The 11th International Congress on Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

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The 11th International Congress on Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ICSES) and the 3rd International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Therapists (ICSET) will take place in Edinburgh, Scotland, September 5th – 8th, 2010.

The International Shoulder and Elbow Congress convenes every 3 years. It is a truly global society in that the meetings have been staged in most continents of the World. In 1980, while I was working for Professor Lipman Kessel at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London, he conceived the idea that he very much wanted to hold an international meeting specifically relating to shoulder surgery, to include all the major contributors to shoulder surgery from around the world. This meeting was a huge success and very much enjoyed by all who attended. The meeting highlighted some major differences in clinical practice but also some amazing similarities, but all present were able to highlight some difficulties with their own health care delivery systems. Although this was a relatively small meeting (approximately 100 attendees), it provided a focus for the development of shoulder surgery as a specialty in its own right. It was decided at that meeting that the impetus generated should not be lost and an international meeting should become a regular event. At the invitation of Drs James Bateman and Peter Welsh from Toronto, Canada, the next meeting was held in 1983, followed in 1986 in Fukuoka, Japan hosted by Professor Takagishi. In 1989, the meeting was hosted by Professor Charles Neer in New York.

At the 1992 meeting in Paris, hosted by Drs Goutalier, Mansat, and Walch, the International Society (ICSES) was formalized under the administration of the International Board of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (IBSES). Dr Charles Neer was the first Chairman of the Board with other Board Members including Peter Welsh, Canada, David Sonnabend, Australia, Stephen Copeland, UK, Robert Cofield, USA, Hiro Fukuda, Japan, Michel Mansat, France, and Marti Vastamaki, Finland. The aim of this Board was to foster the development of shoulder surgery worldwide and facilitate communication between countries. It would oversee the organization and venue of the meetings and be a focus for the continuity and activity of international shoulder surgery between congresses. The Board also supervised the appointment of delegates to the Congress approximately 1 year before each meeting date. The presidents or their representatives of the Continental Shoulder Societies would select the delegates. The number of delegates was on a pro rata basis with those that had supported the previous meetings. At the time of the Congress the International Board would conduct a meeting of the appointed delegates, the main purpose of which was to consider the future meeting venue and oversee its development for the next 6 years. The International delegates had the important role of electing members of the international board from a roster of candidates who had served as significant contributors to the organization of earlier congresses or to shoulder surgery in general. Hence, a cascade of shoulder surgery administration was developed. Local shoulder surgery societies were under their national society who, in turn were under the umbrella of the continental society; the continental societies appointed delegates to attend the International Meeting.

Since the board was originally set up in 1992 in Paris, it has further developed to serve in an advisory capacity to the Chair of the forthcoming international congress, providing seed money, maintaining records, and considering future activities for the advancement of shoulder surgery and international cooperation. The International Board is financed from the proceeds of the International Meetings, which have usually made a profit. Profits from any one International Meeting are divided equally between the National Society and the International Society to fund future meetings.

In 1995, the meeting was held in Helsinki, Finland and Stockholm, Sweden, hosted by Drs Vastamaki and Wallenstein.

In 1998, Sydney hosted by Drs Sonnaband and Bokor. In 2001, Cape Town, South Africa hosted by Drs Mackenzie, Lambrechts, and Vrettos. In 2004, Washington, DC, USA hosted by Drs Cofield and Neviaser. In 2007, Costa Do Sauipe, Brazil hosted by Drs Lech, Checcia, and Visco.

As the congresses have grown over the years they have become more expensive to set up and more seed money is required to book large International Congress centers in major cities. In 2004, the organization changed its name to the “International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery” to recognize the papers that were offered to the Congress and the work done by most Shoulder Surgeons including the elbow joint. At the Washington meeting in 2004, the International Congress of Shoulder Therapists, under the chairmanship of John Basti, was introduced for the first time and has since become a significant part of our meetings.

In 1998, Dr Neer passed on the Chairmanship of the Board of International Shoulder Surgeons to Robert Cofield, who served in that position up to and including the Washington Meeting in 2004. The Board then elected myself as the third Chairman of the International Board of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. At that stage the Board consisted of Stephen Copeland, UK (Chairman), Louis Bigliani, USA (Secretary), Eiji Itoi, Japan (Treasurer), Sergio Checchia, Brazil, Robert Cofield, USA, Dr Hiro Fukuda, Japan, Dr Sonnabend, Australia, Dr Wallenstein, Sweden, Dr Walsh, France, and Dr Welch, New Zealand. To have additional knowledge available for decision making, Dr Lambrechts, South Africa, Osvandre Lech, Brazil, and Professor Wallace, UK, were appointed as ex officio members of the Board.

During my time as Chairman of the board, the Constitution has been rewritten to make the society generally more democratic, such that any board member will serve for 6 years on the Board and there are rolling changes at each International Meeting with election for new members. The delegates vote for the board members and the Board Members vote for the new Chairman, who will also serve 6 years (i.e., 2 meetings).

As we are approaching the meeting in Edinburgh, hosted by Angus Wallace (Chair of the local organizing committee), the present International Board of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons is Stephen Copeland, Chairman, Louis Bigliani, Secretary, Eiji Itoi, Treasurer, with General Board Members, Sergio Checchia, David Sonnabend, Gilles Walch, Rhee Yong-Girl, Wayne Birkhead, and Basil Vrettos, with ex-officio members Osvandre Lech and Angus Wallace. The Board always takes advice from the preceding meeting and includes the Chairman of the local organizing committee of the upcoming meeting.

The International Congresses have been an enormous success with good scientific exchange and fellowship amongst shoulder and elbow surgeons globally. Each meeting has had a completely different flavor, but universally enjoyable. I have been part of the local organizing committee for the Edinburgh meeting and truly hope that we can uphold this fine history. Dr Charles Neer remains the Honorary President of the Society for life and, although sadly is not able to make the Edinburgh meeting, has already sent his very best wishes. I believe we are now making the meeting much more international and including the less developed countries; we have a sound financial footing and will be using this to foster the development of shoulder surgery in these less developed countries.

The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, initially under the editorship of Drs Robert Cofield, Robert Neviaser, and now under Dr William Mallon, has always been hugely supportive of the ICSES and publishes the proceedings of the International Meetings along with the best paper to be published in full from the current meeting.

The venue for the next meeting will be in Japan, hosted by Dr Eiji Itoi and Dr Kenji Takagishi. The venue for the 2016 meeting will be decided at the Edinburgh meeting.

I look forward to the meeting in Edinburgh with excited anticipation and sadness, as my period of Chairmanship will be coming to an end and a new Chairman will be decided. The Chair is an enormous responsibility but also provides unparalleled opportunities to meet colleagues and friends from around the world and uphold the fine history of the ICSES. I very much look forward to welcoming you in Edinburgh. If you have not been to Scotland before, it is a wonderful country, the home of whiskey and golf, if you have been before – welcome back!

The meeting is virtually a sell-out as I write this, with all instructional courses fully booked. Once again, this underlies the enormous enthusiasm for our speciality and makes the future very bright.