Ponseti course in Baku (report)

[Guest guest]

Dear friends,

On April 10-13 I had an honor to participate and interpret at a

pediatric orthopedic conference in Baku Azerbaijan. The title of the

conference was " Treatment of Pediatric Traumas and Diseases of The

Musculo-Skeletal System " .

The event was organized by the ATOA (Azerbaijan Traumatology and

Orthopaedics Association) and POSNA (The Pediatric Orthopaedics

Society of North America) and followed the long term co-operation

which was started a few years ago by Dr. Gordon's (Shriners

Hospital for Children, St. Louis) annual academic visits and

projects.

The conference included a one day seminar and casting workshop on

treatment of congenital clubfoot using the Ponseti method.

The guests to the conference were Dr. Schoenecker (Chief,

Pediatric Orthopaedics

St. Louis Shriners Hospital for Children, President Elect of POSNA),

Dr. Gordon (Shriners Hospital for Children, St. Louis), Dr.

and Dr. M.F. Sinclair (U.A.E.).

During the first two days of the meeting the guest speakers and the

local orthopaedic surgeons gave presentations on various topics

ranging from the treatment of scoliosis, bone tumors and pediatric

fractures to the treatment of infantile hip dysplasia and pediatric

spinal deformities.

During the evenings, after the presentations, the guests were taken

for official dinners. We were able to enjoy the local cuisine and

meet the sponsors. The Baku conference also included some insight to

the culture of Azerbaijan. We were invited to participate in the

concert of traditional music, had a tour in the city of Baku, saw

some famous sights and visited a world famous carpet museum.

On the last day, Dr. M.F. Sinclair who is active in organizing and

giving Ponseti courses in Germany, Lithuania, and Finland etc.

presented the theory of Ponseti method to about 50 local orthopaedic

surgeons. The doctors and the patients were also able to hear about

the Ponseti resources available on the Internet and the parent

support groups similar to the Lithuanian Clubfoot Club. As we all

know, the success of Ponseti treatment depends greatly on the

compliance to foot abduction brace. In my presentation, I was trying

to raise the question of parents' participation in their children's

treatment and the importance of sharing information among parents.

After the presentation the doctors moved to the casting room for a

Ponseti casting workshop. The casting session was very successful

and many local participants admitted that " Ponseti method turned

upside down all their knowledge and philosophy they had had about

the treatment of congenital clubfoot " . Many had also agreed that

Ponseti method " will be widely accepted in Azerbaijan due to the low

cost of the treatment and its relatively quick results " .

Until this year, the most common treatment of congenital clubfoot in

Azerbaijan was surgery and Ilizarov technique. Older children, about

5 to 7 years old, with neglected or untreated congenital clubfoot

also cause a big concern for local doctors. One of such patients was

brought into the conference room for a case-based consultation and

guest speakers' feedback.

During the conference there was an exhibition of orthopaedic

products and drugs from trade firms and local pharmaceutical

companies. To our surprise, one of the companies at the exhibition

had a few samples of Foot Abduction Braces which were imported from

Turkey. Their cost was about 40 USA dollars. Although, the shoes on

this brace were made of very hard leather and there were no degrees

printed on the bar for the adjustment of the brace, we were happy to

realize that the Ponseti method can be applied in Azerbaijan

starting form the next day.

The organizers of the conference are now making plans for the next

year's Ponseti follow-up seminar in Baku and one more academic

conference in 2008.

Jolanta Kavaliauskiene and son Jokubas 18 08 2003

Lithuanian Clubfoot Club

www.sleivapedyste.projektas.lt

[Guest guest]

Jolanta,

Thank you so much for sharing this report with us! What wonderful

news! Do you happen to know if the doctors in Azerbaijan were told

about the qualified physicians list on Dr. Ponseti's website so that

they might consider having their name listed once they utilize the

method?

Please continue to keep us updated if you have any more information!

Best wishes,

& (3-16-00, left clubfoot)

>

> Dear friends,

>

> On April 10-13 I had an honor to participate and interpret at a

> pediatric orthopedic conference in Baku Azerbaijan. The title of

the

> conference was " Treatment of Pediatric Traumas and Diseases of The

> Musculo-Skeletal System " .

> The event was organized by the ATOA (Azerbaijan Traumatology and

> Orthopaedics Association) and POSNA (The Pediatric Orthopaedics

> Society of North America) and followed the long term co-operation

> which was started a few years ago by Dr. Gordon's (Shriners

> Hospital for Children, St. Louis) annual academic visits and

> projects.

> The conference included a one day seminar and casting workshop on

> treatment of congenital clubfoot using the Ponseti method.

> The guests to the conference were Dr. Schoenecker (Chief,

> Pediatric Orthopaedics

> St. Louis Shriners Hospital for Children, President Elect of

POSNA),

> Dr. Gordon (Shriners Hospital for Children, St. Louis), Dr.

> and Dr. M.F. Sinclair (U.A.E.).

> During the first two days of the meeting the guest speakers and

the

> local orthopaedic surgeons gave presentations on various topics

> ranging from the treatment of scoliosis, bone tumors and pediatric

> fractures to the treatment of infantile hip dysplasia and

pediatric

> spinal deformities.

>

> During the evenings, after the presentations, the guests were

taken

> for official dinners. We were able to enjoy the local cuisine and

> meet the sponsors. The Baku conference also included some insight

to

> the culture of Azerbaijan. We were invited to participate in the

> concert of traditional music, had a tour in the city of Baku, saw

> some famous sights and visited a world famous carpet museum.

>

> On the last day, Dr. M.F. Sinclair who is active in organizing and

> giving Ponseti courses in Germany, Lithuania, and Finland etc.

> presented the theory of Ponseti method to about 50 local

orthopaedic

> surgeons. The doctors and the patients were also able to hear

about

> the Ponseti resources available on the Internet and the parent

> support groups similar to the Lithuanian Clubfoot Club. As we all

> know, the success of Ponseti treatment depends greatly on the

> compliance to foot abduction brace. In my presentation, I was

trying

> to raise the question of parents' participation in their

children's

> treatment and the importance of sharing information among parents.

> After the presentation the doctors moved to the casting room for a

> Ponseti casting workshop. The casting session was very successful

> and many local participants admitted that " Ponseti method turned

> upside down all their knowledge and philosophy they had had about

> the treatment of congenital clubfoot " . Many had also agreed that

> Ponseti method " will be widely accepted in Azerbaijan due to the

low

> cost of the treatment and its relatively quick results " .

>

> Until this year, the most common treatment of congenital clubfoot

in

> Azerbaijan was surgery and Ilizarov technique. Older children,

about

> 5 to 7 years old, with neglected or untreated congenital clubfoot

> also cause a big concern for local doctors. One of such patients

was

> brought into the conference room for a case-based consultation and

> guest speakers' feedback.

>

> During the conference there was an exhibition of orthopaedic

> products and drugs from trade firms and local pharmaceutical

> companies. To our surprise, one of the companies at the exhibition

> had a few samples of Foot Abduction Braces which were imported

from

> Turkey. Their cost was about 40 USA dollars. Although, the shoes

on

> this brace were made of very hard leather and there were no

degrees

> printed on the bar for the adjustment of the brace, we were happy

to

> realize that the Ponseti method can be applied in Azerbaijan

> starting form the next day.

>

> The organizers of the conference are now making plans for the next

> year's Ponseti follow-up seminar in Baku and one more academic

> conference in 2008.

>

> Jolanta Kavaliauskiene and son Jokubas 18 08 2003

> Lithuanian Clubfoot Club

> www.sleivapedyste.projektas.lt

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Jolanta

Thanks very much for sending this report. I'm organising a Ponseti seminar

in July and it's so encouraging to hear the positive responses of the

surgeons to the Ponseti Method. I've been worried that they'd be resistant

to change. Now I have more hope that ours too will be a success in

convincing our surgeons in South Africa to change.

Warm regards,

Moss

CEO Steps Charity

<http://www.steps.org.za> www.steps.org.za

Cell:

_____

From: nosurgery4clubfoot

[mailto:nosurgery4clubfoot ] On Behalf Of Jolanta

Kavaliauskiene

Sent: 20 April 2006 07:44 PM

To: nosurgery4clubfoot

Subject: Ponseti course in Baku (report)

Dear friends,

On April 10-13 I had an honor to participate and interpret at a

pediatric orthopedic conference in Baku Azerbaijan. The title of the

conference was " Treatment of Pediatric Traumas and Diseases of The

Musculo-Skeletal System " .

The event was organized by the ATOA (Azerbaijan Traumatology and

Orthopaedics Association) and POSNA (The Pediatric Orthopaedics

Society of North America) and followed the long term co-operation

which was started a few years ago by Dr. Gordon's (Shriners

Hospital for Children, St. Louis) annual academic visits and

projects.

The conference included a one day seminar and casting workshop on

treatment of congenital clubfoot using the Ponseti method.

The guests to the conference were Dr. Schoenecker (Chief,

Pediatric Orthopaedics

St. Louis Shriners Hospital for Children, President Elect of POSNA),

Dr. Gordon (Shriners Hospital for Children, St. Louis), Dr.

and Dr. M.F. Sinclair (U.A.E.).

During the first two days of the meeting the guest speakers and the

local orthopaedic surgeons gave presentations on various topics

ranging from the treatment of scoliosis, bone tumors and pediatric

fractures to the treatment of infantile hip dysplasia and pediatric

spinal deformities.

During the evenings, after the presentations, the guests were taken

for official dinners. We were able to enjoy the local cuisine and

meet the sponsors. The Baku conference also included some insight to

the culture of Azerbaijan. We were invited to participate in the

concert of traditional music, had a tour in the city of Baku, saw

some famous sights and visited a world famous carpet museum.

On the last day, Dr. M.F. Sinclair who is active in organizing and

giving Ponseti courses in Germany, Lithuania, and Finland etc.

presented the theory of Ponseti method to about 50 local orthopaedic

surgeons. The doctors and the patients were also able to hear about

the Ponseti resources available on the Internet and the parent

support groups similar to the Lithuanian Clubfoot Club. As we all

know, the success of Ponseti treatment depends greatly on the

compliance to foot abduction brace. In my presentation, I was trying

to raise the question of parents' participation in their children's

treatment and the importance of sharing information among parents.

After the presentation the doctors moved to the casting room for a

Ponseti casting workshop. The casting session was very successful

and many local participants admitted that " Ponseti method turned

upside down all their knowledge and philosophy they had had about

the treatment of congenital clubfoot " . Many had also agreed that

Ponseti method " will be widely accepted in Azerbaijan due to the low

cost of the treatment and its relatively quick results " .

Until this year, the most common treatment of congenital clubfoot in

Azerbaijan was surgery and Ilizarov technique. Older children, about

5 to 7 years old, with neglected or untreated congenital clubfoot

also cause a big concern for local doctors. One of such patients was

brought into the conference room for a case-based consultation and

guest speakers' feedback.

During the conference there was an exhibition of orthopaedic

products and drugs from trade firms and local pharmaceutical

companies. To our surprise, one of the companies at the exhibition

had a few samples of Foot Abduction Braces which were imported from

Turkey. Their cost was about 40 USA dollars. Although, the shoes on

this brace were made of very hard leather and there were no degrees

printed on the bar for the adjustment of the brace, we were happy to

realize that the Ponseti method can be applied in Azerbaijan

starting form the next day.

The organizers of the conference are now making plans for the next

year's Ponseti follow-up seminar in Baku and one more academic

conference in 2008.

Jolanta Kavaliauskiene and son Jokubas 18 08 2003

Lithuanian Clubfoot Club

www.sleivapedyste.projektas.lt