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| GUEST EDITORIAL |
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| Year : 2022 | Volume
: 5
| Issue : 2 | Page : 53-55 |
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Important days to remember in orthopedics and musculoskeletal system care
Ganesh Singh Dharmshaktu
Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Haldwani, Uttarakhand, India
| Date of Submission | 15-May-2022 |
| Date of Decision | 15-May-2022 |
| Date of Acceptance | 15-May-2022 |
| Date of Web Publication | 28-May-2022 |
Correspondence Address:
Ganesh Singh Dharmshaktu
Department of Orthopaedics, Government Medical College, Haldwani - 263 139, Uttarakhand
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None
DOI: 10.4103/jodp.jodp_44_22
How to cite this article:
Dharmshaktu GS. Important days to remember in orthopedics and musculoskeletal system care. J Orthop Dis Traumatol 2022;5:53-5 |
How to cite this URL:
Dharmshaktu GS. Important days to remember in orthopedics and musculoskeletal system care. J Orthop Dis Traumatol [serial online] 2022 [cited 2023 Jun 3];5:53-5. Available from: https://jodt.org/text.asp?2022/5/2/53/346218 |
| Introduction | |  |
The field of orthopedics involves diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of various musculoskeletal and osteoarticular disorders, responsible for pain, deformities, or disabilities in society. A patient can be a newborn or an elderly, and a spectrum of disorders span from simple to complex congenital disorders, deformities, fractures, and arthropathies, with a multitude of rare and unusual presentations of diseases reported on a regular basis in the literature. Apart from skillful management of these diseases, rehabilitation and preventive strategies are also critical to reduce their global burden. Being a good clinician warrants not only keeping abreast of the latest advances in the specialty but also involving oneself in social outreach and collaborative efforts with patient groups, social welfare organizations, healthcare bodies, and local or national government machinery. Many days is celebrated annually for various causes pertaining to orthopedics and musculoskeletal system care, and active participation in these events is expected from concerned clinicians to help them become a success and bring some impactful changes for the betterment of society. A few important days is described here to serve as easy reading for busy orthopedists, students, or enthusiasts alike.
| Bone and Joint Day | | |
Indian Orthopaedic Association (IOA) in 2012 started to celebrate the Bone and Joint Day on August 4 with the slogan – “Stronger Bones Stronger India.” Then, the President of IOA, Prof. (Dr.) S. Rajasekaran was instrumental in announcing this day to the orthopedic fraternity and to the nation. The day, in fact, is part of a week-long Bone and Joint Week (August 1–7) dedicated to various activities by the members to highlight the social outreach of the association. Each year, a theme based on various issues related to musculoskeletal disorders is taken up and strategies are planned to brainstorm and manage these problems and sensitize the public and government machinery regarding better models of care. On requests from the IOA, the Union Ministry of Health agreed to declare this day as Bone and Joint Day. IOA charter was also signed on the same day in 1971. Since then, the day is observed nationally as proclaimed.[1] Themes are announced every year [Table 1] and the members are requested to actively volunteer and participate in various activities such as free surgeries, medical camps, public awareness, march, press releases, or other miscellaneous events.
| World Clubfoot Day | | |
World Clubfoot Day, celebrated on June 3, is an initiative from the Ponseti International Association as a medium to pay respect and celebrate the birthday of Dr. Ignacio V. Ponseti (1914–2009), the maverick and stalwart who changed the way we see and treat clubfoot.[2] His principles of casting are currently the standard treatment of clubfoot management the world over with excellent success rate and efficacy. The goal is to raise awareness and disability prevention by applying Ponseti method of treatment. The day also serves to remind us that the disability is preventable and curable by appropriate treatment methods.
| World Ilizarov Day | | |
Celebrated on June 15, this day coincides with the birth anniversary of an orthopedic legend Prof. Gavril Abramovich Ilizarov (June 15, 1921, to July 24, 1992). Born on June 15, 1921, in Poland, he studied medicine in the Soviet Union and worked in Kurgan, Russia.[3] His innovation of distraction osteogenesis with external fixators, which was initially used for fractures, was a novel discovery. Later, the indication extended to nonunions, deformity correction, contractures, etc.[4] In a tribute to a true national hero, the name of Kurgan Airport was named after G. A. Ilizarov, as the city claims the international acclaim of his favorite son. Last year, in 2021, we proudly witnessed 100 years of Ilizarov by celebrations with many organizations paying homage to the great soul. His technique of limb reconstruction has been a game-changer in true sense since its popularization on the world stage.
| Wishbone Day | | |
On May 6, every year, people and many organizations join hands to celebrate Wishbone Day – an international awareness day for osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). The organizer is not an organization but a collective voice of people with OI. It was launched in 2010 but soon got momentum and grew larger each year to be adopted worldwide as an official OI awareness initiative.[5] People wear some clothing with yellow collars and share pictures, posters, and media graphics on various social media sites to raise awareness and create discussion and debates. Yellow color is supposed to shine with optimism and signifies promise of positive future.
| International Scoliosis Awareness Day | | |
June 26 is observed as the International Scoliosis Awareness Day, and June is the National Scoliosis Month in the United States. To promote scoliosis awareness, Green Ribbons are used.[6] It is intended to highlight the growing need for education, early detection, and public awareness regarding scoliosis and unites families, patients, physicians, institutions, and other stakeholders to partner for various related activities and outreach programs.[7]
| Awareness Day for Avascular Necrosis-Osteonecrosis | | |
Several states in the United States of America have proclaimed November 29 as the Awareness Day for Avascular Necrosis-Osteonecrosis.[8]
| World Young Rheumatic Diseases Day: International Awareness Day for Pediatric Rheumatic Diseases | | |
World Young Rheumatic Diseases (WORD) was established on March 18, 2019, to raise awareness about pediatric rheumatic diseases, their early diagnosis, and timely specialist consultation. The first International Awareness Day for Pediatric Rheumatic Diseases was organized as a webcast during European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) E-Congress on June 5, 2020.[9] Lack of awareness about pediatric rheumatic diseases causes delay or inappropriate diagnosis with grave future consequences. WORD (March 18) is now gaining popularity and support of many associations and public participation is increasing.
| Bone and Joint Action Week | | |
During October 12–20, a variety of events focused on a spectrum of orthopedic disorders such as trauma, spine diseases, arthritis, osteoporosis, and pediatric musculoskeletal conditions are observed. The following five events are part of the week.[10],[11]
World Arthritis Day
World Arthritis Day (WAD) aims for a global awareness day about rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The day was established by Arthritis and Rheumatism International in 1996.[12] Arthritis is a group of disabling disorders with huge impact on quality of life and healthcare expenditure. Emerging technologies and affordable care have improved the outcome of the treatment, but much needs to be done at grass root level for equitable and good care. The website of WAD is maintained by the EULAR. It also urges the public to share their stories and experiences for social media outreach.
World Spine Day
World Spine Day is observed on October 16 every year, highlighting the global burden of spine diseases and disabilities. It was organized by the World Federation of Chiropractic in 2008 and is now an international phenomenon.[13] Healthcare professionals, rehabilitation experts, public health advocates, patients, and public, at large, all take part in the events targeted to make the importance of spine health and well-being an important issue. The engagement and discussion on spine-related public advisories and collaborations are also given due importance.
World Trauma Day
World Trauma Day is celebrated on October 17, and it was the day proposed to raise awareness about a major killer and social menace – road traffic accidents (RTA). A sizeable number of people, many of whom are young, are lost to RTA annually and the overall impact on the country's resources is immense. The day, started in New Delhi in 2011 (along with the Trauma Society of South Africa joining the next year), underlines the importance of collaborative action on issues to reduce the number of RTAs in society.[14] Death and disability following RTAs are truly a modern epidemic and deserve due acknowledgment and collective efforts to curtail the problem. Half of all RTAs take place in developing countries like India, and the importance and objectives of this day are more required here.
World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day
World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day is observed on October 19. It was initiated by Pediatric Specialty Group, a program of the United States Bone and Joint Initiative in 2012.[10],[15] It is also championed by leading organizations such as Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America and American Academy of Pediatrics.[15]
World Osteoporosis Day
World Osteoporosis Day (WOD) is observed on October 20, every year. Global awareness for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of osteoporosis, a silent killer, is the main objective of the initiative. Fracture prevention is another area of concern that requires global priority. Educative resources and toolkits are provided at a dedicated website for the day, and posters, factsheets, campaign material, social media tools, and brochures can be downloaded for distribution and promotion.[16] In 1998, International Osteoporosis Foundation was established and since then has been at forefront of osteoporosis-related activities and backs up WOD. The WOD was included as a project of the National Osteoporosis Society on October 20, 1996, backed by the European Commission in the United Kingdom.[17]
Similarly, Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation, the largest American organization dedicated to bone health and osteoporosis, shares similar interests and celebrates the month of May as Osteoporosis Awareness and Prevention Month.[18] The dissemination of bone-healthy exercises and information for all ages is their key activity. Wearing white and embracing better bone health are observed in WOD.
| References | | |
| 1. | Jain AK, Kumar S. Bone and Joint Day-India. Indian J Orthop 2013;47:435-6.  [ PUBMED] [Full text] |
| 2. | |
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| 4. | Spiegelberg B, Parratt T, Dheerendra SK, Khan WS, Jennings R, Marsh DR. Illizarov principles of deformity correction. Ann R Coll Surg Engl 2010;92:101-5. |
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[Table 1]
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