In collaboration with the OMI’s longtime academic partners, the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the Medical University of Graz, the Salzburg Pediatric Orthopedics and Rheumatology seminar took place at Schloss Arenberg from January 23 to 29, 2022. 29 fellows from 19 different countries were present.
The seminar was led by US course director, Dr. Jason B. Anari. Dr. Tanja Kraus from the Medical University of Graz served as co-course director. The additional seven faculty members comprised of Dr. Christine Goodbody, Dr. Kathleen Maguire, Dr. Michael Peter Novak, Dr. Susanne Scheipl (who participated remotely), Dr. Apurva S. Shah, Dr. Matthias Sperl, and Dr. Martin Svehlik.
Learning objectives for this week’s course included:
- To understand the fundamentals of the history and physical exam in pediatric orthopedics.
- To diagnose and treat common pediatric fracture patterns of the upper and lower extremities.
- To discuss the nuances of pediatric hip dysplasia and recognizing the variation in screening recommendations.
- To understand the principles of nonoperative treatment for pediatric spinal pathology.
- To evaluate and treat the pediatric patient with limb deformity, antalgic gait, and limb length discrepancy.
On Tuesday afternoon, fellows participated in a hands-on training featuring casting techniques and pediatric fracture fixation using flexible nails. Participants reviewed how to apply long and short arm/leg casts on fracture models and got experience using the Orthopaediatrics flexible nail instrumentation for the humerus, tibia, femur, and forearm. A station highlighting the steps for Clubfoot correction rounded out the setting. Each of the six stations was staffed by a faculty member who took the fellows through each step of the technique and answered any questions. We owe a heartfelt thank you to the companies and their representatives which helped make this workshop possible: Andreas Haas from Ortho-Aktiv (Graz, Austria), Artur Kehl from Semeda (Bad Bodenteich, Germany), and Richard King from OrthoPaediatrics (Zurich, Switzerland).
Thursday afternoon was dedicated to fellows’ case presentations, which are based on their personal work experiences. Faculty chose four case presentations which really stood out among the crowd to be featured in the OMI Online Case Library.
To conclude the week, a chamber music concert took place at Schloss Arenberg on Thursday evening, which was a special treat for faculty and fellows. Friday evening consisted of a graduation ceremony for all participants, in which certificates of achievement were distributed and a formal dinner was shared among OMI faculty and fellows.
