Para conformar un capítulo de la Asociación Colombiana de Medicina Física y Rehabilitación ha de contarse con un número mínimo de cinco  (5) miembros  activos de ésta que manifiesten por escrito ante la Junta Directiva su voluntad de constituirse en Capítulo de al Asociación .  Los capítulos podrán ser de dos tipos:

Regionales: Cuando la característica de aglutinación de los asociados sea pertenecer a una misma región geográfica.

Temáticos o de Afinidad Científica: Cuando la característica de aglutinación de los asociados sea el compartir un interés científico común en alguna de las áreas disciplinares o temáticas  de la Medicina Física y Rehabilitación.

Dear ISPO Member,

There are some exciting plans on the horizon with ISPO: we are pleased to announce that the 2013 World Congress will be held in 'Incredible India'. From February 4th to 7th the multidisciplinary prosthetics and orthotics community from around the world will meet up in Hyderabad to present and discuss the latest in research, clinical practice and new technologies in P&O. Hyderabad is known as a beacon of the cultural collisions, fusions and melting pots. A 420-year old city and now India's second largest metropolis, Hyderabad boasts of an appealing fusion of the old-world charm and the effervescence of modern enterprise. We encourage you to mark your calendar and start planning your attendance now!

In the future, ISPO will undergo an important directional change related to the frequency and rotation of its World Congress - the current three-year rotation model will now be a two-year cycle of ISPO World Congress, starting as of 2015. Read more in this eUpdate.

In other news, the May issue of the ISPO eUpdate also brings you a round-up of developments from Member Societies around the world, including new evidence-based guidelines on 'Occupational therapy with people who have had lower limb amputation' in the UK and a new Member Society in Rwanda.

Do not forget to also catch up on educational courses, sponsorship opportunities and upcoming events. We hope you enjoy the issue.

 ISPO would like to thank its partner Touch Bionics for its support of the development of this eUpdate.

ISPO is pleased to announce that the website for its next World Congress, which will be held in Hyderabad,
India from 4 to 7 February 2013, is now live. The venue for this premier event in prosthetics and orthotics will be the world class Hyderabad International Convention Centre. Logistical planning is well underway and last month members of the ISPO Executive Board, the Scientific Committee, the Local Organizing Committee, and congress support companies, KW Conferences and Leipzig Messe met to kick off preparations.

This multifaceted event will create an interactive forum for professionals from multiple disciplines active in the field of P&O to come together to gain a deeper understanding of the latest advancements, products, facilities and assistance available in prosthetic and orthotic care. The event will create synergy towards the common objective of providing best rehabilitation options to enable persons with disabilities to regain function and independence.

The interdisciplinary program of advanced training sessions will offer a unique platform for further professional development, discussion and an exchange of ideas and experiences amongst teachers, clinicians, researchers, technicians, manufacturers, doctors and therapists.

We invite you to take a look at the newly launched ISPO 2013 website at www.ispo2013.org to see details about the Scientific Program, registration information, Symposia and Courses, the venue, and pre and post Conference tours in India. We look forward to seeing you in Hyderabad !


Call for Symposia and Instructional Courses - ISPO World Congress 2013 India
The Scientific Committee for the 2013 World Congress has started developing the Scientific Program for ISPO 2013, of which, as in past World Congresses, a major part will consist of Instructional Courses and Scientific Symposia.

Members of the worldwide prosthetic and orthotic community are invited to submit proposals for presenting an Instructional Course or Symposium.

Proposals for Instructional Courses should have a statement of the course objective as well as what the attendees could expect to gain by the end of the course.

Symposia should present thematically related research addressing significant problems or controversies in prosthetics and orthotics. The symposia should bring together one or more of the world's leading researchers to present current developments and planned research directions. Where appropriate, symposia should present differing points of view on a particular topic.

Please see the congress website at http://www.ispo2013.org/index.php/call-for-symposia for more detailed information and the submission form. Completed forms should be sent by email to the Scientific Program Chair, Dr. Ashok Johari at scientific@ispo2013.org.

The deadline for submission of proposals is Friday, July 1st 2011. We look forward to receiving your proposals and your participation in the ISPO 2013 Scientific Program !

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NEWS

ISPO welcomes New ISPO Member Society in Rwanda
Please join us in welcoming Rwanda as the newest Member Society to join our growing international collective.
Rwandan P&O colleagues felt the need to establish a Member Society which, together with the national association of Orthopaedic Technologists and the Rwandan Physiotherapists group, can address patients' issues, help improve their quality of life, and enhance continuous training amongst the professionals.

ISPO Rwanda already has plans to support the implementation of a P&O training program at the Kigali Health Institute, which shall adhere to ISPO education standards. There is a need to carry out studies to reveal the number of disabled requiring help as well as to assess their quality of life, and together with other organizations, ISPO Rwanda will contribute to this and to help mobilize funds for care for patients who are not able to afford orthopaedic assistive devices on their own.

If you would like more information about ISPO Rwanda or to get involved, please contact the Member Society's President, Ms Desire Ngendahayo Providence at ngedesire@yahoo.fr.

If your country or region does not yet have an ISPO Member Society and you are interested in forming one, please visit the ISPO website here or contact the ISPO Head Office at ispo@ispoint.org.


New Evidence-Based Guidelines: 'Occupational Therapy in People who have had Lower Limb Amputation'
The UK College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section Trauma and Orthopaedics and Brunel University are pleased to announce the publication of new guidelines for occupational therapists working with people who have had lower limb amputation. The guidelines have been developed using specialist clinical and academic expertise and providing evidence-based recommendations for  occupational therapy intervention to help support the physical, psychological, social, and environmental needs of people with acquired unilateral or bilateral lower limb amputation.

Edited by Anita Atwal, Jane McLaughlin and Georgia Spiliotopoulou, this 120 page document is free to download here or can be obtained by emailing Library@cot.co.uk.


Handicap International Wins 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize
The 2011 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize has been awarded to ISPO Open Board member Handicap International for its work in assisting people with disabilities in situations of poverty, exclusion, conflict and disaster. Awarded annually since 1996, the Conrad N. Hilton Prize is presented to humanitarian associations for their exceptional contribution to alleviating human suffering.

For Handicap International, the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize recognizes nearly 30 years of humanitarian action. According to Jean-Baptiste Richardier, co-founder and executive director of the organization : "Handicap International was created in 1982 to stand up for and give voice to the most vulnerable amongst us, persons with disabilities in particular, living in situations of crisis, whether caused by poverty, conflict or natural disaster. I believe the Hilton jurors chose us in recognition of our work with one of the world's largest underserved minorities - people with disabilities - with the expectation that we will invest this precious wealth to further enhance our capacity to deliver qualitative and accountable assistance to the most vulnerable people living in destitute situations around the world."

The $1.5 million prize will be used to strengthen Handicap International's disaster preparedness capabilities and to pre-position emergency response resources for rapid action in future crises. For more information, please see http://www.handicap-international.org or in French http://www.handicap-international.fr/je-minforme/qui-sommes-nous/28-ans-dactions/prix-humanitaire-hilton/index.html.

Please join ISPO in congratulating Handicap International for this valuable recognition !

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ISPO INSIDE

ISPO World Congress Goes Biennial !
ISPO will undergo an important directional change related to the frequency and rotation of its World Congresses in the future. Following detailed discussions and a thorough analysis of the history, set-up and impact of ISPO World Congresses, the ISPO Executive Board has taken the decision to change from the current three-year rotation model to a two-year cycle of ISPO World Congresses. The next World Congress following the one in 2013 in Hyderabad will thus take place in 2015.

Through this strategic revision the Board expects increased visibility of the Society on a global scale. On an organizational level, ISPO will continue to work closely with local and regional organizations in order to combine forces, yet will offer greater guidance to local Member Societies in the future and aim to streamline activities through greater standardization of the meetings in order to avoid unnecessary duplications and reinvention of processes and procedures and keep a tight control on costs to allow for the greatest possible participation. As a first step, new Venue Bid Guidelines for the ISPO World Congress 2015 are currently being finalized and will be shared with all ISPO Member Societies next month.

We hope that you welcome and support this important step for our organization that goes in line with ISPO's realm and mission to bring education and information about latest technologies to P&O and related professionals to different parts of the world. We welcome your feedback on this important change at ispo@ispoint.org.


Spread the Word: Opportunities to Partner with ISPO Abound
ISPO recognizes the importance of collaborating with partners in order to improve the quality of life for persons in need of prosthetic, orthotic, mobility and assistive devices on a worldwide basis. To help achieve this, ISPO would like to invite collaborators (individuals, institutions, foundations and corporations) to contribute to and participate in the important work that the Society performs around the world through partnership, sponsorship or donations. Contributions may be specified for particular activities, such as educational projects, events or publications.

For more information, to become an official ISPO partner or to discuss other ways to collaborate, we encourage you to contact Ms Milagros Mostaza, ISPO Executive Director at the Head Office in Brussels: milagros@ispoint.org.

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EDUCATION

Continued ISPO Recognition for Single Discipline Training Programs at Mobility India

ISPO recently re-evaluated the Single Discipline Programs in Lower Limb Prosthetics and Lower Limb Orthotics delivered at Mobility India. Based on the positive assessment, the evaluators decided to continue recognition of the programs as ISPO Category II Single Discipline Level Courses in Prosthetics and Orthotics for the coming three years.

For further information about the programs, please see the website of Mobility India: http://www.mobility-india.org/Training.htm.

ISPO categories are part of the guidelines for training professionals in the field of prosthetics and orthotics put together by ISPO and the World Health Organization:

* Category I: prosthetist / orthotist
* Category II: orthopedic technologist, as well as modular courses (lower or upper limb prosthetics and orthotics)


News from the Standards & Guidelines Committee: Education Guidelines Evaluation
The ISPO Standards & Guidelines Committee is currently reviewing the Society's Education Guidelines - an ongoing process that allows the Society's standards to evolve and grow with advances in the field. Guidelines published by World Health Organization and ISPO, relating to the education of prosthetists and orthotists, are presently under review.

As part of this process, the Standards and Guidelines committee consults a broad range of stakeholders in P&O education. The first consultation, trialing the areas of discussion, were held at the recent Association of P&O Schools (APOS) meeting in Jakarta, in February 2011. (More information on this meeting below).

Over the next year, the Committee will be seeking input on education. If you are an educator, employer or end user, we would value your help and invite you to get in touch with Carson Harte, Chairman of the Standards & Guidelines Committee at carson@cambodiatrust.org.uk.


Update in P&O Education in South-East Asia
In February 2011, 3 events were hosted by the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the Jakarta School of Prosthetics and Orthotics (JSPO), to promote the development of prosthetics and orthotics education and services in the region.

The APOS Internet-Based Repository of Educational Materials
The annual meeting of the Alliance of Prosthetics and Orthotics Schools (APOS) welcomed participant from the ISPO-recognized schools in Cambodia (CSPO), Indonesia (JSPO), Pakistan (PIPOS), Thailand (SSPO) and Vietnam (VIETCOT).

A key item on the meeting agenda was the new internet-based repository of prosthetics and orthotics educational materials to be developed, which will facilitate sharing of teaching materials between the schools. Other projects include regional one-month staff exchanges to promote learning and experience building.

For more information please see http://www.cambodiatrust.org.uk/CT/en/what-we-do/training/results/regional-collaboration--sapos/.

ISPO Short Course on the Management of Cerebral Palsy
Following the APOS meeting, JSPO hosted an ISPO Short Course on the Management of Cerebral Palsy in the capital city. In Indonesia, population-based estimates suggest that nearly 500,000 people are affected by Cerebral Palsy. For these individuals this course marks an important development in the care of patients with Cerebral Palsy in Indonesia as the first of its kind to demonstrate a multidisciplinary approach to care.

The ISPO Task Officer for Cerebral Palsy, Jules Becher MD led the team of international experts including John Fisk MD, Adrienne Harvey PT PhD, Rod Lawlor PO, Nicole Galea PO.

More than 100 participants from Cambodia, Sri Lanka, India and Indonesia attended the course. Amongst these were physicians, physiotherapists and prosthetist/orthotists.

The team and participants are grateful to ISPO, the Nippon Foundation and JSPO who jointly funded the course. For more information please contact Carson Harte, Executive Director of the Cambodia Trust at carson@cambodiatrust.org.uk.

Another ISPO Short Course is proposed in March 2012 at PSPO, the new Prosthetics
and Orthotics school which is being established in Manila, the Philippines this year. Please watch for further details in future issues of the ISPO eUpdate.

International Conference on Prosthetics and Orthotics - A Wake Up Call
Also in February 2011, 'Wake Up Call' in Prosthetics and Orthotics was co-hosted by the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the JSPO. The international conference was attended by more than 300 doctors, physiotherapists, and prosthetist/orthotists, and nurses.

Amongst the prestigious speakers were Mr. Dan Blocka, Immediate Past President of ISPO; Dr. John Fisk, former Vice President of ISPO; Ms. Helen Cochrane, member of the ISPO Standards and Guidelines Committee;  and Mr. Mark Inglis, the first bi-lateral trans-tibial amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest.

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EVENTS

14-15 June 2011: Afghanistan, Management Tools in Prosthetics and Orthotics
Under the leadership of the currently forming ISPO Member Society in Afghanistan and the Afghan Ministry of Public Health Disability and Rehabilitation Department, a two-day workshop on Management Tools in P&O will be organized in Kabul at the Wazir Akbar Khan Orthopaedic Centre on 14th and 15th of June 2011.

Wazir Akbar Khan Orthopaedic Centre is the only P&O centre in the country run by the government. The staff of the centre were trained some 35 years ago and as a result, are in need of new skills and capacity-building training. As per request from the leadership of the centre and the Ministry of Public Health DRD,  ISPO Afghanistan is organizing the workshop with this goal and is seeking to invite P&O professionals from the other regions to participate. For more information, please contact Musa Zia, Disability and Physical Rehabilitation Project Manager at the Ministry of Public Health in Kabul, at ziamusa@ymail.com or musa_zia196@yahoo.com.


29-30 June 2011: ISPO Argentina, Updating Seminar - ISPO Southern Cone 2011
The annual ISPO Southern Cone Updating Seminar is set to take place on the 29th and 30th of June in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The conference will coincide with the first edition of EXPO ORTHOPEDIC, which aims to become the largest industry exhibition and training event in the orthopedic sector of the Southern Cone. For more information about the conference, please contact Ana Testuri at  anatesturi@argentina.com and to find out more about the EXPO, please see www.expo-ortopedica.com.ar/.


19-24 September 2011: Africa, 6th FATO International Scientific Congress

The African Federation of Orthopaedic Technologist (FATO), Open Board member of ISPO, in collaboration with the ISPO-recognized Tanzanian Training Centre for Orthopaedic Technologists (TATCOT) and other partners will be holding their 6th International Congress from 19-24 September 2011 in Arusha, Tanzania. The theme of this year's congress will be 'Ensuring access to appropriate orthopaedic and rehabilitation services: Right to quality care'.

There will be plenary and syndicate sessions whereby experts with their various long-term experiences will share their national/institutional implementation policies, strategies and projections. These discussions and documentation will take into account the framework of the "International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities" and the implementation of "National surveys for the development of national action plans for a period of 6 years up to 2013" in about 30 African countries which are members of the African Federation.

For more information about registration and the congress program, please contact FATO and the local organizing committee at fato@fatoafrique.org or masseniang@yahoo.fr and take a look at the website www.fatoafrique.org.


7-8 October 2011: ISPO UK Annual Scientific Meeting
The 2011 ISPO UK annual scientific meeting will take place in Manchester on the 7th and 8th of October. The focus topic for the amputee portion of the program will be the dysvascular and diabetic amputee for which the Blatchford lecture will be given by Andrew JM Boulton, Professor of Medicine at the University of Manchester who has undertaken a vast amount of research in the field. The orthotic day will look to bring together latest research and thoughts on stroke rehabilitation with a view to discuss how this can be best implemented into treatment and management. For more information, please contact the ISPO UK MS Secretariat at info@ispo.org.uk or visit www.ispo.org.uk.


3-5 November 2011: ISPO Australia Annual Scientific Meeting
The 2011 Annual Scientific Meeting of ISPO Australia will be held at Dockside, Cockle Bay, Sydney from 3 to  5 November 2011. The major theme for this meeting is the Psychosocial Impact of Disability and Limb Loss and Dr Pamela Gallagher, Director of the Dublin Psychoprosthetics Group will be the Keynote Speaker. Through a suite of acclaimed international and national speakers, this meeting aims to demystify the related psychosocial issues and equip delegates with a greater understanding of the impact of such issues on the management and care of their clients.

The meeting will also explore minor themes surrounding the impact of psychosocial issues on children and families and the decision-making process underpinning choices between salvage and elective amputation. For more information, visit the conference website at: www.ispoconference.com.au.


In order to view all events, please visit the events section on the ISPO website.

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A NOTE FROM TOUCH BIONICS

i-LIMB(TM) Pulse: The World's Most Advanced Prosthetic Hand

Since 2007, upper limb amputees all over the world have benefitted from the functional benefits offered by the revolutionary i-LIMB technology from Touch Bionics(TM). The i-LIMB Pulse provides amputees with a prosthesis that is truly adaptable to their changing daily needs. Supported by a software tool that allows the hand to be easily configured to your patient's functional requirements, the i-LIMB Pulse offers a range of automatic grip patterns and hand gestures that can be selected as required.

This advanced hand prosthesis provides patients with a level of functional flexibility that has never been previously possible in upper limb prosthetics. With the increased dexterity and variable grip strength of the i-LIMB Pulse, amputees can now perform a greater variety of daily activities, boosting their confidence and independence, and improving their quality of life.

"The i-LIMB Pulse is a very exciting technology development, particularly for someone like myself, who is looking to get back to work in the fire service," says i-LIMB Pulse wearer, Ian Reid, who lost his left hand in a traumatic car accident in 2004. Read more here.

Download the eUpdate in PDF here.