BJD GLOBAL NETWORK CONFERENCE October 23 – 24, 2009, WASHINGTON DC, USA

1. Société Française de Chirurgie Orthopédique et Traumatologie Key projects in 2009 Title: The national SOFCOT actions during the year were very much oriented towards prevention and treatment of fractures either due to osteoporosis or to road traffic accident. Action Summary: Two prospective national surveys have been initiated by SOFCOT regarding femoral neck fractures and distal tibia fractures in order to evaluate the various etiological process and the social impact after treatment. The well established open day meeting for the general public during the SOFCOT national orthopaedic meeting in Paris provided information about risk fractures and ability to prevent. Impact: The association of patients affected by osteoarticular disease (AFLAR-ORTHO) are supporting all the actions initiated by SOFCOT and oriented towards the general public. They have been associated to the national actions oriented towards the orthopaedic surgeons themselves in order to better evaluate their own practice and also build actions informing the patients about surgical risks related to orthopaedic practice through a special branch of the society called Orthorisq. Future Development: The same type of national prospective study is initiated for prevention and treatment of ACL injury related to sporting activities, with as a declarative goal to obtain a national consensus for surgical treatment as well as for better prevention in the field of sporting activities. BJD GLOBAL NETWORK CONFERENCE October 23 – 24, 2009, WASHINGTON DC, USA Key patients group activities and outcome: Due to increased life expectancy the target group is still the over 60s (one fourth of the population in the coming years) with femoral neck fractures and bone/joint diseases as the main cause of disability. Additionally youngsters are mainly affected by distal tibia fractures related to road accidents and special regional prevention actions are suitable for them. Key interactions with ISC, other NANs, regional groups, governments Continuous combined meetings including SOFCOT NAN representative, EULAR NAN representative and patient association. Special mention for preventing falls in the elderly population with tips and tricks to self accommodate the home situation. Continuous contacts with government representatives to increase prevention of road traffic injuries and security actions oriented towards the young population. Key development plan for 2010 The year 2010 has been clearly stated by SOFCOT as the year of movement, starting in November 2009 at the time of the national meeting. Since autonomy and movement have close relations the goal is to highlight the impact of orthopedic surgery on social, family and professional quality of life through a combination of events and communication oriented towards the general population.