ASES News – February 2022

ASES News – February 2022

Reflections upon the Death of Charles A Rockwood

As news of Dr. Rockwood’s death spread, we at ASES leadership have received countless letters and messages expressing condolences from around the world. We join the international community in these sentiments and will all miss his great insights as well as his masterful teaching style and great wit.  We appreciate the remembrance of Drs. Williams and Burkhead who had the opportunity to train with him and are kind enough to share their thoughts with us in this newsletter.
 
Xavier A. Duralde, MD

How many people that have come into your life do you think about every day, perhaps several times a day? When I leave my office, I must look at a picture of Dr. Rockwood and my own Father on either side of my door. They are positioned on purpose. I can’t leave without looking those two men in the eye. I can’t see a patient in the recovery room and gently straighten their arm relieving a lot of their post operative pain, I can’t revise a failed cuff repair, I can’t sit in an ASES meeting room without seeing Dr Rockwood in his golf pants on the front row for the first lecture. He would buy 10 copies of my CDS when they were released: one for himself and 9 for his children. He encouraged me by example to be myself.
 
1983 Dr Rockwood gave me the opportunity to be his first outside fellow, unpaid I might add. Our lives, and the lives of my brother fellows, and ASES members have been intertwined since. Having had a melanoma earlier in that year with an unsure prognosis I had only wanted to stay 3 months, but he convinced me by telling me about this new shoulder and elbow society that was formed the year before was going to require a six month fellowship. I was thus gifted the incredible opportunity to meet and learn from the “old masters” Charles Neer II, Carter Rowe, Frank Jobe, Bob Neviaser, and their students.
 
An obituary for most of us is the final mention of an individual. Except for the occasional thoughts and memories of close friends and family, we pass into the ether with this document being the summary and sum total of our lives, a final chapter. However, when we teach, and write, like Charley Rockwood did, there’s an afterword, or more appropriately, yet another edition that is perpetual; an afterlife if you will, that mirrors immortality. Because of his ability to organize, distill, and impart knowledge in such a unique way, Dr. Rockwood will be in the hearts and minds of orthopedic surgeons, and their grateful patients for generations to come.
 
Biceps Buzzy the Dallas Dandy – Dallas TX Valentines Day 2022.

I came to San Antonio with aspirations of becoming a knee surgeon. After a discussion with Dr. Rockwood about my future in my third year of residency, my plans changed. I was to become a shoulder surgeon. It is hard to overstate the influence this one man had on my life—both professionally and personally.
 
Professionally, to put it simply, I owe my entire career to him. I would not be a shoulder surgeon; I would not have chosen to pursue an academic path; I would not have gotten my first job at the University of Pennsylvania. I certainly would not have had the privilege of serving in leadership roles in orthopaedics and shoulder surgery without his loyal support and his lessons in leadership. He was one of those rare people who was equal parts superior clinician, gifted teacher, and unparalleled leader.
 
From a personal perspective, I do not know where to start. I spent the first five years of our relationship scared to death of him. My fellowship year allowed me to really get to know the man. At the end of a long day, my responsibility was to get the ice and meet him in his office. We would share some nice Tequila (Herradura anejo) and a cigar. We talked about his time in the Air Force, about how he built his orthopaedics division to the independent department it became, about his many trips to visit Dr. Neer to learn shoulder surgery, how the field of shoulder surgery developed, how it morphed into shoulder and elbow surgery. These many wonderful discussions inevitably turned to life—the importance of faith and family. He truly wanted to know where I came from, what my plans were, how my wife and I met. I still get goose bumps when I recall those great evenings. He lived his life so, so well. He left a roadmap for all of us to follow. I loved him like my own father and will dearly miss him. The beauty is that there are at least a couple of hundred other people who feel the same way. What a legacy.
 
Gerald R. Williams, Jr., MD
I would like to focus this address on the many benefits of Virtual Reality in furthering our effectiveness to teach the skills necessary to become a competent shoulder and elbow surgeon. The disruption of orthopaedic practices during the COVID pandemic led to a decrease in the number of surgeries performed and a decrease in operative experience for many of our recent residency and fellowship graduates and has highlighted the importance of adding alternative teaching methods to our armamentarium. No matter your practice setting, there will be an emphasis on certain areas of shoulder and elbow surgery and concomitant deficit in other pathologies leading to a variation in experience by fellows. VR can fill in deficits in training programs by allowing technical practice in procedures not well-represented at any given institution. Up until this point, cadavers have offered the surgeon the best method of practicing technical skills, but these are expensive and not always available. Even with cadavers, a given technique such as making a humeral head cut can only be practiced once.
 
I understand that the development of realistic VR experiences will be a long-term effort which will take many years to bear fruit, but it is critical for ASES to take a strong leadership role in this arena. ASES has partnered with PrecisionOS, run by one of our own members, Dr. Danny Goel, from Vancouver. In addition, we have created a task force led by Dr. Bill Levine who has been a champion of this modality for many years. Representatives from the Fellowship, Technology, and Education committees including Scott Steinmann, Grant Garrigues, and Gus Mazzocca among others are spearheading this nascent effort.This year Danny is offering the available (although limited) teaching modules free to our ASES-Recognized fellowships.
 
In the world of surgical education VR can be a big help. VR gives surgical trainees the opportunity to practice certain skills repeatedly much akin to practicing free throws in basketball.   This is the concept of purposeful practice. VR allows trainees not only to practice the skill but also to quantify their ability to perform it and improve their metrics. It will allow attending surgeons another tool to determine competency and to help slower performing surgeons improve. This modality has been very popular with medical students, residents, and fellows but less so with attendings who have found it disruptive to their current teaching routines.  Gus Mazzocca relates that “We have been pushing residents during our VR sessions to look at the x-ray and then adjust their hand to develop a better three-dimensional aptitude that they can use for other more complex skills later”. In addition, they are also using a VR option called “casting”. Glasses connect to a computer screen and allow the “teacher” the opportunity to look through the eyes of the learner.
 
Virtual reality and augmented reality will become a routine part of education in shoulder and elbow surgery in the very near future. Decreased work hours, focus on efficiency, and societal and economic pressures for attendings to do surgery with less time for teaching in the OR are leading to decreased surgical repetitions. Virtual reality offers a more realistic (and getting better all the time) augment to intraoperative surgical training. VR will never replace “being in the arena” but repetition, confidence, visuospatial understanding of anatomy, and improved muscle memory can assist surgical training in the same way flight simulators prepare fighter pilots for the high-stakes intensity of flight. Augmented reality can overlay preop planning directly over the operative scene–allowing mentors more confidence that their surgical plans are being executed and trainees avoid the ‘guess what the attending is thinking’ frustration.
Virtual reality will permit us to offer continuous and accessible education for the current and future generation of surgeons. Our partnership with PrecisionOS, and their evidence-based platform, is aligned with this ASES mandate. Being at the forefront of this cutting-edge technology reinforces our commitment to provide the best-in-class educational opportunities and support a world where patients have the best shoulder and elbow care.
 
We’re excited to have ASES be at the forefront of this new frontier in surgical education. To our residency and fellowship directors, I ask your assistance in incorporating VR into your teaching programs. Please give us feedback as to what works and what doesn’t to help guide innovation and improve this valuable teaching tool. I would encourage all our members to try out VR headsets and take advantage of this powerful new tool. Your kids and grandchildren will be impressed!

Join us for ASES Specialty Day:

Saturday, March 26th in Chicago!

 The ASES 2022 Specialty Day Meeting is taking place on Saturday, March 26th at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Our program co-chairs, Randy Otto, MD, and Matthew Teusink, MD, and the 2022 Specialty Day Program Committee have developed a great program and we hope that you will join us!

Randall J. Otto, MD
ASES 2022 Specialty Day Co-Chair
Matthew J. Teusink, MD
ASES 2022 Specialty Day Co-Chair

If you have not yet registered, and you are planning to attend, please visit the AAOS website to secure your spot! 

The Call-for-Abstracts is now live on the ASES website for the 2022 Annual Meeting, taking place October 6-9, 2022, at the Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia.
 
Since the Annual Meeting is a member’s only meeting, submissions MUST be submitted by an ASES member and have an ASES member as an author/co-author that will be available to present or the paper.
 
You may use the following link for abstract submissions: Call for Abstracts.
You must login to your ASES member account to submit an abstract
 
Before submitting your abstract, please review the Abstract Guidelines
 
The deadline date for all submissions is Friday, May 13th, 2022, at 11:59pm CST.
 
Thank You!

Young Scholars Memorial Fellowship Award

Deadline for submission is Tomorrow, March 1st, 2022
 
The Young Scholars Memorial Fellowship Award is a new international award to promote an enriching and supportive climate that shines a spotlight on brilliant young shoulder and elbow surgeons and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence and involvement. This award is to be given out annually to “young scholars,” defined as shoulder/elbow surgeons in their first (5) years of clinical practice or Shoulder & Elbow Fellows. This award was created to honor some of the young shoulder & elbow surgeons we have lost prematurely, including Doug Harryman, Alexandra “Sandy” Kirkley, Birgit Werner, and Dominik Meyer.
 
Two awards will be given annually and will provide the recipient $1500.00 USD to assist with their attendance to the ASES Annual Meeting. One award will be specifically targeted each year to an under-represented group in shoulder / elbow surgery. This is an international award and is open to all nationalities.
 
Applications for this scholarship are due by March 1. The application is available here.
 
Please complete an application to be considered for this award. For more information on this award, interested applicants may contact Steve Mlodoch (smlodoch@ases-assn.org), Vani Sabesan (sabes001@gmail.com) or George Athwal (gsathwal@hotmail.com).
 
This award strives to transform our academic community into a place where all will thrive and succeed in an ever-changing global community of shoulder and elbow surgeons.

ASES seeks an Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), a professional medical association, seeks an Editor-in-Chief (“EIC”) of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (JSES) for its JSES Family of Journals. The EIC will lead one of the most prestigious sub-specialty journals in orthopaedics.
 
The Opportunity
 
The Editor-in-Chief (EIC) will provide editorial direction for JSES, the main Journal of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, by selecting editors and other key staff, providing guidance, and defining editorial goals. The EIC will review and evaluate manuscripts to ensure scientific integrity and originality, select a large and diverse pool of qualified reviewers who can conduct fair and timely reviews of manuscripts, and oversee the submission of manuscripts and final acceptance decisions. The EIC will ensure the quality, relevance, and integrity of content and will protect and strengthen the integrity and quality of JSES and its processes, policies, and procedures. EIC will interface with the Executive Publisher and publishing staff to meet the current and to establish future needs of the publication and will set and pursue short- and long-term goals to ensure viability of JSES. The EIC will also work with the Executive Editor of the JSES Family of Journals, who will serve and assist the EIC with JSES.
 
JSES has been published since 1991, beginning with 6 issues/year. It went to 8 issues/year in 2010 and 12 issues/year in 2012. It also publishes special issues on an ad hoc basis. JSES has been indexed with an Impact Factor since the mid-1990s. Its Impact Factor has steadily risen since that time, ranking it in the top 20 orthopaedic journals world-wide.
 
To learn more about the position and application process click here

Mark Your Calendars

We are pleased to announce the ASES 2022 educational offerings! Complete details will follow in the new year, but in the interim, please add these important dates to your calendar:
 
ASES One-Day Fracture Course (to be held during the 2022 Tampa Shoulder Course)
ASES 2022 Fellows Symposium
  • Friday, June 17, 2022
  • Hotel Del Coronado, San Diego, California
  • Must be a fellow and submit an abstract for presentation in order to attend; The abstract portal for this Symposium will open in late January and remain open through March 1st, 2022
ASES 2022 Annual Meeting
  • October 7-9, 2022
  • Location: Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta Georgia
  • The abstract portal for the 2022 Annual Meeting will open on March 15th and remain open through May 15th, 2022.
ASES 2022 Resident Course
  • November 10-11, 2022
  • Location: OLC, Rosemont, Illinois

Download the New ASES Mobile App Today!

We are extremely excited to announce that the new ASES mobile app is now available for download on Apple and Android devices! The app will provide you with another way to access ASES related content and news quickly and easily directly from your phone. Some of the current features include:
  • Access all the content that is on the ASES website including the Members Only section in a mobile friendly format
  • Pay membership dues
  • View and track all upcoming ASES events
  • Chat with other ASES members
  • Easily view all our media content including the ASES Podcast, Fellows Core Curriculum Series and Virtual Journal Club
  • Access to the Neer Circle Consensus Tool on Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears
  • And much more
To download the app you can search “ASES” in either the Apple or Google Play Store.
 
To log into the app so that you can access all the features you will need your email and member ID number.
 
Please contact ASES Staff at info@ases-assn.org if you have any questions.

Stay Informed on ASES Activities!

Dear ASES Members:
 
In April 2021 the ASES successfully transitioned to its new office located in Schaumburg, IL. Due to an independent operation, all announcements and newsletters are now sent from new e-mail addresses that reflect the society’s domain. Please be sure to “whitelist” us on your personal computers to receive timely updates and newsletters coming from ASES! 
 
 
 
We appreciate your cooperation!
The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons is again partnering with the San Diego Shoulder Institute on a symposium for graduating Shoulder & Elbow and Sports Fellows. The ASES Fellows Symposium will be held on Friday, June 17th, 2022, at the Annual San Diego Shoulder Institute (SDSI) in San Diego, CA. The symposium will feature short presentations by fellows who submit abstracts for consideration, and are accepted, culminating with the Robert H. Cofield, MD Award for the highest rated Oral Presentation and the Richard J. Hawkins, MD Award for the highest rated Poster Presentation. 
 
The abstract submission page is now open. Please have your fellows submit their abstracts HERE

The deadline for submissions is Friday, March 4th, 2022

Top Articles from the JSES Family of Journals in 2021

The JSES Family of Journals is home to four journals ranging in aims and scope with diverse and exceptional editorial boards, providing multiple publication options for your research on the upper extremity.
 
Check out the top articles across the 2021 issues for each journal!
 
The flagship title led by renowned Editor-in-Chief William J. Mallon, MD focuses exclusively on medical, surgical, and physical techniques for treating injury/disease of the upper extremity. Recognized as JSES, this prestigious journal has a CiteScore of 4.9 and an Impact Factor of 3.019.
 
 
This journal is an indexed, peer-reviewed, open access publication, providing an international forum for the exchange of information on new techniques, instruments, and materials led by Editor-in-Chief Pierre Mansat, MD, PhD. Types of articles include: review articles, technique articles, case reports, National Arthroplasty Registry reports, validation studies of outcome instruments, and database-mining articles.
 
 
Led by Co-Editors-in-Chief Theodore Blaine, MD, and J. Michael Wiater, MD, this title focuses on arthroplasty of the shoulder and elbow for a wide variety of indications including arthritic and traumatic conditions. This journal is actively recruiting sports medicine manuscripts.
 
 
The newest addition to the JSES Family, this journal is led by by Co-Editors-in-Chief, Edward Craig MD, MPH, FAOA and John W. Sperling, MD, MBA. An open access publication empowering clinicians and trainees to share review articles (systematic, meta-analyses, narrative), techniques, case reports, and original articles to all members and readers without restriction.
 

Shoulder and Elbow Career Opportunities

Advertise on the ASES Website

Space is available on the ASES Career Opportunities pages to advertise open shoulder and elbow positions. If you are interested you can download an application on our website.

Celebrate Ernest Amory Codman, MD and Help Support the ASES Foundation

***Now Available!***

In celebration of Ernest Amory Codman’s 150th birthday (December 30th) the ASES Foundation has published a reprint of his 1934 book “The Shoulder: Rupture of the Supraspinatus Tendon and Other Lesions In or About the Subacromial Bursa”. This classic has been, is now, and will always be a must read for those individuals who have any interest in the field of shoulder surgery. This edition will be fully indexed and include a dedication from ASESF as well as a prologue written by William Mallon, MD. 100% of the proceeds will support the ASES Foundation and its programs.
 

ASES Podcast – Episode #50

In this episode of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Podcast, host Dr. Peter Chalmers conducts a roundtable discussion with Kevin Wilk and Stan Conte on rehabilitation of the injured shoulder in overhead athletes.

ASES footer logo found at the bottom of the website

Research Webinar Series On Improving Clinical Research

Join us on Thursday, March 10th
 
The ASES Research Webinar series was developed by the ASES Research Committee to help surgeons learn more about research methodology. Hosts Thay Lee, PhD and Robert Tashjian, MD will discuss the key concepts behind excellent clinical, basic and multi-center research with various expert panelists.
 
  • Improving Clinical Research in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery – Thursday, March 10th, 2022 at 7pm CT
  • Panelists: Drs. Joseph Iannotti, Peter Lapner and Jonathan Levy
  • Attendee Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81539213244

2022 Clinician Scholar Career Development Program

The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons is partnering with the Orthopaedic Research Society on the 2022 Clinician Scholar Career Development Program (CSCDP) to be held on September for residents and fellows. The CSCDP is an annual two-day training workshop for orthopaedic residents in their PGY2-PGY5 years, surgeons in fellowships, and junior faculty (through year three) who have the potential and desire to become orthopaedic clinician scholars. Clinician scholars advance the field of orthopaedics through innovative research and peer-reviewed funding. ASES will sponsor 2 member applicants interested in pursuing this opportunity.
 
If you are interested in participating please complete the application form below by March 15th. You can view more details about the program on the ORS website, however, members that wish to be sponsored by ASES must apply through the link below.
 
 
If selected, all program-related expenses, 2-nights hotels, roundtrip economy airfare and all meals will be covered up to a maximum of $1,500 to attend the two-day training workshop.
 
Applications due by March 15th.
 
If you have any questions please contact us via email at info@ases-assn.org.
The Shoulder360 Course Co-Directors, Paul Sethi, MD, Joseph Abboud, MD and Raffy Mirzayan, MD would like to invite current ASES fellows to attend the inaugural Shoulder360 Course, April 28-30, 2022 at the Loews Miami Beach. The planning committee is offering 15 scholarships to current ASES Fellows. The scholarship includes waived meeting registration and $1000 travel stipend.
 
To apply, please ask your fellows to submit a letter of good standing in the ASES Fellowship program to shoulder360course@gmail.com. Scholarships will be awarded on a first come first serve basis.

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