Inaugural meeting of the International Specialty Orthopaedic Collaboratorium

May 18 2007

Nine institutions from eight countries participated in the inaugural meeting of the International Specialty Orthopaedic Collaboratorium (ISOC), hosted by New York City's Hospital for Special Surgery.

The ISOC will offered an international perspective to experts in the orthopedic field on specialty musculoskeletal care, research and education.

“The mission of the ISOC is to facilitate the exchange of ideas and best practices among the premier specialty orthopedic institutions in the world,” said Thomas P. Sculco, M.D., surgeon-in-chief at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). “By bringing together thought leaders in the orthopedic community from all over the world, the ISOC will provide an opportunity to impart knowledge on patient care, education and research-based programs to enhance orthopedic care on a global scale.”

Twenty specialists from nine major institutions participated in this year's ISOC meeting. Institutions represented include Clinica Alemana de Santiago, Chile; Endo Klinik, Germany; Instituto Nacional De Rehabilitacion, Mexico; IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Italy; Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli, Italy; Peking Union Medical College Hospital, China; Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, United Kingdom; and Schulthess Klinik, Switzerland.

More specifically, the ISOC objectives are:

• To promote scientific, clinical and educational collaboration among participating institutions
• To improve quality of patient care through sharing of clinical pathways and treatments
• To collaborate on academic programs through the exchange of residents, fellows and faculty
• To share strategies on clinical pathways for patients and cost effective measures for economic success of major orthopedic programs

“As the host institution, HSS will provide a session on the operation and management of our hospital to provide an insight into some of the unique issues we face as a specialty hospital in New York City and the United States,” said Dr. Sculco.