Peter Lee, Hans Grey and Ryan Tiew attended the International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) 19th World Congress in Mexico. The congress was attended by professionals who are involved in the care of persons in need of prosthetic, orthotic, mobility and assistive.ess was attended by professional.
Hans presented at the conference and this is what he said about his experiences at the conference,
“I found the ISPO conference to be a pleasant change from other conferences I've attended. What struck me the most was the significant industry presence at the event. It was incredibly useful to see the prosthetic components on display and to speak with industry experts. I also appreciated the opportunity to explore the industry exhibition and talk to those who had developed novel products.
One of the highlights of the conference for me was meeting two patients with bone-anchored implants. Although I've been working on a project to reduce fractures in patients with these implants, I had never had the chance to interact with a patient who uses one. It was a valuable experience.
Our presentation on the modelling and experimental work we've done to improve the safety of bone-anchored implants was well received by some attendees who viewed it as a scientific approach to solving an existing problem. However, some others expressed that they didn't find it useful because they hadn't encountered frequent femoral fractures in patients with bone-anchored implants in their own experiences.”
Ryan also presented at the conference and shared with us his experiences in attending his first international conference as a PhD student.
"The International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) 19th World Congress was an eye opener for me. Although I have been working on bone-anchored prostheses throughout my project, I haven't had the opportunity to personally interact with a patient fitted with one. The conference provided me valuable experience of talking to these patients and seeing how my research is and will be translated into practice. The industry presence at the conference also made it really engaging as I was able to bridge the divide between academia and industry. Talking to the representatives and engineers from these companies gave me insights into where the field is headed next .
The conference also provided me the opportunity to present my work on a validated finite element (FE) model of an implanted cadaveric femur to an audience of different backgrounds. Being able to engage with clinicians and looking at things from a different perspective on bone-anchored prostheses definitely broadened my view on the subject. Aside from that, I was also able to connect with fellow peers working in the same field.It was truly exhilarating to witness the amazing work that others are engaged in, as it reignited a newfound enthusiasm within me for my own project.
Overall, it was an enjoyable and memorable experience for me. I look forward to the next conference and presenting more of my work.
