On October 6-7, 2023, AOSSM and ISAKOS collaborated to offer a Masters Course titled “Osteotomies Around the Knee,” chaired by Elizabeth A. Arendt, MD, Alan M. Getgood, MD, FRCS, and Robert F. LaPrade, MD, PhD, at the Orthopaedic Learning Center in Rosemont, Illinois.
This two-day course featured an international faculty representing four continents: David Parker (current ISAKOS president, Australia), Rodrigo Maestu and Maria Tuca (South America) sponsored by ISAKOS; Kristian Kley and Matthieu Ollivier (Europe), supported by an industry educational grant; and nine North American faculty.
The course was divided into a day of didactics that included both video and live cadaveric demonstrations, and a second all-day hands-on cadaveric experience in the lab. The course covered all things around the knee, including coronal, sagittal and axial plane abnormalities, as well as femoral, tibial, and tibial tubercle osteotomies. Clinical cases included ligament deficiencies, uni-compartment osteoarthritis, and anterior knee pain.
The course began by discussing osteotomy basics, as well as deformity analysis using current software applications. Questions addressed included the role of joint line obliquity and whether patient-specific instrumentation and navigation are necessary to achieve optimal outcomes. Both opening and closing wedge osteotomies of the femur and tibia were discussed, along with the pros and cons of their use in clinical practice. The emerging role of biplanar correction and correction on both sides of the joint was demonstrated through case-based discussions and applications. Sagittal plane tibial slope correction for ligament deficiency in both ACL and PCL cases was discussed, and their related clinical applications were explored in a lively roundtable, case-based format, involving both faculty and the audience. The first day extended into the evening with a dinner featuring pizza and beer, accompanied by a discussion session with the faculty titled "Complication Corner: My Worst Complication and How to Avoid It."
The course participants exceeded the available spots. The applicants came from 17 countries, with approximately 2/3 of them being from the United States. One participant, Gen Foo, MD from Singapore, cleverly combined this two-day course with the Chicago Marathon, which he completed the following day. The Chicago weather provided a great setting for this autumn weekend.
This Masters Course was a great learning opportunity for participants and faculty. Throughout the course, faculty and participants mingled during breakfasts, lunches, and breaks, offering everyone a chance to network, ask questions, renew friendships, and establish new connections.
Thank you to all the physicians who kindly volunteered their time to this educational endeavor.