I salute your leadership and accomplishment with EWAS.  It continues to amaze me that as I began to explore the possible reliable application of arthroscopy and arthroscopic surgery to the wrist twenty years ago that it would prove so useful to so many surgeons and patients.  I am impressed with the continued improvements and techniques that have been developed, and I thank you for sustaining the growth and expansion of these techniques through education and fellowship.

Sincerely yours,

Let me tell you that it will be my pleasure to accept at the Medical Institute of Surgery of Sport in Monte Carlo (IM2S, website : http://www.im2s.mc/ "> http://www.im2s.mc ) a visitor.

He will enjoy wrist arthroscopy teaching but also elbow, shoulder, hip, knee and ankle arthroscopic surgery teaching.

Please contact me (dreantn@im2s.mc "> dreantn@im2s.mc ) if a young surgeon is interested.

Nicolas DREANT

Welcome to Him.

 Christophe

A few months have already passed since I concluded my EWAS presidency and I feel that it is time to write this letter. During my 18 month term we have seen our society grow exponentially, in both terms of registered members, as well as, an increase in scientific research. The Strasburg center has trouble trying to satisfy the number of requests for participating in their two annual courses. I think that our society secretary Mathoulin, has difficulty keeping up with our society’s rapid growth and has specifically requested the help of a special secretary (he deserves it, don’t you think? J). Mathoulin says that, with the ever increasing specific requests for courses, additional annual courses are needed and have helped to dissipate these requests, therefore Markgroningen, Barcellona and the Holland courses will be future points of reference.

Remember that our strength lies in the fact that we teach young surgeons and their professional growth will constantly replenish our society’s strength and ensure a  high level of scientific advancement. Our scientific contribution has been requested by various well-known scientific societies such as: National, European and International Societies of Arthroscopy and Hand Surgery. We truly should be proud of these accomplishments. The well-known work of some of our founding “fathers” such as Mathoulin, Levadoux, Livernoux, Fontes, Badia, del Pinal, Lindau, Hearle, has notably contributed to the wonderful growth of our society. The arrival of new young strength has given the society a fresh and harmonious balance. A thanks goes out to Jane Messina, that has constantly and consciously corrected, modified, amplified and directed the EWAS portal, and another thank you for Loris Pegoli who has been instrumental in creating opportunities for our society to have a cultural exchange with our colleagues in the orient (Japan and the Asian Countries).

The Strasburg 2007 and 2008 courses have been splendid. The participants have been enthusiastic to learn and have gone away from these courses with a good sound basis in wrist arthroscopy under the expert guidance of Christophe and his collaborators. For the first time, in November 2007, an advanced wrist arthroscopy course was organized by our society, where knowledgable surgeons in this field of arthroscopy were able to compare and critique various arthroscopic techniques during surgery. It has been a wonderful learning experience for all who participated and courses, such as these, should continue to be organized in the following years.

The Hong Kong course was phenomenal, only too bad Christophe was not there, and unfortunately had other commitments in Brasil. However our society surely made a good impression on the hosts, thanks to the “Colonel” and other EWAS members. The comparison between the oriental and occidental worlds has been a winner! A special thanks to PC Ho for optimal organization and again a big thanks to Pegoli for the organization of the APFSSH session.

I must say another member of our society stands out: and this is Max Hearle. Thanks to him for the organization of the Markgroningen course. In 2007 the course was held in a dry lab but it as been proposed that this year the cadaver lab will continue… but also with a little trip to the lab in Strasburg.

A stand up applause for colleague Andrea Atzei that has published a judicious and important modification to Palmer’s 1987 proposal of triangular ligament injury  classification. This scientific document should remain as a strong point to our society by demonstrating its active and productive scientific contribution in the surgical world. The Whipple award, that was proposed by, Fontes and Mathoulin has been awarded to Atzei in merit to this scientific work.

Two important research surveys have been initiated and followed up by Pederzini and Leclerque. The first of the two surveys is in regards to a mass population survey regarding wrist arthroscopy in Europe for the EWAS group and the other research survey concerns wrist arthroscopy complications. The results have been presented in various international congresses. The second of these two surveys was presented at the European Hand surgery congress (FESSH). We are waiting for the official  publication of these two research articles (I hope soon, and also the additional research survey on arthrogenic cysts of the wrist!) that demonstrate, once again, how active our society is.

We must always remember that arthroscopy is an additional surgical technique for the hand surgeon and before undertaking it one must first be an expert in hand surgery. FESSH, has taken us under their wings, (this reflects the fact that we are first of all hand surgeons) and they have dedicated a specific session in all their European meetings  just to wrist arthroscopy. This has come about thanks to FESSH president Garcia Elias and our most knowledgeable, far-sighted and untiring secretary general Christophe.

Finally, I am sending my best of wishes, for a successful term, to our new EWAS president, Paco del Pinal who will serve for 2 years. His figure is emblematic: plastic surgeon, microsurgeon, hand surgeon with expertise in wrist arthroscopy. He serves on the European editorial  board of the Journal of Hand Surgery and gives important expertise advise regarding scientific publications. Thanks to del Pinal, the original idea of Christophe to publish a book on wrist arthroscopy that will be published by our society has come alive again .

Let’s continue in this direction, it is the right road to walk down!

PS: We can not forget, and I am sure it is felt by all of us, that all which we
do comes with the support and help of our dear ones, that continually back
us up in our weaknesses, wait for us when we are late and share the joy of
our success by their reassuring and supportive words and actions even in
times of difficulties..... We owe our sincerest thanks.

Thanks to All

Luchetti Riccardo