No. 106 August 2007

NewsletterNewsletter

SICOTSOCIÉTÉ INTERNATIONALE de CHIRURGIE ORTHOPÉDIQUE et de TRAUMATOLOGIETHE INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF ORTHOPAEDIC SURGERY AND TRAUMATOLOGY SICOT

Société Internationale de Chirurgie Orthopédique et de TraumatologieInternational Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology w w w. s i c o t . o r g

Evidence based orthopaedics 2Editorial by Prof Chadwick Smith 3Country to country: Hong Kong 4Committee life: Planning and Development Committee 6Hong Kong Visitor Information 6Young surgeons: SICOT Foundation/WOC Training Fellowship 7World Orthopaedic Concern 9Report from Nigeria 10Obituaries 10SICOT Membership Application Form 11

In this issue

Hong Kong TWC 2008

Surgical interventions forlumbar disc prolapse

page 2

BackgroundDisc prolapse accounts for five percent of low-backdisorders but is one of the most common reasonsfor surgery.

ObjectivesThe objective of this review was to assess the ef-fects of surgical interventions for the treatment oflumbar disc prolapse.

Search strategyWe searched the Cochrane Central Register ofControlled Trials, MEDLINE, PubMed, Spine and ab-stracts of the main spine society meetings within thelast five years. All data found up to 1 January 2007are included.

Selection criteriaRandomized trials (RCT) and quasi-randomized tri-als (QRCT) of the surgical management of lumbar discprolapse.

Data collection and analysisTwo review authors assessed trial quality and ex-tracted data from published papers. Additional infor-mation was sought from the authors if necessary.

Main resultsForty RCTs and two QRCTs were identified, includ-ing 17 new trials since the first edition of this reviewin 1999. Many of the early trials were of some formof chemonucleolysis, whereas the majority of the lat-er studies either compared different techniques ofdiscectomy or the use of some form of membraneto reduce epidural scarring.

Despite the critical importance of knowing whethersurgery is beneficial for disc prolapse, only four trials

have directly compared discectomy with conserva-tive management and these give suggestive ratherthan conclusive results. However, other trials showthat discectomy produces better clinical outcomesthan chemonucleolysis and that in turn is better thanplacebo. Microdiscectomy gives broadly comparableresults to standard discectomy. Recent trials of an in-ter-position gel covering the dura (five trials) and offat (four trials) show that they can reduce scar for-mation, though there is limited evidence about theeffect on clinical outcomes. There is insufficient evi-dence on other percutaneous discectomy techniquesto draw firm conclusions. Three small RCTs of laserdiscectomy do not provide conclusive evidence onits efficacy. There are no published RCTs of coblationtherapy or trans-foraminal endoscopic discectomy.

Authors’ conclusionsSurgical discectomy for carefully selected patientswith sciatica due to lumbar disc prolapse providesfaster relief from the acute attack than conservativemanagement, although any positive or negative ef-fects on the lifetime natural history of the underly-ing disc disease are still unclear. Microdiscectomy givesbroadly comparable results to open discectomy. Theevidence on other minimally invasive techniques re-mains unclear (with the exception of chemonucleo -lysis using chymopapain, which is no longer widelyavailable). ■

Reference: Gibson JNA, Waddell G. Surgical interventions for lumbar disc prolapse.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007Issue 2, Copyright © 2007 The Cochrane Collaboration.

Published by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. The full text of the review is available in

The Cochrane Library (ISSN 1464-780X).

Evidencebased

orthopaedics

SICOT: a trulyinternational society

Editorial

page 3

The Executive Committee has promised that it will update members on theactivities of SICOT, the Executive Committee, and the President on a regu-lar basis. It seems to me that our activities accelerate an excitement and

success on a monthly basis. We are working closely with several groups in relationto our outreach programmes and our educational activities. This includes not onlythe Scoliosis Research Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons,American Orthopaedic Association, International Federation of PaediatricOrthopaedic Surgeons, International Hip Society, Clubfoot Society, ArthroscopyAssociation of North America, International Society of Arthroscopy Knee Surgeryand Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Orthopaedic Trauma Association, OrthopaedicResearch Society, Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, OrthopaedicTrauma Association, and several national societies including the Thai OrthopaedicAssociation, Mexican Orthopaedic Association, and Canadian OrthopaedicAssociation.

We have educational and outreach programmes in Africa in conjunction with theWorld Bank, the Global Learning Centre, and the World Health Organization. It ismy hope that by the time you read this newsletter, we will have forums, several SICOTEducational Centres in Africa and between 50 and 100 new members. There is aSICOT programme in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the last week of November 2007. Itis hoped that there will be at least 50 new members in Russia as a result of thismeeting and expansion of these efforts to two educational centres in Russia by theend of 2008.

Our members in Hong Kong and China are working hard to increase membershipin SICOT in Mainland China and to develop educational centres in Hong Kong andMainland China.

We are also in the process of formalising our board examination every year intoan international board which will become more sophisticated and join the othertwo boards of orthopaedic surgery. There is a great need for this expansion thatoffers a “plum” and a symbol of excellence for those who can achieve this level ofprofessional excellence. It is a very complicated matter to form the internationalboard, and I strongly suggest that our members offer suggestions, help, and adviceas we move into this prestigious effort for our SICOT activities. ■

Chadwick F. SmithSICOT President

page 4

Prof Keith D-K Luk | SICOTVice President (Asia Pacific)

Hong Kong

Hong Kong pri-marily con-

sists of Hong KongIsland, KowloonPenin su la, the NewTer ri tories andmore than 260 out-

lying islands (the biggest one isLantau Island, where the interna-tional airport is located). TheKowloon Peninsula is attached tothe New Territories to the north,and the New Territories extendnorthward to connect with main-land China. The name “HongKong”, literally meaning “fragrantharbour”. It is derived from thearea around present-day Aberdeenon Hong Kong Island, where fra-grant wood products and fragrantincense were once traded. In thenarrow body of water separatingHong Kong Island and KowloonPeninsula is Victoria Harbour, oneof the deepest natural maritimeports in the world.

Hong Kong was a British colonyfrom 1842, but on 1 July 1997, sovereignty reverted to the Peo -ple’s Republic of China (PRC). Atpresent, Hong Kong is a SpecialAdministrative Region (SAR) ofthe PRC. Under Hong Kong’s con-stitutional document, the BasicLaw, the existing economic, legaland social systems will be main-tained for 50 years. The SAR enjoys

a high degree of autonomy exceptin defence and foreign affairs.

The history of western medicinein Hong Kong dates back to 120years ago. The College of Medicinefor Chinese established in 1887 waslater renamed as the Hong KongCollege of Medicine. One of the firsttwo graduates was Dr Sun Yat-Sen,the Founder of the modern Republicof China. In 1911, the Hong KongCollege of Medicine was amalga-mated as one of the two foundingfaculties of the University of HongKong. A second medical school wasestablished in 1980 at the ChineseUniversity of Hong Kong. The twomedical schools now produce morethan 250 new doctors each year.

With the establishment of theHong Kong Academy of Medicinein 1993, a body established bystatute, the Hong Kong College ofOrthopaedic Surgeons was official-ly formed. It has been given the authority to set standards for train-ing in orthopaedics and trau ma -tology. It has been authorised to setintermediate and exit examinationsfor this specialty. The period oftraining required consists of twoyears of basic surgery and four yearsof higher orthopaedic surgery.Trainees who have satisfied thetraining requirements and passedthe intermediate and exit examina-tions become fellows of the Hong

Kong College of OrthopaedicSurgeons and fellows of the HongKong Academy of Medicine (Ortho -paedic Surgery). They are then eli-gible for registration as specialistsin orthopaedic surgery under theHong Kong Medical Council. Since1997, the exit examination has beenconjoined with that of the RoyalColleges of Surgeons of Edinburgh,and successful candidates also ob-tain the FRCS(Ed) (Orth). Thismode of examination, includingoverseas examiners, ensures thatthe passing trainee has attained aninternational standard.

Orthopaedic surgery in HongKong was practiced mainly by gen-eral surgeons until 1951, when DrArthur R. Hodgson was appointedsenior lecturer in the Department ofSurgery at the University of HongKong and asked to start a service inorthopaedics and trauma. In 1961,the Department of Ortho paedic

Dr Arthur R. Hodgson

page 5

Country to

countryseries

Surgery was established at theUniversity of Hong Kong and DrHodgson appointed as the Foun -dation Chair. The Department washoused at the Queen Mary Hospital.Around 1963, a second major gen-eral hospital (Queen ElizabethHospital) opened in Kowloon, withtwo orthopaedic and traumatologyunits. Subse quently, orthopaedicunits were opened in the PrincessMargaret and other hospitals. In1980, a Depart ment of Orthopae -dics and Trauma tology was estab-lished at the Chinese University ofHong Kong.

At present there are 14 Ortho -paedic and Traumatology Depart -ments in the public sector. Over90 percent of patients in Hong Kongwill go to the public service if theyneed specialist consultation or in-hospital treatment. This is becauseof the very low charges and highquality services provided in the pub-lic sector service compared withthe relatively high costs of the pri-vate sector care, which most citi-zens cannot afford. Medical insur-

ance is still relatively uncommon.Knowing that the present state isnot going to be sustainable, the gov-ernment is working hard on reformof the health care system.

While the predominant muscu-loskeletal problems five decades agowere infections, especially tubercu-losis, and hand injuries affectingworkers in light industries, they arebecoming much less common nowsince the factories moved to main-land China. Ageing of the populationin Hong Kong has made conditionssuch as osteoporotic fractures, de-generation of the spine and joint dis-orders the commonly encounteredpathologies.

Ortho paedic surgeons in HongKong are very active in regional andinternational orthopaedic affairs.Hong Kong has a long-term relation-ship and is still playing an importantrole in the Asia Pacific OrthopaedicAssociation (APOA, formerly knownas Western Pacific OrthopaedicAssociation). Profes sor John C.Y.Leong, former Chair man of theDepartment of Ortho paedic Surgeryat the Univer sity of Hong Kong, wasPresident of SICOT from 2002 to2005. To our great pleasure, the nextTriennial World Congress of SICOTwill be held in Hong Kong from 24to 28 August 2008 (for more informa-tion, please see pages 6 and 12). ■

Location: Situated at the south-easterntip of China

Coordinates: 22° 15" North, 114° 10" East

Population: 6.95 million in mid-2005

Size of country: 1,104 square kilometres

Type of government: The Government is led bythe Chief Executive (selected by the Chief Executive ElectionCommittee composed of 800 members). The affairs of theGovernment are decided by secretaries, who are appointedby the Chief Executive and endorsed by the Central People'sGovernment in Beijing

Ethnical features: 95% are Chinese

No. of doctors (ratio doctors/population): 10,400 (1:670)

No. of orthopaedic surgeons (ratio doctors/population): 320(1:22,000)

No. of hospitals: 41 public hospitals (14 have an orthopaedic and trauma -tology department) and 12 private hospitals

No. of medical schools: Two

Ratio private/public health patients: For hospital services, 5 to 10% areprivate and 90 to 95% are public

China

Queen Mary Hospital

Planning and DevelopmentCommittee

Committeelife

page 6

Prof Cody Bünger | SICOT President Elect

Members ofthe Commit -

tee are at presentProf Federico Fer -nan dez-Palazzi, AssProf Tomas Trç, ProfRené Verdonk, Dr

Eduardo Zamudio and myself aschairman. This Committee is a fo-rum to discuss strategic measuresand activities to guide SICOT intothe future. We all do our best underthe pressure of our daily work, butwe are often too busy to carry ourideas through. At the same time,there are different opinions on what

is good for SICOT and what is bad.A Strategic Plan approved by theInternational Council could be animportant tool for SICOT. It shouldhave visions and missions. It can bea document on which to base ourdiscussions and reports. We shall ra-tionalise our discussions to preventrepetition and ensure that we areall heading in the same direction. Themission of our plan is mostly withinour current activities, but new oneswill also be developed. During theMarrakech meeting, our Com mitteewill discuss further the preparationof a plan for the next triennium.

Some important SICOT aims are:● to preserve SICOT as the true in-

ternational platform for exchangeof orthopaedic scientific know -ledge and research;

● to bridge the wide range of sub-specialties in international or-thopaedics and traumatology;

● to ensure outreach orthopaedicteaching and learning;

● to direct SICOT activities for thebest possible match between ourincome and expenditure.

The Committee shall meet inMarrakech on 28 August 2007. ■

Visa RequirementsHong Kong has a liberal visa policy, allowing visa-free entry to nationals of more than 170 countries and terri-tories. For country-specific visa information, please visit http://www.immd.gov.hk/ehtml/hkvisas_4.htm.For delegates from countries for which visas are required for entry to Hong Kong, please check with theChinese Embassy or Consulate in your country.For delegates travelling to other cities in Mainland China a separate entry visa is required. Please obtain yourvisa from the Chinese Embassy or Consulate within your current place of residence. Travel documents mustbe valid for at least 6 months from the date of travelling.

Special Festivities in August• Late June to late August: Hong Kong Shopping Festival• July to mid-August: International Arts Carnival

For the most up-to-date information, please visit: http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/showtime/index.jhtml

ClimateHong Kong has a sub-tropical climate with seasonal changes. Average temperature in August ranges from 28°to 33°C. Humidity is around 85 per cent. Short sleeves and cotton clothes are suitable for this season, but it isworth bringing along a lightweight sweater for air-conditioned premises. For the most up-to-date information,please visit the website of the Hong Kong Observatory at http://www.hko.gov.hk.

Hong Kong Visitor Information

Young surgeons

page 7

As a member of SICOT and uponrecommendation of the SICOT

National Delegate for Kenya, DrParakash M. Heda, who is also a pastVice President of SICOT, I was of-fered the SICOT Foundation/WOCTravelling Fellowship for highertraining in Orthopaedics, Traumaand Spine Surgery at Ganga Hospitalby the President of the WorldOrthopaedic Concern (WOC), DrS. Rajasekaran, who is also theDirector and Head of Orthopaedicsand Spine Surgery at Ganga MedicalCentre & Hos pitals (Private) Ltd. inCoim batore, India. The fellowshiplasted three months beginningJanuary 2007 and under the super-vision of Dr S. Rajasekaran. My ac-commodation was supported byWOC India and I regularly receiveda monthly allowance of INR 7,200(USD 175), which was enough tocover my upkeep. Kenyatta NationalHospital kindly paid for my air tra -vel to and from Coimbatore.

Communication between GangaHospital and me was prompt andemails were always answered with-in 24 hours. Upon arrival at Coim -batore, on 13 January 2007, I wasreceived by Dr Raja se karan’s sec-

SICOT Foundation/WOC Travelling Fellowship at Ganga Hospital,Coimbatore, India

retary, Mr V. K. Mohana, and drivento my accommodation, which hadbeen arranged and paid for in ad-vance. I was later taken to meet theWOC President, whom I found inthe operating room on a Saturday af-ternoon, and whom I ended up as-sisting in an elective surgery withinone hour of my arrival! This tightschedule was to become the way oflife throughout the fellowship peri-od: at Ganga there are no excusesfor wasting time.

rays, CT scanners and MRI, a reha-bilitation unit with modern equip-ment provide access to high qualitycare. A 400-seat auditorium, a libraryequipped with a wide range of text-books and current journals and withfree internet access 24/7 cater to alleducational requirements. Severalrooms are available at the facility forvisiting fellows, whom Ganga Hospi -tal hosts in large numbers and whocome from all around the world.

The hospital work is supervisedand guided by Dr S. Rajasekaran, DrS. Raja Sabapathy, Head of theDepart ment of Plastic, Hand andMicro Surgery and Prof M.V. Daniel,Academic Director of the Depart -ment of Orthopaedic Surgery. TheDepartment is well staffed, with sev-en consultants including the WOCSecretary General Elect, Dr J.Dheenadhayalan, two senior regis-trars, three registrars, four spine fel-lows, two trauma fellows, onearthroplasty fellow, four tutors in or-thopaedic surgery and 10 postgrad-uates. During my fellowship I inter-acted with them collectively andindividually. In addition, the hospitalhosts many visiting internationalscholars who give lectures; ProfSrinivasan, an authority on leprosygave such a talk on 8 February 2007.Many others came from differentparts of the globe for fellowships ofvarying durations in several depart-ments; they brought their different

Dr Fred Otsyeno,Dip. SICOT; FCS(ecsa); MMED; MBChBOrthopaedic SurgeonKenyatta NationalHospitalNairobi, Kenya

The Hospital is involved in or-thopaedic, spine, plastic, reconstruc-tive and neuro-surgery. During mytime there, it moved to a 400-bedfacility with a large outpatient de-partment containing private coun-selling rooms. Sixteen state of theart operating suites are fully equippedwith several image intensifiers, andhave facilities for computer-assistednavigation surgery. A wide varietyof current instruments as well as im-plants are available. Intensive careunits, a 24-hour pharmacy, an imag-ing centre with modern digital X-

Dr Rajasekaran and Dr Otsyeno in the ope-rating room

page 8

SICOT Foundation/WOC TravellingFellowship at Ganga Hospital,Coimbatore, India (cont.)

Young surgeons

experiences to the Hospital whichwas very fulfilling for all of us. The de-partment is staffed by nurses andother support staff who are welldrilled for the job. English is the mainmeans of communication and iswidely spoken among staff and pa-tients.

are seen. I would normally accom-pany Dr Rajasekaran in the outpa-tient clinics twice a week and on av-erage we would see over 100patients between 8.30 a.m. and 8.00p.m.

The operating room is mannedby well drilled competent personnelensuring efficient use of time, equip-ment and supplies. Regional anaes-thesia is widely practiced. At the timeof writing this report, following 12weeks of my stay, I had been involvedin assisting at surgery in 103 proce-dures and observed more than twiceas many similar or other surgeries.

Conferences and meetingsattended

I was entitled to complementa-ry attendance at the following meet-ings that took place at the time of myfellowship, courtesy of the WOCPresident.● From 9 February to 11 February

2007, I attended the Tamil NaduOrthopaedic Association (TNOA)annual conference held at Erode,90 km away. It provided severalCME lectures, presentations,workshops and evening socialevents. The main resource peopleat the CME included Dr Rajase -karan and Dr Dheenadha yalan.

● From 8 to 11 March, the Asia PacificOrthopaedic Association (APOA)13th operative spine course washeld at Ganga Hospital. It brought

together 400 delegates, includingmyself, from 20 countries and a fac-ulty consisting of 28 international-ly acclaimed spine surgeons fromdifferent parts of the globe (in-cluding Dr Rajasekaran and DrAjoy Prasad Shetty from GangaHos pital). During the course, 26live surgeries were demonstrated,three workshops held and 22 lec-tures presented on different as-pects of the spine.

ConclusionThis was an enlightening fellow-

ship that I will cherish and remem-ber for the rest of my life. It provid-ed me with an all-round experience,great learning opportunities in largevaried pathologies, state of the artequipment and, above all, right atti-tudes and skills in orthopaedic careand the practice of medicine par ex-cellence. I have no doubt that thiswill be of immense benefit, not onlyto me, but also to the people of mycountry, Kenya, and to all mankind.

My sincere heartfelt gratitudegoes to SICOT Foundation/WOC,WOC India, all the people and in-stitutions mentioned in this report,especially Dr Rajase karan. Thanksalso go to the unsung heroes ofCoimbatore and beyond, and notleast the patients and the people ofIndia without whom Ganga Hos -pital, as it is today, would not be.

■

I was involved in all areas of ac-tivity, with a weekly schedule of sixdays, prepared for me by DrDheena dhaya lan, with Sunday as theoptional resting day. A day at thehospital normally begins at 7.15 a.m.with the post admission call rounds,followed by lectures or tutorials onTuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdaysbetween 7.30 a.m. and 8.30 a.m.Ward work, outpatient clinics andtheatre sessions continue until about8.00 p.m. Ward rounds end the dayusually after 10.00 p.m. The emer-gency service and operating the-atres continue to work full time. Theoutpatient orthopaedic attendanceis heavy with an amazing spectrumof referrals, which represents thetertiary institution that is Ganga,where more than 250 patients a day

Dr Rajasekaran and Dr Otsyeno

WorldOrthopaedic Concern

Dr S. Rajasekaran | President of World Orthopaedic Concern, UK

page 9

Worldwidenews

It has been an active year for WOCwith Chapters around the world

contributing to orthopaedic educationin numerous ways. Orthopaedic train-ing has been either by regional fellow-ships or by international travel in suit-able instances. The concept of ‘Regional

Training Fellowships’ organised in Indian centres hasbecome very popular and has so far succeeded in train-ing more than 90 surgeons in their field of interest incentres of excellence at very low cost. Unlike travel-ling to distant countries for training, fellowship trainingin one’s own country allows the surgeon to be trainedunder a home environment with the possibility forhands-on experience. The nature of pathology and thesophistication of facilities available are also easily re-producible. From 2000, more than 90 surgeons in Indiahave been trained under this fellowship scheme. Theproject is funded by the SICOT Foundation and, from2004, it has been extended to neighbouring countriesalso. A unique feature has been the collaboration ofvarious WOC Chapters in jointly sponsoring such ed-ucational activities as given below:

In 2004, another unique ‘Travelling Professor’ pro-gramme was started as an activity of WOC India.Having a learned teacher travelling to a centre has theadvantage that all members of staff in the centrebenefit from his expertise and wealth of experience.The Professor stays in the unit for a period of aweek to ten days and participates in all activities ofthe department including outpatient clinics, wardrounds and surgical demonstrations. The two pro-grammes to date have been an outstanding success.

SICOT Foundation/WOC Training Programme

Name of Doctor Place Sponsored by

Dr Surianto Indonesia WOC-Holland& WOC-India

Dr Sirag Ethiopia WOC-UK & WOC-India

Dr Zeng Zhoe China WOC-India

Dr Fred Otsyeno Kenya WOC-Kenya & WOC-India

Dr Birhanu Ayana Ethiopia WOC-UK & WOC-India

Dr Raphael Ayorinde Nigeria WOC-India

WOC/Prof. T.K. ShanmugasundaramTravelling Professorship:Visiting Visit to Period Sponsored

by

Prof N S Laud Bangladesh 25 July to WOC-India10 Aug 2004

Prof Deven Taneja Bhutan March 2007 WOC-India

More exchange fellowships among member coun-tries will surely make WOC stronger and WOCwould like to acknowledge the strong financial sup-port the SICOT Foundation has given for its educa-tional activities.

I would also like to record with sadness the demise of one of our illustrious members, Mr J. N.Wilson from the UK, a former President of WOC and its long-time news editor. To honour his memo-ry and recognise his contributions, it is proposed tohave this first WOC/J. N. Wilson memorial orationduring the next SICOT meeting. Prof Kanda Pillayfrom Singapore will deliver the oration during theSICOT meeting in Hong Kong. ■

Dr Rajasekaran withSICOT/WOC Fellows DrOluwabunmi Satungusand Dr RaphaelAyorinde from Nigeria,and Dr Birhanu Ayanafrom Ethiopia.

Dr Wahab Yinusa | National Delegate of Nigeria

page 10

Worldwidenews Report from Nigeria

Dr Yamina BenkeddacheIt is with great sadness that we

announce that Dr Yamina Ben -keddache has passed away after afour-year battle against breast can-cer. She died on 17 May 2007 inMarseille, France, at the age of 82.

Dr Benkeddache was theNational Delegate of Algeria from 1986 to 1993. Shewas the first female orthopaedic surgeon of inde-pendent Algeria and a great specialist of hand sur-gery, a specialty she developed at the DouéraHospital in Algiers, Algeria, for many years.

Our deepest condolences go to her husband,Prof Michel Martini, and son, Mr Fadhel Martini.

Dr Zacchaeus AlabiWe regret to announce the death of Dr

Zacchaeus A. Alabi, the former National Delegateof Nigeria. He died on 7 January 2007 at the age of 76.

Dr Alabi retired as a reader in Orthopaedics &Traumatology at the Obafemi Awolowo UniversityTeaching Hospital, Ile-Ife in 1991. Dr Alabi was thepioneer General Secre tary of the Nigerian Ortho -pae dic Association, a post he held from 1977 to1990. He was the National Delegate of Nigeriafrom 1987 to 1996.

He is survived by his dear wife, Stella, and threechildren.

Obituary Announcements

The Annual General and Scientificmeeting of the Nigerian

Orthopae dic Association took place inthe ancient city of Ilorin, Kwara State,in Nigeria from 29 November to 1December 2006. The theme of the con-ference was osteoarthritis. In atten-

dance were members of the association, other medicalpersonnel and patients with osteoarthritis. The guestspeaker at the conference was Prof Galal Zaki Said.

SICOT’s Nigeria Section held a well-attended meetingduring the conference which was graced by Prof Said. Far-reaching decisions on our National Section were taken.

At the end of the meeting, we had the opportunityto take photographs with Nigerian orthopaedic surgeonswho had benefited from the Assiut University/SICOTTraining Fellow ship.

Prof Galal Zaki Said, SICOT Vice President, is in the middle and flan-ked on the right by Dr S. B. Agaja, Chairman LOC and to the leftby Dr Bob-Yellowe, President of NOA. Dr W. Yinusa, NationalDelegate of Nigeria, is next to Dr Bob-Yellowe.

We thank Prof Said for his presence and interesting lectures which added much distinction to the conference.

page 11

Application for membershipPlease complete this page and forward it, together with your curriculum vitae, a photo-graph and the list of your main publications, to the Secretary General, SICOT a.i.s.b.l., atthe address below. Please print the requested data. Do not send payment now! For addi-tional information please see overleaf or visit http://www.sicot.org.

• Name and addressFamily name ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

First name ................................................................................................................ Initials ..........................................................................................................

Address ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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City .............................................................................................................................. Zip code ....................................................................................................

Country ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Phone .......................................................................................................................... Fax ................................................................................................................

Mobile ........................................................................................................................ E-mail ..........................................................................................................

Birth date .................................................................................................................. Nationality ................................................................................................

• General medical educationInstitution: ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................... Years: ............................................................

Institution: ..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................... Years: ............................................................

Last degree obtained: .......................................................................................................................................... Year: ............................................................

• Scholarships, awards and fellowships................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

• National orthopaedic societyAre you a member of a national orthopaedic society? ■■ Yes ■■ NoIf yes, please specify ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................................

• Hospital(s) to which you are presently attached ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

• Teaching positions, past and presentPosition: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................... Years: ............................................................

Position: ..................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................................................................... Years: ............................................................

• Are you applying as an ■■ Active member ■■ Associate member (under 40 years old)If you are applying as an Associate member you may stay in this category up to the end of your training and for not more than six years. Beginning of training: ............................................................................ (year).Date: ............................................................................................................................ Signature: ....................................................................................................

• Sponsored by (a SICOT member)Name: ........................................................................................................................

Country: .................................................................................................................... Signature: ....................................................................................................

• If you are applying as an Active member:National Delegate/Secretary’s (°)Name: ........................................................................................................................ Signature: ....................................................................................................

(°) if you do not have a National Delegate/Secretary, please apply directly to the Secretary General.

Editorial DepartmentEditorial Secretary: Prof Rocco P. PittoExternal Affairs: Linda Ridefjord

Rue Washington 40-b.9, 1050 Brussels, BelgiumTel.: +32 2 648 68 23 - Fax: +32 2 649 86 01E-mail: edsecr@sicot.org - Website: http://www.sicot.org

For more information, please visit the new SICOT website: http://www.sicot.org

SICOT/SIROT 2008XXIV Triennal World Congress24 - 28 August 2008

Hong Kong

Message from the President

This is the third time in the history of SICOT that

the Triennial World Con gress is being held in Asia and

I welcome you all to our exciting city of Hong Kong.

This year, we have received an extremely enthusias-

tic demand from friendly subspecialty societies for co-

spon soring programmes with SICOT. Instead of a con-

ventional specialty day when participants may have

difficulty choosing between concurrent sessions that they

are interested in, the organising committee has decided

to spread them out throughout the programme. In

essence there will be activities of most of the subspe-

cialties everyday with minimal clashing. In addition to

the oral paper presentations, one new initiative we have

is the ‘special poster sessions’ where authors will be

given 2 minutes to present their work in front of their

posters, followed by 3 minutes of discussions. You are

encouraged to bring your coffee with you to these poster

sessions and share your wisdom with this selected group

of researchers.

The sun does not go down in Hong Kong. There is

no lack of social activities around, both day and night, to

keep you busy. I would encourage you and your spouse

to register early for the social programmes because

seats are limited. There are two things that you should

do before coming, go on a diet a month before and save

up some money. Do not miss the opportunity to ex-

plore the wide range of culinary delights and enjoy the

great fun of shopping while in Hong Kong.

For those who have extra time before or after the

Triennial World Congress, you may be interested to know

that there will be a Pre-congress and a Post-congress

meeting with tours in Xian and Shanghai, China, respec-

tively. Xian is one of the oldest cities, where the famous

terracotta is located, and Shanghai is obviously the fastest

growing economy in the region.

I look forward to seeing you at the congress and I

guarantee that it will be the most educational, sociable

and memorable event. ■

Professor Keith Dip-Kei LukCongress President SICOT TWC 2008

Call for abstractsOnline abstract submission for the SICOT/SIROT 2008

XXIV Triennial World Congress

in Hong Kong will be open from

25 August 2007 to 31 January 2008.

24 August 2008 SIROTSICOT/SIROTOpening Ceremony

25-26 August 2008 SICOTSubspecialty societies

27 August 2008 SICOTSubspecialty societiesCongress President’s dinner

28 August 2008 SICOTSubspecialty societiesClosing Ceremony

ProgrammeVenue: Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre