An International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) approved event, the forum is co-hosted by Dr. Alan Getgood from Western University’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.
“The meniscus is recognized as a key component in the knee, serving in many ways as a shock absorber or cushion between the femur and tibia,” explains Getgood, who serves as an orthopaedic surgeon at the world renowned Fowler Kennedy Sport Medicine Clinic and an Assistant Professor at Western. “Damage to the meniscus habitually arises as a result of sports injuries, which often requires surgery to repair the tear or completely remove the tear. Loss of meniscus tissue can potentially result in the early development of osteoarthritis.”
According to Getgood, a greater emphasis is now placed on preserving the meniscus structure and function, with meniscus repair being the main focus of improving outcomes following injury.
“Unfortunately, there are many patients who have suffered irreparable damage to their meniscus, with some going on to develop pain and disability as a result,” says Getgood. “Meniscal allograft transplantation is a technique which can provide pain relief and restore function to patients, however, much is still to be learned on how best to perform the operation and how to provide the optimum result for patients.”
Getgood says that he hopes the experts’ forum will help answer many of the burning questions surrounding meniscal allograft transplantation and will provide an impetus into future research and translational clinical practice from which many Canadians will benefit.
“It is a great honour to welcome such a group of world renowned orthopaedic surgeons to Toronto,” says Getgood. “This truly is the ultimate gathering of thought leaders in the field of meniscus transplantation and I’m excited to share ideas with them and hopefully use this meeting to generate new techniques and future research.”
For media interested in attending the experts’ forum or interactive surgical demonstrations between 10 a.m. and noon (limited space), please contact Jeff Renaud at 519-520-7281 or via email at jrenaud9@uwo.ca
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