APOA 2016, Melbourne

The Asia Pacific Paediatric Association successfully held its meeting combined with the Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association in March of 2016 in Melbourne. Despite the considerable travelling distance we face in the Asia Pacific region the meeting was well attended and provided an invigorating program. Symposia were held on infection, adolescent hip and cerebral palsy whilst giving attendees the opportunity to interact with the wider orthopaedic fraternity from our region.

Our travelling fellows completed their tour in Melbourne at the meeting and spent time at the Royal Children’s Hospital completing a very successful educational tour of the country.

After the meeting the Royal Children’s Department of Orthopaedics held a celebratory scientific meeting in honour of our colleague Ian Torode which complimented the congress perfectly as our society was so important to him.

A detailed account of the meeting was also recorded by Dr Bobby Ng. APOA Melbourne meeting was held at the Melbourne Convention centre situated right by the wharf at the city’s CBD. There are many landmark buildings with impressive architecture. The CBD is so accessible by walk or use of the trams. With local knowledge from previous fellow surgeons who had been fellow in Melbourne, we were able to go around and explore few local places for some great eat outs. Our local host Leo Donnan had put up a great program for Paediatric Orthopaedics with three symposiums including all time important topic of orthopaedic Infections, current updates on Paediatric Hip and CP managements. All the symposiums were well balanced by local and APOA speakers. On infection, Dr Michael To from Hong Kong spoke on the epidemiology, Leo Donnan of Australia spoke on the mimickers, Saw Aik from Malaysia spoke on acute infections and Ashok Johari of India taught us on the infection sequelae. On the Adolescent hip Jit Balakumar from Australia presented great experience on managing the adolescent dysplasia, Bobby Ng from Hong Kong spoke on the varies pelvic osteotomies in common use, Geoff Donald from Australia spoke on the surgical hip dislocation and applications, Makoto Kamegaya spoke on the management of FAI. On the CP symposium, Paulo Selber of Australia spoke on Gait analysis, Tae Joon Cho of Korea spoke on the growth, Paulo Selber second lecture on Calf lengthening, Benjamin Joseph of India spoke on the management of crouch gait, Ashok Johari of India spoke on new tendon transfers and Josephine Yip of Hong Kong spoke on the upper limb CP. The meeting was attended by our travelling fellows too. It was a compact meeting with lots of active discussions in each session. One thank you note should go to the Australia Paediatric Orthopaedic Society for looking after our travelling fellows so well. From the programs that our travelling fellows shown me, It showed they have been very well looked after and that the Australian hosts should all be congratulated and saluted for a great job well done. For the APPOS members and fellows there was a special second symposium named “Gedenkscrift” to commemorate our beloved Ian Torode at the RCH. We got to know Ian deeper with all the sharing from the closest people that he had work with. It was a truly wonderful meeting. This should whet the appetite of our young fellows for the APPOS travelling program which allows great learning and exchanges.

Professor Leo Donnan. Scientific Program Chair, APPOS APOA 2016 Melbourne Australia. Professor Bobby KW Ng Hong Kong, Secretary of APPOS.

Professor James Hui introducing himself to our APPOS travelling fellows at Torode Symposium

Dr Bobby Ng meeting Benjamin Joseph and Nigel Broughton at Torode Symposium

The beautiful RCH