AO Dialogue 2|12 The newsletter for the AO community
Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN)
Reports from the annual SIGN conference in Richland, Washington, US Impressions from AO SEC Chairman John Croser AO SEC faculty in developing countries have often encountered the SIGN nail in use for intra-medullary fixation. At our meeting in Davos in June 2012 the AO SEC committee had discussed whether the SIGN implant should be used in courses. It was therefore opportune when Jim Kellam, Dialogue Editor-in Chief, suggested that Susanne Bauerle, AOTrauma ORP, and I should attend the 2012 annual SIGN conference. The four day course was themed “Treatment of difficult fracures” and included clinical presentations, workshops on plastic bones and a full social program. The striking
feature of the conference was the close association between the founder, Lewis (Lew) Zirkle, the SIGN administrative and production staff, and the surgeons from developing countries who are using the SIGN nail. The clinical sessions were quite astounding in terms of the complexity of the fractures and the recorded outcomes—all highlighted by “squat and smile” photos—the unique outcome measure developed by SIGN.
Table of contents SIGN reports My view, James Kellam
4
DKOU conference update
5
Clinical Divisions
6-9
Berton Rahn prize
10
AO Institutes The package of SIGN instruments and a starter set of nails of various sizes are provided free [ continued on page 2 ]
1-4
AO President’s interview
11-17 18