The AAOS is pleased to welcome India as the Guest Nation at the 2017 Annual Meeting in San Diego.

"India's selection as Guest Nation is a wonderful opportunity to increase Indian participation in the AAOS Annual Meeting," said Wajahat Jamal Ashraf, MS, international liaison of the Indian Orthopaedic Association (IOA). "We look forward to sharing insights on the management of neglected trauma—trauma that remains untreated for more than 3 weeks or is treated in a manner not in accordance with presently recommended standards—as well as the Indian perspective on cost-effective treatment and clinically relevant management of cases."

Founded in 1955, the IOA is a vibrant professional organization with more than 11,000 members and 10 specialty societies. Membership in the IOA is for a lifetime—one sign of Indian orthopaedists' dedication to their profession. Beyond serving the needs of the profession at home, IOA members are also dedicated to global orthopaedics. IOA members are or have been presidents of international orthopaedic associations, including the Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association, Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de Traumatologie, and the Association for the Study and Application of the Methods of Ilizarov.

Orthopaedics in India
India is the second most populous country in the world. Understandably, the need for orthopaedic care among its 1.3 billion people is tremendous. Indian orthopaedists respond to a variety of challenges, including managing injuries from the ever-increasing incidences of road traffic accidents, agricultural accidents, and neglected trauma due to the lack of primary care. A principal concern is to ensure that the care provided is affordable for the population.

Despite these challenges, the practice of orthopaedics in India has made great strides in the last 10 to 20 years, according to Dr. Ashraf. In addition to increased specialty training, the country's well-developed information technology (IT) sector has improved access to the latest medical technology.

"Faced with a variety and plethora of clinical cases, Indian orthopaedic surgeons not only possess sound clinical judgment, but they are very versatile, skillful, and resourceful," he said.

IOA at Annual Meeting
The AAOS and IOA have been sharing knowledge for several years. Since 2011, 17 AAOS fellows have participated in educational courses in India (see below). The Annual Meeting provides another exciting venue for scientific exchange between the two countries.

"The 2017 AAOS Annual Meeting is a great occasion to learn from the wealth of experience of our Indian colleagues," said Guido Marra, MD, chair of the AAOS International Committee. "The Academy will benefit from the participation and perspective of more than 70 Indian experts directly involved in our educational programming."

During the meeting, Indian orthopaedics will be highlighted in the following special events and activities:

• Symposium R, Neglected Trauma (Wednesday, March 15, 4 p.m.– 6 p.m.)—This collaborative IOA/AAOS symposium will be comoderated by IOA President Ram Prabhoo, MBBS, MS (Orth), and AAOS Central Program Committee Chair, Alexander Vaccaro, MD, PhD. Neglected trauma is common in developing and underdeveloped countries. Experts will discuss the management of neglected trauma of various orthopaedic injuries.
• Guest Nation Posters—Scientific posters by Indian orthopaedists will be on display in Academy Hall and at the Guest Nation exhibit throughout the meeting. Look for the Indian flag to identify the selected Guest Nation posters. Special poster tours featuring Indian posters will also be available.
• Paper Sessions—Key opinion leaders from India will participate in a variety of paper sessions to give their unique perspective on current orthopaedic issues.
• Guest Nation Exhibit—Representatives from India will be on hand to speak with attendees throughout the Annual Meeting at the Guest Nation exhibit, located in Ballroom Lobby 6, Level 2, of the San Diego Convention Center.
• Your Academy 2017 Event (Thursday, March 16, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.)—India will receive special recognition as the Guest Nation and Dr. Prabhoo will speak.

In addition, articles prepared by IOA members will appear in the AAOS Now Daily Edition during the meeting.

About the Guest Nation program
The Guest Nation Program was inaugurated in 2005 to foster greater recognition and awareness of the contributions made to the practice of orthopaedics by orthopaedic surgeons from around the globe and to enhance the robust international character and excitement of the AAOS Annual Meeting. Previous Guest Nation honorees have included Argentina, Brazil, Spain, Thailand, Mexico, Japan, Canada, France, China, and Colombia.

To learn more about the IOA, visit www.ioaindia.org  

Amanda Decker is manager, AAOS International Programs.

AAOS programs in India
2011 – Trauma Conclaves in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad
2012 – Trauma Conclaves in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore
2013 – IOA Annual Conference (IOACON) Trauma Program in Agra
2015 – IOACON Trauma Program in Jaipur
2016 – Trauma Conclaves in Delhi and Goa