Orthopaedics in the Developing World: Present and Future Concerns

Chronic haematogenous osteomyelitis in children

“…15 Children who develop acute osteomyelitis and live in areas where health services are inadequate are more likely to present late, to go undiagnosed and to be mis-or untreated. This results in progression to chronic disease.…”

The POSNA-COUR International Scholar Program. Results of the First 7 Years

“…These categories of involvement are all worthy and important, but often the most efficient and lasting strategies are those that involve education and teaching. [4][5][6][7] The POSNA-COUR scholarship was developed to provide another means of education for those surgeons providing pediatric orthopaedic care in underserved regions. This program is based upon the principle of relationship building between POSNA members and the international community.…”

“…[1][2][3][4][5][6] These include short-term surgical missions, disaster relief, and teaching and training of local health care providers through traveling fellowships and continuing medical education courses. 4,5 Although no one method is perfect, collectively they accomplish the goal of providing access to specialized care to those in need as well as laying an important foundation for those who would otherwise not have access to the necessary training and education.…”

War Injuries, Trauma, and Disaster Relief

“…Injuries related to RTAs are increasingly being recognized as a worldwide neglected epidemic. 20,38,47,53,56,61,72 This was the theme of the World Health Day on April 7, 2004. 59 In 2002, there were over 10 million vehicle crashes worldwide, responsible for 1.18 million deaths, an average of 3242 deaths per day.…”

“…20 More than 80% of the world's trained orthopaedic surgeons can be found in the 26 developed countries, which account for less than 10% of the world's population. 20,46 To compound the issue, the countries with the greatest needs are usually the ones suffering from the worst brain-drain. At present, SSA counts roughly one formally trained orthopaedic surgeon per five million population.…”