AOFAS® Annual Meeting 2018 Draws Thousands to Boston

ROSEMONT, Ill., July 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Over 2,000 attendees including members, guests, and industry exhibitors attended the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society Annual Meeting in Boston, July 11-14. Participants engaged in over 50 educational sessions, a keynote presentation unique to Boston, and several special award ceremonies.

Foot and Ankle Orthopaedic Surgeons discussed advanced surgical techniques including total ankle replacement, assessed current data and clinical trends, and reviewed technological innovations in orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery.

The second day of the meeting featured a keynote presentation, “Shared Decision Making in the Wake of the Boston Marathon Bombing,” with survivors of the bombing, Heather Abbott and Marc Fucarile, and Boston surgeons, Eric M. Bluman, MD, PhD, and John Y. Kwon, MD. As a result of the horrific 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, Abbott and Fucarile each lost a leg, amongst several other injuries. The two survivors vividly recalled the support their foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons provided in their crucial decision to amputate the injured limbs, and the role the surgeons played in the road to recovery.

On July 13, AOFAS announced the recipients of 2018 Roger A. Mann Award given in recognition of the outstanding clinical paper and J. Leonard Goldner Award for the outstanding research paper. The Mann Award was presented to James A. Nunley, MD; Samuel B. Adams, MD; James K. DeOrio, MD; and Mark E. Easley, MD, for the paper, “Prospective Randomized Trial Comparing Mobile-bearing and Fixed-bearing Total Ankle Replacement.” The Goldner Award was given to the research paper, “Impact of Vancomycin Treatment on Human Mesenchymal Stromal Cells During Osteogenic Differentiation” by Jason T. Bariteau, MD; Rishin J. Kadakia, MD; Brian Traub, MD; and Nick Willett, PhD.

The International Federation of Foot & Ankle Societies (IFFAS) is an organization of collaborating international orthopaedic foot and ankle societies. Each year, IFFAS presents an Award of Excellence for the top international paper submitted to the AOFAS Annual Meeting. The 2018 award recipients are Guilherme H. Saito, MD; Daniel R. Sturnick, MS; Jonathan T. Deland, MD; Scott J. Ellis, MD; and Constantine A. Demetracopoulos, MD, for the paper, “Influence of Tibial Component Position on Altered Kinematics Following Total Ankle Arthroplasty During Simulated Gait.”

Other awards presented during the meeting were the new Women’s Leadership Award and International Women’s Leadership Award, to Ruth L. Thomas, MD, and Su-Young Bae, MD, PhD, respectively. In addition, William G. Hamilton, MD, and the late John S. Gould, MD, were honored as the inaugural Pillars of the AOFAS for their dedication to educating foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons and advancing the profession.

The meeting also included the installation of the 2018-19 Boards of Directors for the AOFAS and the Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Foundation. J. Chris Coetzee, MD, from Twin Cities Orthopedics in Minneapolis-St. Paul took office as AOFAS President. “I am looking forward to continuing collaboration with peers from all over the world to work towards our goals of improved patient care, education, and outreach,” Coetzee said in his first remarks as president.

About Foot and Ankle Orthopaedic Surgeons
Foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons are medical doctors (MD and DO) who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the foot and ankle. Their education and training consists of four years of medical school, five years of postgraduate residency, and a fellowship year of specialized surgical training. These specialists care for patients of all ages, performing reconstructive surgery for deformities and arthritis, treating sports injuries, and managing foot and ankle trauma.

About the AOFAS
The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) mobilizes our dynamic community of foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons to improve patient care through education, research, and advocacy. As the premier global organization for foot and ankle care, AOFAS delivers exceptional events and resources for continuous education, funds and promotes innovative research, and broadens patient understanding of foot and ankle conditions and treatments. By emphasizing collaboration and excellence, AOFAS inspires ever-increasing levels of professional performance leading to improved patient outcomes. For more information visit the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society online at aofas.org.

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SOURCE American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society