EKS and ICJR Partnership

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted traditional orthopedic educational forums, necessitating a shift in the dissemination of surgical knowledge. To address the requirement for continuous global education in reconstructive surgery, the International Congress for Joint Reconstruction (ICJR) and the European Knee Society (EKS) established the World Arthroplasty Conference (WAC). This initiative followed a series of international meetings organized by the ICJR since 2008, aimed at consolidating expertise in hip and knee replacement through a collaborative international framework.

Objective: This report describes the evolution of the WAC, focusing on its mission to provide a triennial scientific platform for hip and knee arthroplasty and its adaptation to a virtual format during the 2021 global health crisis.

Key Points: The WAC framework incorporates a scientific program featuring podium and poster presentations, with a faculty of approximately 80 international experts. The inaugural 2015 meeting in Paris and the 2018 meeting in Rome each attracted over 1,000 participants from more than 68 countries. The 2021 conference transitioned to a virtual environment, receiving over 600 abstract submissions. The curriculum emphasizes global advances in arthroplasty, clinical guidelines for specialized and general orthopedic surgeons, and case-based debates. Industry partnerships remain integrated through virtual workshops and innovation showcases. The triennial schedule is designed to maintain educational momentum while allowing for the presentation of significant longitudinal data and technical developments in joint reconstruction.

Conclusion: The transition to a virtual platform has allowed the WAC to maintain its educational objectives despite pandemic-related travel restrictions. This model ensures the continued dissemination of clinical guidelines and surgical innovations in hip and knee arthroplasty until the resumption of in-person meetings.