Bristol Hip Arthroplasty Course 2022
For the delegates there is no doubt that the experience of joining the course is immeasurable through the knowledge gained, but even more satisfying is that the acumen and experience of the Faculty was shared as afar afield as Kashmir!
The meeting opened with a televised lecture from Australia by Prof Andrew Shimmin on the spinopelvic axis and the techniques to orientate the acetabular cup. The first session was supported by presentations on dysplasia and impingement. I chaired an excellent session on Hip Issues by Derek Bennett, Tim Waters, and Simon West.
Daniel Kendorff provided a further lecture from Berlin via Zoom, giving his insights
as a leader in peri-prosthetic hip joint infections.
The delegates were in vibrant form for the interactive radiographic forum, which was followed by our regular chill and chat session before dinner.
Friday saw some more intellectually engaging talks on biomechanics and basic science, which was followed by a look into the complexities of revision hip surgery, where it was demonstrated that great strides have been made in the design and development of custom built implants. The finale of the conference saw me chairing the session on the complex hip.
During the conference, Professor Alister Hart showcased a research project currently being sponsored by Arthroplasty for Arthritis Charityon MRI findings of midlifer hips after running, cycling or being a couch potato. From the perspective of the Charity, it was wonderful to hear the detail of the research and interesting to note that there are many asymptomatic hip abnormalities in the cohort captured and that following regular exercise regimens there are, more often than not, no anatomical changes in the hip joint. What is even more striking is the reduction in the intramuscular fat with increased fitness. It seems as though Homo sapiens were born to run!
Our thanks must go to everyone who contributed to the local and international forums, but particularly to the media team Docto and Indian Medical Association for sharing another successful event.
Every Bristol Hip Arthroplasty Course is well worth the input from all the co-conveners, who always set a high bar but this course was a particularly rewarding meeting as it seemed as though all those who participated had once again found their full voice following the worldwide pandemic. My thanks to everyone who was involved.