From the Secretary General of the International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty – Peter S. Walker, PhD

From 2014 to 2020, while David Stulberg was the Secretary General of ISTA, the scope and attendance of the Annual Conferences had greatly expanded and ISTA was recognized worldwide as the leading Society in joint replacement technology. When I assumed the position of Secretary General during the pandemic, it was evident that virtual conferences would be necessary to maintain the outreach of the Society. The first of these conferences entitled ISTA New Early-career Webinar Series (NEWS), was organized by Philip Noble in late 2020, where young investigators were given the opportunity to present their work and to interact with each other and with the more established ISTA members. The success of this meeting led to another virtual conference focused on Emerging Technologies for Arthroplasty, organized by Vani Sabesan and Jonathan Jeffers. A further virtual meeting titled Emerging Technologies in Arthroplasty: Advancing Outcomes is planned for October 30th, 2021, while just before the AAOS in Chicago in March 2022, there will finally be an in-person ISTA meeting featuring the range of technologies which the companies will be exhibiting.

Such meetings, whether virtual or in-person, are likely to be continued in the future, to feature the increasing introduction of new technologies in arthroplasty surgery and treatment. The main Annual in-person meetings held in the Fall, will be continued at venues around the world to maintain the International scope. The next in-person International meeting will be in Maui from 31 August to 3 September, 2022, a venue that is especially accessible to attendees from North America and the Far East.

ISTA plans to maintain its Annual meeting format where the majority of the program consists of submitted papers. This leaves the program open to new developments from around the world, many of which will be seen for the first time. In addition, guest experts will provide authoritative overviews of the important areas of technology, and moderate discussions and debates. This combination provides particular value for arthroplasty-related companies. Technical exhibits, as well as workshops and guest speakers nominated by companies, have always been a valuable feature of ISTA meetings. The overall result is a robust interplay between attendees consisting of surgeons, scientists, engineers, and company staff. While the scientific content behind the meeting presentations is archived in the published abstracts, the stimulation of the discussions during the sessions and the live inter-personal encounters, is something that can only be experienced by attending the actual meeting.

Finally, ISTA is currently working to update its website with new and interesting features which will be available soon. Meanwhile we look forward to seeing you at an upcoming ISTA meeting, either virtually or in-person!

Peter S. Walker, PhD
ISTA Secretary General