From the Executive Editor

Simon Hodkinson

As ever it is a pleasure to welcome you all to the December edition of the JTO. In my first editorial Flaming June was a damp squib but three months later we were begging for rain! Now we have it in biblical proportions! Let’s hope we are not emulating Siberia for the next edition.

It been a tumultuous last few months politically, financially and of course in the Health Service with ever increasing winter pressures, elective waiting lists and trauma numbers.

In this edition of the Journal, we open with an article on virtual reality (VR) in surgical training by Thomas Lewis et al. (page 22). Not a new subject by any means but a subject of increasing importance as our young colleague’s grapple with the effects of the pandemic and the loss of over a year’s worth of elective practice. The article covers the considerable advantages of such training but also the current constraints in increased use. We have some way to go in emulating Mr Zuckerberg’s recent TV advert!

The next article introduces a new and very important society in the world of T&O, ‘BOMSA’ the British Orthopaedic Medical Student’s Association (page 26). This new association is the culmination of some very hard work by enlightened young colleagues who have succeeded in bringing together many separate medical school associations under the umbrella of a national body. Medical students are a vital group to T&O as the grass roots of the future work force and the BOA has for a while been focusing on this group primarily to support students with an interest in T&O and to dismiss some of the more archaic impressions students have of the profession. We have a way to go but BOMSA is a great start.

We have our second article this year from the NJR (page 30), highlighting the importance of high quality data in the Registry and as we look to the introduction of an implant registry this article is undoubtedly timely.

Ad Gandhe’s article from Rwanda (page 34) records his latest chapter in his continued passion for, as he puts it, ‘democratising medical education’. A thought provoking article all the way from rusty nails to high tech drone delivery of blood products.

Sameer Singh writes on how to get started as a medico-legal expert continuing the series of articles from the Medico-legal Committee (page 38).

Finally, our subspeciality section looks at hand surgery. Jonathan Hobby, BSSH President, introduces the specialist section (page 42) and is co-author on the first of three articles covering the management of extensor injuries (page 44). This is followed by the management of high pressure injection injuries to the hand (page 48) and then a different perspective on the subject when Jonathan Jones and colleagues discuss the development of hand partnerships around the world (page 52).

Hopefully something for everyone and may I take this opportunity to wish all readers in these difficult times, a happy and at least at some stage, a restful festive season.