. 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m., Room 217. Moderator: J. David Pitcher Jr., MD. A last-minute addition to the program, this symposium will focus on the relief efforts of the orthopaedic community to the disaster in Haiti. Members who served on the ground and with the National Disaster Medical Services teams will share their experiences and provide a unique perspective on disaster relief efforts. Among the topics covered will be working with Haitian nationals to refine the relief efforts, blending civilian and military efforts in a new model of disaster relief, and reviewing the lessons learned in mobilizing relief efforts, ethics, and safety. AAOS members who have served in Haiti or are planning a rotation in Haiti are especially encouraged to attend.

Beyond Medical Liability Reform: Keeping Our House in Order. 1:30–3:30 p.m., La Louisiane Ballroom A. Moderator: Alexander R. Vaccaro, MD. The prospect of national tort reform has faded since 2006, and most of the changes and reforms that have occurred have been in the states. Panelists will discuss how to arrive at a fair and just way to protect the rights of the harmed patient within a sustainable economic model. The session could get lively as one lawyer on the panel argues that the state of liability litigation must change and another says that “negligence exists, patients have rights,” and the current system is fine. Also on the schedule: “The AAOS Professional Compliance Program—Does It Work?” and a presentation by a neurosurgeon on the experience in his specialty.

Great Debates in Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA): Case Based Discussions. 4–6 p.m., La Nouvelle Ballroom. Moderator: Jay R. Lieberman, MD. This case-based symposium will present the latest data regarding continuing controversies in primary THA. Management issues related to bearing surfaces and head size selection will be discussed, as well as the best bearing surface for the young patient and resurfacing. Panelists will also address hip fracture management and the “guideline wars” over deep vein thrombosis prophylaxis.

2010 Annual Meeting News
Wednesday through Saturday, March 10 – 13, 2010.
http://www.aaos.org/news/acadnews/2010/AAOS20_3_10.asp