In June, 2012, Dr Ashraf Abdelkafy of Egypt and Dr Geraldo Schuck of Brazil completed the US part of their ISAKOS Patellofemoral Traveling Fellowship, sponsored by the Patellofemoral Foundation. They visited with Drs Grelsamer, Fulkerson, Arendt and Dye. Click here for a report of their visit. In September, they visited Drs Simon Donell and Andrew Amis in the United Kingdom, as well as Drs Philippe Neyret, David Dejour, and Elvire Servien (former PF Traveling fellow) in Lyon, France. Click here for a report of the European portion of the their Fellowship.
Dinner in Connecticut
With Dr. Arendt in Minneapolis
With Dr. Scott Dye in San Francisco
With Dr. Ronald Grelsamer in New York City
PATELLOFEMORAL TRAVELING FELLOWSHIP: KEY POINTS (by Geraldo Schuck)
Among the things we had the opportunity to see and discuss during the Patellofemoral Traveling Fellowship, I would like to highlight some of them. We who are knee surgeons are familiar with the vast majority of procedures related to Patellofemoral surgery, but my attention was pointed to procedures on the lateral retinaculum, both, repair procedures (in cases of excessive previous release) and lengthening. I had never seen them before, they were very interesting, and new to me.
I think we still need to study more about MPFL isometry and on the its points of insertion; I realized that some surgeons are more concerned with the femoral insertion while others with the patellar insertion, I couldn’t see a consensus. I also think there is still need for understanding in relation Patellofemoral arthroplasties; we have different models and techniques and also different moments of indications and positioning.
We had very rich discussions about the differences between patient’s complaints that come from instability or arthritis, and how we can use this to decide the best treatment option, as well as non-surgical approach to these conditions. Understanding the biology, tissue homeostasis, and adaptability of tissues, is a fertile field to be studied and we have them in mind as we think in femoropatellar joint disorders.
