September 2018

Letter from the Secretary General, Professor Eleftherios Tsiridis

Dear Members,

We are looking forward to welcoming you all to our 13th Congress at The Hague this month, where an exciting meeting has been organised. It is very important that you attend the General Assembly on Friday 21st September at 17:45 – 19:15 in the Amazon Room of the Congress Centre. Here we will vote for the President of EHS from 2020-22, and the two candidates are presented below. Good luck to them both. Assoc Prof Thaler, a candidate for EHS Treasurer, is also introduced below.

During the congress, as well as chairing a session on complex primary THA on the Thursday, I am speaking on “Periprosthetic fractures, an increasing problem” on the Friday. Finally, I am lecturing on Saturday at the invited symposium on “New developments in THA: Tele-medicine, computer assistance and customization of implants” where you can hear me talk on “Using virtual reality as a tool for THA placement”. Samantha Stokes our membership Secretary will be at the EHS booth to answer any questions you may have or settle any outstanding membership fees for 2018.

I am also delighted to announce the publication of the book I have edited, “The Adult Hip – Master Case Series and Techniques”, with contributions from many EHS members (published by Springer).  This book:-

• Enables the reader to join distinguished hip surgeons in the operating room
• Presents 100 cases from preoperative planning to final outcome
• Highlights key surgical points and solutions to technical difficulties
• Provides evidence-based guidance

I hope you will find it very useful. And a final notice that the programme for the EHS-supported and EFORT-approved MAST 5 Course in Arthroplasty Surgery (7-9th December 2018 in Thessaloniki, Hellas) is now available online.

Best wishes,

EHS Secretary General, Professor Eleftherios Tsiridis

Prof Klaus-Arno Siebenrock, Switzerland

Declaration to become EHS President 2020-2022

Hereby I do declare that I would be honoured to become president of the EHS 2020. I would offer full commitment to further promote this important society. Since 2005 I am assigned full professor and chairman of the Orthopaedic and Traumatologic Department at the University of Bern, Switzerland. The Department represents one of the largest combined Orthopaedic and level 1 Trauma centers in Switzerland. The founder of this Department and one of my antecessors was Professor Maurice E Müller, who was among the first genious pioneers worldwide to promote total hip arthroplasty (THA).

My surgical practice is exclusively focused on hip surgery covering all the fields from THA, an increasing number of complex THA revisions, hip traumatology and treatment of the painful young hip. Hip joint preservation surgery is a dominant domain where my Department is regarded to be among the international leaders. We developed the first experimental model (sheep hip model) to imitate early cartilage degeneration of the hip during femoro-acetabular impingement. Early osteoarthritis, test imaging modalities and treatment efficacies can be monitored with direct correlation to histopathology. The results of latest research and innovative surgical treatment modalities are presented and published biannually in context with the Bernese Hip Symposium.

My CV spans more than 200 peer-reviewed publications. Research grants are provided by the Swiss National Foundation or international grants. The most prestigious awards are a Gold Paper Award from EFORT and the Pauwels Medal from the German Orthopaedic Society (DGOU) in 2016.

I am an assigned active member in many committees (e.g. Swiss Orthopaedics & Hip Society, International Hip Society, EHS). My goals as a president of the EHS would be twofold. First, we should bundle European scientific knowledge in order to further strengthen the self-confidence of our society on the international field. Second we need to build up new young hip surgeons. This should be done by fellowships at renown European hip centers and structured educational courses for systematic improvement of knowledge throughout EHS member countries.

Mr Evert Smith, UK

Declaration to become EHS President 2020-2022

In 1969, Otto Aufranc said:
“The execution of new ideas to solve old problems always creates more problems than it solves.”

International Medical Societies share common ambitions and principles. Our society should undoubtedly continue to strive for the safe and pragmatic advancement of hip arthroplasty, ably guided by its president. Throughout my orthopaedic career, I have been immersed in research, education, audit, publication, innovation, advances in surgical practice, active discussion and wider dissemination of all matters related to the hip joint. This has complemented an active clinical practice in the UK.

Reflecting on my career, I believe that my achievements sit at the heart of the aims of the European Hip Society (EHS). I have been intimately involved in:

• Instigating, managing and acting as member for national data evaluation panels and joint registries (ODEP, Beyond Compliance and NJR)
• Active involvement in ethics committees and journal editorship
• Development and commercial introduction of a successful acetabular cup system
• Collaborative research with Europe and the USA
• Establishment of a UK charity that furthers hip research
• Development and organisation of an annual international 2-day hip course since 2003
• Active participation as a member and officer of national and international Orthopaedic Societies

From all my experience, I have learned that Otto’s words have a ring of truth! Nevertheless, as President, I would aspire to achieve greater synergy of European registries of hip arthroplasty as one of my primary goals.

In addition, I have also learned that enlightenment comes from inclusivity. I would therefore work to gain the active participation of other recognised medical societies across the world to advance the core clinical, educational and research aims of the EHS.

Anyone who wishes to become President of the EHS certainly requires experience. I undoubtedly have gained a considerable amount of both relevant and valuable experience and knowledge to enable me to advance the aims and aspirations of the EHS with energetic and effective leadership.

In the words of Oscar Wilde: “Experience is simply the name we give to our mistakes”

I aspire to become President of the EHS. It would be both an honour and a privilege to be elected EHS President and I would welcome your support.

Associate Prof Martin Thaler, Austria

Declaration to become EHS Treasurer 2018-2022

Martin Thaler will candidate for the position of the treasurer of the EHS this year in Den Haag. Associate Professor Martin Thaler, MD, MSc. works at the Medical University of Innsbruck at the Department of Orthopedics. He is an orthopedic and trauma surgeon, specialized on hip pathologies and oncology. As an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the Medical University of Innsbruck, Martin Thaler trains residents and colleagues from all over the world in hip courses held in Innsbruck. He is in charge for student education in orthopedics at the University.

Martin Thaler has a background in financing, having received a Master’s degree in managing from the University of Krems. In one year he will finish also a Master´s degree in Business Administration from the Middlesex University.

His areas of expertise include minimally invasive total hip replacements, complex revision surgery, femuroacetabular impingement surgery, oncologic surgery as well as fracture treatment of the hip.

As the head of the certified arthroplasty center Innsbruck and the hip team, he conducts research that will benefit patients and has written numerous articles for prestigious peer-reviewed medical journals. He has won awards for studies that have advanced the field of orthopedic surgery. His current research focuses on reducing revision surgeries of the hip, robotics, navigation and infection after surgery and on how to improve the lifespan of joint replacements. He has expertise in treating infections and other serious complications after hip joint replacement, and therefore patients come from around the country for his expertise.

He is also involved in a lot of background work of the European Hip Society, like updating and overworking the constitution and has supported the current Treasurer for the last two years.

Mr Richard Baker, UK and Prof Theofilos Karachalios, Hellas

Co-Chief Editors of Hip International

Once again our impact factor has risen! Last year’s figures reveal that our impact factor is now 1.26. This represents a steady increase in impact factor every year for the last four years and is an encouraging sign that the journal is becoming more prominent.

We are now receiving approximately 500 submissions a year of which about one quarter are finally published. The research articles are published over six editions and case reports are published online only.

The rise in impact factor is only possible with our dedicated reviewers and editors and we would like to thank everybody for their efforts. We would also like to welcome our two new trauma section editors Prof Minos Tyllianakis and Dr Christos Garnavos.

It would be great if we could attract more reviewers from the European Hip Society membership. If anyone would be interested in becoming a reviewer for HIP International – please contact Sally Lumb (Sally.lumb@12nbr.co.uk).