LEIPZIG – Dan Blocka, CO, president of the International Society of
Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) opened the 13th World Congress here with the
help of Raimund Forst, chairman of the Scientific Congress Committee, ISPO
Germany; Thomas Fabian, deputy mayor for youth, social affairs, health and
education for the city of Leipzig; and Frank Jüttner, president of the
German Association for Orthopaedic Technology.
“Research and Innovation for Human Technology,” the motto of
the meeting, brings together for the first time, the ISPO World Congress and
the International Trade Show for Prosthetics, Orthotics, Orthopaedic Footwear
Technology, Compression Therapy and Rehabilitation Technology — a
collaboration that will not occur again until 2028 — the next time the
World Congress is scheduled to take place in Europe, according to Forst.
The week of educational programming has a planned 39 symposia and 23
instructional courses with 630 speakers from 55 countries overall, Forst
explained.
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| Dan Blocka | |
With a lot of focus on the size of the collaborative program, estimates
of attendance suggest 2,500 Congress attendees and 19,000 Trade Show attendees.
However, Jüttner explained, record numbers are not enough to
further the O&P mission.
“The size and number of presentations are not all of it. We live in
a time when medical knowledge … is developing quickly,” Jüttner
said explaining that a record number of exhibitors is also expected to bring
new methods to clinicians. Instead he focused on the caliber of programming to
come throughout the week and how that will positively impact O&P.
Blocka reminded attendees that 2010 marks the 40th year of ISPO, giving
everyone additional reason to celebrate.
“I stand here with a lot of satisfaction for all that we have
done,” Blocka said commending the ISPO Board of Directors of the past 3
years.
