By Hakki Sur, LO Chairman 14th EFORT Congress 2013.
EFORT’s scientific kick-off meetings are held two years in advance of the annual meetings. The purpose is to decide the scientific programme, its highlights, and also the social venues.
The kick-off meeting for the Istanbul 2013 EFORT Congress was held from 1 – 3 September 2011 in Istanbul. It was chaired by Pierre Hoffmeyer, the next President of EFORT.
The Scientific Committee was led by Enric Caceres Palou, who is its Chairman, and Hakki Sur, the Local Organising Committee Chairman. This meeting assembled the leaders of Specialty Societies, led by George Macheras. They included the incoming president of EPOS, the General Secretary of Eurospine, the past President of EFOST, the Vice-President of ESSKA, EFORT Trauma Task Force group leaders, and many other distinguished faculties.
Per Kjaersgaard-Andersen, the former Scientific Committee chairman and Local Chairman for the highly successful Copenhagen Congress, presented very useful computerised feedback data from congress attendees. This illustrated the most successful topics of the past, the topics the attendees wanted to see repeated, the issues that have never been addressed, and those on the waiting list.
There was a very lively and clearly-presented discussion in which every participant made an important contribution to the scientific programme. The result is a schedule which is certain to attract orthopaedic surgeons to the İstanbul Congress in large numbers.
Haemophilia, infected fractures, the prevention of osteoporosis, meniscal and ligament injuries, modern treatments in spine trauma, metatarsalgia, tribology in knee and hip arthroplasty, Dupuytren contracture, and early osteoarthritis and its management, will be among the highlight topics.
Overall, 24 Symposia, 23 Instructional Lectures, six Complex Case Discussions, six Interactive Expert Exchanges, seven Debate Forums, two Evidence-Based Medicine Sessions and two guest lectures will be organised by renowned faculty from across Europe.
As Istanbul offers a bridge between Europe, the Middle East and Asia, mixing the fabulous cultures and histories of all these continents, this 2013 Congress will no doubt attract a mix of European, Eastern and Asian orthopaedic surgeons, most of whom will not even need a visa to enter Turkey.
It was also decided that the social venues should be full of history and oriental charm. We can assure you that EFORT’s traditional İstanbul Night will be unforgettable!
Please keep 5 – 8 June 2013 free in your diary to immerse yourself in top orthopaedic science, as well as Istanbul’s enchanting oriental culture and history.
