ESSKA @ Home 2021 "When fashions meets science"
Background: The global COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a significant shift in the dissemination of orthopedic surgical education, forcing the cancellation of traditional in-person gatherings. This transition required the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA) to adapt its biennial congress into a digital format to maintain scientific exchange and professional development during a period of restricted international travel.
Objective: This report outlines the structural and thematic organization of the ESSKA 2021 Virtual Congress, detailing the technological framework and scientific curriculum designed to deliver orthopedic education remotely.
Key Points: The virtual platform provided 131 hours of scientific content across 150 sessions, featuring contributions from over 450 speakers. The curriculum was organized into five concurrent digital channels: one live-moderated channel for keynote lectures and interactive discussions, and four thematic channels dedicated to specific orthopedic subspecialties. Major clinical focuses included anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, rotator cuff repair, hip arthroscopy, and management of the degenerative knee. Specific named lectures addressed the functional anatomy of the medial collateral ligament and the evolution of ligamentous reconstruction techniques. The program also integrated specialized sessions on orthobiologics, sports medicine, and complex joint instability. Content was made available for on-demand review for a three-month period to facilitate asynchronous learning.
Conclusion: The transition to a virtual congress model allowed for the uninterrupted delivery of high-level orthopedic science. By utilizing multi-channel digital broadcasting and on-demand access, the society maintained its educational mission, providing a comprehensive update on surgical techniques and clinical outcomes in sports traumatology and arthroscopy.
"When fashion meets science" was our slogan for the ESSKA 2020 congress in Milan. The timing was strange because just after the Milan Fashion Week in February 2020, a series of seemingly improbable events began to unfold. We were beginning to realise that holding our May 2020 congress would probably be impossible and we decided to postpone it until September 2020. A massive amount of reorganisation, communication to our members, speakers and industry partners was urgently needed. The orthopaedic world was moving in all directions, and everyone was still considering doing their events. Then the waves followed one another like a tsunami without respite to make us decide to reschedule a second time in May 2021 and finally to transform our magnificent congress into a new and very current form, namely VIRTUAL. So YES, we have ended up becoming very fashionable as all communication and exchanges have become virtual!
Every cloud has a silver lining, and we have become warriors ready to fight by reorganising the troops, mobilising positive energies and seeking new, ever more attractive solutions.
The body of our congress is SCIENCE delivered without bias and like the couriers that have taken over our cities, ESSKA brings the content of what you have ordered to your home. The science programme was once again worked on by our programme chairs Michael Hirschmann, Kristian Samuelsson, Elizaveta Kon and myself to adapt it to the innovative technology we will be using. 131 hours of scientific content!!! More than 450 speakers, 150 top class sessions will be offered to you live and on demand, just like our film broadcasting sites.
How does it work?
It’s actually quite simple. After registering online you will have unlimited access for three months to all scientific content and industry sessions.
The congress will take place over four days, from Wednesday 12th May until Saturday 15th May and will be visible "on demand" 24 hours a day 7 days a week!
What is the general pattern?
The general scheme will be based on the principle of television channels: a live channel with a TV set and four channels each dedicated to an "all about" subject.
The LIVE channel will have moderators who will chat live with the speakers. All the highlight and keynote lectures will be on this channel. The scientific standard will be very high, bringing us all the latest innovations and updates in all areas of ESSKA. It promises to be lively with interaction with the audience through live Q&A. Our speakers have made a considerable effort to give you the best of their science. Tuesday through Friday evening from 6 to 10 pm, and on Saturday morning, this channel will be open and the content can be viewed and reviewed on demand afterwards.
For the other four channels the content will be pre-recorded in the form of ESSKA WEBINAR, i.e. very interactive with a take home message, introductions and moderation by our team. I believe that the general aspect will be very fluid like a pre-recorded live broadcast.
Tue. 11th May
We start with the young surgeons, interns and students. It is a kind of pre-congress ESSKA and from 4.45 pm to 9 pm FORTE will offer an attractive programme on the knee, shoulder and ankle but also a forum on "the success of the intern" in the start of their career. It is also on Tuesday 11 May that all the free papers will be put online, as well as the E-Posters, which is often the moment for an intern or a young surgeon to "step on the podium" for the first time in a scientific event.
Wed. 12th May
We start the congress with a very short inaugural session and then Andy Williams will give the new lecture that we are inaugurating this year: The Werner Müller Lecture called "The MCL- the Forgotten Ligament. How anatomic form and function optimise practice - The Werner Müller Principle". Together with the Ejnar Erickson Lecture, these are now the two main presentations of our congress. Then it will be the turn of the cycle of highlight and keynote lectures.
Each of the other channels will cover a specific topic: All about ACL, All about shoulder surgery, All about ankle surgery and All about hip arthroscopy.
Thur. 13th May
The LIVE channel will continue with our highlight and keynote speakers.
Our other channels will cover: All about meniscus, all about rotator cuff tear, all about hip arthroscopy and orthobiologic, all about sports.
Fri. 14th May
The LIVE channel will continue with our highlight and keynote speakers.
Our other channels will cover: All about complex knee instability, All about degenerative knee, All About cartilage, All about shoulder and elbow.
Sat. 15th May
This will be the last day. The session will be morning only, from 9:30 to 12:30, and we will finish on the LIVE channel with the Ejnar Eriksson reading done by Matteo Denti: ACL reconstruction from the past to present - What have I learned from Ejnar? Then the section sessions end on a high note with Women in ESSKA!!!
Our dedicated channels will link to the world and our partner societies ISAKOS, AOSSM APKASS, SLARD, the degenerative knee, and the patello femoral session!
This is a description of our great event that we already know will be successful because of the large number of registrations and the great participation of the industry, which have followed and supported us in an incredible way.
We will be on top of our game and you will be surprised by the strength of this new "formula 1" of the virtual congress!
Visit our website, register, and don’t forget to tell those around you about ESSKA, because it is thanks to you that it will be a success! Make groups to watch and participate together at home or in your hospital. Take selfies, send us those moments of sharing, go on social networks to talk about it, it all helps!
I would like to say thank you to all our highlight and keynote speakers who all attended, to all our ICL chairs and symposia, to all our young participants who will be presenting, to the authors of the e-posters and to all the exceptional organising committees who made this outstanding congress possible.
THANK YOU to all of you who will make this congress UNBELIEVABLE as a building block in the history of ESSKA!
You’ll love it and you’ll have three months to watch, rewatch and replay all the sessions of ESSKA VIRTUAL 2021!
We look forward to seeing you.
