“Orthopaedics has been widely heralded for its innovation,” said Mohit Bhandari, MD, cochair of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) Clinical Research Forum. “As a field, we have experienced considerable success. But as an orthopaedic community, we will only grow if we learn from our challenges.”

The ORS Clinical Research Forum, “The innovation cycle: How can we avoid wrong turns?” will be held Feb. 6, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., during the 2012 ORS annual meeting in San Francisco. The organizing committee includes Saam Morshed, MD; George F. Muschler, MD; Kristy L. Weber, MD; and James G. Wright, MD.

Confronting the challenges of innovation
The first of the forum’s five sessions will focus “on the steps to bring innovation into clinical practice,” according to Theodore Miclau, MD, ORS first vice president and cochair of the ORS Clinical Research Forum. An industry representative, a clinician scientist, and a regulatory agency representative will offer their perspectives on the subject.

The next three sessions will be dedicated to in-depth discussions of current controversies, specifically atypical proximal femur fractures, metal-on-metal hip implants, and use of bone morphogenetic proteins. “We have chosen three areas where there have been some missteps,” said Dr. Bhandari. “The minute we stop talking about these issues, we stop innovating.”

The final session will focus on steps that can be taken in clinical research to minimize adverse events and other negative occurrences.

That session will feature a guest presentation on “How to change your mind scientifically” by Donald Redelmeier, MD, MS, director, Clinical Epidemiology Unit, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Redelmeier’s area of research is medical decision science.

Who should attend?
“This program will be of interest to orthopaedic surgeons, clinical researchers, basic scientists, industry professionals, and funding agencies,” said Dr. Miclau. Forum attendance is included in the registration fee for the ORS Annual Meeting and is available at a nominal cost for those attending the AAOS Annual Meeting.

Dr. Bhandari encourages both new and very experienced orthopaedic surgeons to participate—“from the medical student who is in a lab thinking about a career in research to the most senior orthopaedic surgeon who has seen innovation transformed from science into clinical practice.”

“Our debate will be enriched with a diverse audience who can participate and provide insight into all aspects of these issues,” he continued. “By discussing these challenges, we pave the way for future success.”

Annie Hayashi is the development and communications manager for the Orthopaedic Research Society. She can be reached at hayashi@ors.org