IOACON 2019, Kolkata

A team from the University Department of Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgery (UDOTS) will be attending this year’s Indian Orthopaedic Association Conference (IOACON) in Kolkata, India, from 19th to 24th November, 2019.

UDOTS has been attending this prestigious conference since 2012 and this year Dr Graham Arnold (IMAR Labs Manager), Mr Sadiq Nasir (UDOTS Specialist Tutor) and Mrs Sheila MacDonald (MCh Orth Course Administrator) have been invited as international faculty and will be running the first ever Live Demonstration Workshop of Gait Analysis to be staged at IOACON. The workshop will take place on Saturday 20th November at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in Kolkata and will include a practical demonstration of 3D motion capture using subjects with normal and pathological gait. Delegates will be shown how to analyse the gait data obtained and the graphical outputs in three anatomical planes will be explained. Pre- and post-op data will be covered as well as examples of sports injuries and performance. Foot pressure analysis case studies will be covered by one of our MCh (Orth) Alumni from 2005, Dr Arun Ramanathan.

Dr Graham Arnold has also been invited as a guest speaker on 22nd November in Hall 6 at 5:00pm where he’ll present a ten-minute talk on the subject of ‘Gait Analysis in Orthopaedics’, explaining why this is important.

Whilst there, the team will hold an MCh (Orth) Alumni Dinner to catch up with our many valued ambassadors who will be attending the conference to share happy memories of their time spent in Dundee, and hopefully making new acquaintances with future students.

MCh (Orth) course 25th Anniversary Alumni Dinner held at IOACON 2018.

The team will also be manning a University of Dundee information booth for the duration of the conference where they will promote courses run by the School of Medicine and explain about life at the University as a whole. This has proved to be a highly successful exercise over the past several years with huge interest shown by delegates who this year are expected to reach 10,000 eminent orthopaedic surgeons of national and international repute.

Left: a busy University of Dundee information booth at last year’s IOACON in Coimbatore; Right: the conference organiser’s flyer for the Gait Analysis Workshop.

IOACON 2019 is the largest Orthopaedic spectacle in South Asia, this year organised by the West Bengal Orthopaedic Association. Fascinating, instructive academic sessions and workshops for all interests will be conducted by orthopaedic surgeons from around the globe at the stunning Biswa Bangla Convention Centre.

Mr Arpit Jariwala, Director of the University Department of Orthopaedic & Trauma Surgery (UDOTS) and MCh (Orth) Course Director, stated:

“Unfortunately, I can’t make it to this year’s IOACON as I’m in the process of taking up the new role of Director of UDOTS and also due to significant NHS leadership commitments, but I’ll most definitely be there in spirit. I am however planning to attend the WBOA in February 2020, although it’ll not be same as I won’t be able to meet so many of MCh (Orth) Dundee Alumni attending IOACON 2019.

It’s very exciting that we’ll be running the very first live gait analysis workshop at this year’s conference and this is something we hope to continue to offer at future conferences.

I’d like to congratulate Dr Graham Arnold for being invited as international faculty guest speaker and I’m sure delegates will enjoy his informative and witty talk on why gait analysis is important in orthopaedics. Also, with Sheila and Sadiq supporting the ‘Gait Workshop’ I’m sure it will be great success. Please remember, as always, we’ll host a MCh (Orth) Dundee Alumni dinner during the conference so please ensure your keep time for it and enjoy it.

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all the organisers of IOACON, MCh (Orth) Alumni who are helping us and especially Dr Amitava Mukherjee, himself a MCh (Orth) graduate from 2018, for the invite, hosting and organising the Live Gait Workshop for us. We’re extremely grateful for their efforts and continuing support.

You can see from the Faculty list on the IOACON website that the conference is well-represented by many graduates of the MCh (Orth) Dundee course, with Dr Rakesh Rajput (Class of 1998-1999), Dr Jaydeep Mukherjee (Class of 2010-2011), Dr Debadyuti Baksi (Class of 2007-2008), Dr Nirmalya Deb (Class of 2011-2012), Dr John T. John (Class of 2006-2007), Dr Amitava Mukherjee (Class of 2017-2018), Dr Arun Ramanathan (Class of 2004-2005), and Dr Aditya Agrawal (Class of 2013-2014) either on various IOACON 2019 Committees or presenting as invited guest speakers. This is such a big achievement for individuals but so much more for the MCh (Orth) Dundee Course and the UDOTS.

I wish you all a great meeting and a brilliant educational event along with some well-deserved relaxation at the Annual MCh Orth Dinner at IAOCON 2019.’’