The Association of Children’s Prosthetic-Orthotic Clinics (ACPOC) 2009 Annual Meeting was held May 20-23 at the Fiesta Resort Conference Center in Tempe, Ariz. The meeting was locally hosted by Artificial Limb Specialists of Mesa, Ariz. and Orthotic Specialists of Phoenix. This is the 30th anniversary of ACPOC, which has an international membership of over 450 professionals including orthopedic surgeons, physical and occupational therapists, orthotists, prosthetists, and other professionals dealing with the care of children with orthopedic needs.
Speakers
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The meeting opened with the Welcome Reception on Wednesday, May 20 sponsored by the 22 exhibiting companies. This kicked off the next three days of presentations, which included a physician-guided case study forum led by ACPOC president Robin Crandall, MD, inter-related scientific papers, surgical management sessions, creative solution sessions, challenging case studies and multiple-panel symposia.
“The programming committee did an excellent job putting the program together,” Melody Raymond, ACPOC society coordinator told O&P Business News. “The scientific symposia comments were excellent and everyone learned a lot.”
A small selection of the symposia included: “Multi Center Experience in Using Prosthetic Knees in Infants and Toddlers,” presented by a group from Children’s Healthcare in Atlanta; “Aging with a Childhood Onset Disability” presented by a group from the Gilette Specialty Healthcare in Minneapolis; and “Congenital Upper Limb Patient History” by a group from the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in New Brunswick, Canada.
Two invited speakers addressed attendees as well. Todd Anderson, CP, vice president of clinical education at OttoBock HealthCare was the Presidential Guest Speaker and delivered, “Look at the Cool Gadgets: Emerging Technologies and Products in O&P.”
“Todd’s overview took the audience into the future of possibilities within our professions, intriguing us with as many questions as answers,” Janet Marshall CPO, ACPOC vice-president and O&P Business News Practitioner Advisory Council member, said.
Sheila Hubbard, OT, PT former manager of clinical technology at Bloorview Kids Rehab in Toronto was the Hector Kay Lecturer and spoke on, “Pre-school Myoelectric Fittings: A 30-year Perspective.”
Awards
The new Investigative Research Awards were presented to four winners.
Rebecca Spragg, MSPO of Grand Rapids, Mich. won first place and the $1000 prize with her presentation, “Natural Progression of Non-Synostotic Plagiocephaly.”
R. Dwight Putnam, of Dallas won second place and a $500 prize for his work on “Exploring the Applications of Semi Custom Silicone Partial Foot Prostheses in Pediatric Amputee Population.”
Matthew Paruch of Orlando, Fla. was recognized as the third place winner and granted a $500 prize for his presentation, “Initial Correction in Providence & Charleston Braces for Idiopathic Scoliosis.”
Olga V. Vigna, MA of Boston won fourth place and a $500 prize for her presentation, “Physical Appearance of Prosthesis after Syme/Boyd Amputation vs. Van Nes Rotationplasty in Adults with PFFD.”
The awards, sponsored by OttoBock HealthCare, will be revised for the 2010 recipients with only three awards being presented. The first place winner will receive $1200, the second place winner will receive $750 and the third place winner will receive $600.
The ACPOC 2010 Annual Meeting will be held June 2-5 at the Sheraton Sand Key Resort in Clearwater, Fla., hosted locally by Shriners Hospital for Children Tampa. The call for papers is available at www.acpoc.org with a deadline for submission of November 1, 2009.
