The International Orthopaedic Trauma Association (IOTA; http://internationalota.org ) was founded in October, 2017 to promote trauma care around the world, and encourage collaboration, communication and integration. It is an association of associations, with the national and regional orthopaedic trauma organizations creating an alliance to share ideas and practices through scholarly collaborations. From its initial membership of 12 founding societies representing 13 countries, IOTA currently has 17 society members, representing 18 countries. The future of global orthopaedic trauma care continues to evolve, and IOTA fosters the sharing of ideas and practices, supports collaboration to avoid countries having to work in silos, and creates new opportunities to move the field forward. The IOTA, with support through the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA), sponsors an expanding set of programs, ranging from exchange fellowships and meeting sympos ia to publications, and welcomes new society members to and ideas from our developing community. IOTA’s first triennial meeting will be held in December, 2020, in Amsterdam, where it will partner with the Dutch Association for Trauma Surgery on a three day program.
 
It is my great pleasure to introduce the first newsletter of the IOTA, which will provide updates on IOTA activities and offer a platform for communication amongst the members of IOTA society members. Its new editor, Tim Chesser, from the British Orthopaedic Trauma Society has organized the inaugural edition to introduce each IOTA member society. As the Chair of the IOTA Steering Committee, I look forward to future editions highlighting the growing number of IOTA activities.
 
Theodore Miclau, MD
IOTA Mission
Promote international orthopaedic and musculoskeletal trauma care, including patient care, education, and research. 
Goals
Allocate venues for and monitor progress of a triennial International Orthopaedic Trauma Association Annual (IOTA) Meeting. 

Organize a face-to-face meeting at each triennial meeting and each Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) Annual Meeting. 

Provide a means for Member organizations to enhance international collaboration in research, education, teaching, and program development. 

Support the development of Orthopaedic Trauma organizations globally.
IOTA History
The IOTA charter was signed October 11, 2017 at the 33rd OTA Annual Meeting,
to unite 15 societies and counting.

Accomplishments To Date:
-Approved charter and outlined financial support and governance
-Established regular meeting schedule
-Created logo and website
-Selected venues for future triennial meetings: Netherlands (2020) and Mexico (2023)
-Developed observership program for Fellows
-Supported a Global Trauma Systems s urvey
-Publish ed an OTA International supplement on t rauma systems worldwide
-Presented symposia at the OTA Annual Meeting, including the topics of pelvic fractures and proximal femur fractures
-Started IOTA Annual Meeting exchanges between IOTA member societies, with 9 different organized exchanges to date
The full IOTA Member List can be viewed on the OTA website .
IOTA News
The Combined Annual Dutch Trauma Society Meeting and 1st Triennial IOTA Meeting
T he combined triennial meeting will be held, on December 2, 2020, immediately followed by the Dutch Association for Trauma Surgery (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Traumachirurgie (NVT)) Annual Conference on December 3 – 4, 2020. The meeting will be held at the RAI Congress Centre, in Amsterdam.

Affiliated Meeting Reports
Congratulations to the Mexican Federation of Orthopaedic and Traumatology Surgeons (FEMECOT) on a successful society meeting. At this meeting, FEMECOT promoted three different IOTA branded symposia on polytrauma, pelvic fractures, and osteomyelitis and bone defect treatment.
They also presented an IOTA symposium at the OTA 2019 Annual Meeting, in Denver, CO.
The 12th Annual Congress of the Chinese Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (CAOS2019) was held May 23rd through May 25th, in Beijing, China. The IOTA Global Trauma Forum was on Saturday, May 25th. They were glad to welcome IOTA to CAOS 2019.
In April 2019, the annual international trauma update course was held in Cartagena, Colombia, with the support and participation of IOTA. The main theme was minimally invasive MIO surgery and the meeting was highly successful.
There international speakers that represented the four IOTA different societies were: Dr. Theodore Miclau (Orthopaedic Trauma Association – United States and Canada), Dr. Victor De Ridder (Dutch Association for Trauma Surgery – Netherlands), Dr. Paulo Barboza (Brazilian Society of Orthopaedic Trauma – Brazil), and Dr. Fernando Bidolegui (Argentian Association of Orthopaedic Trauma – Argentina). One hundred and eighty orthopaedists attended the meeting, which received excellent ratings and a 96.5% satisfaction. For the SCCOT, connecting with the IOTA was critically important, and we look forward to working with the other IOTA societies to move the field forward. Next year, for the 2020 National Colombian Orthopaedics Congress, the largest SCCOT annual event, we are again planning a SCCOT-IOTA collaboration.
IOTA Society Reports
AATO (Asociación Argentina del Trauma Ortopédico)
The Argentine Orthopedic Trauma Association (AATO), is an association that represents Orthopedic Trauma in Argentina and its parent association is the Argentine of Orthopedics and Traumatology Association (AAOT). AATO has approximately 470 active members and was founded on March 21, 1994. Its major activities include an Annual International Meeting, an annual Orthopedic Trauma Course, and scientific meetings within Argentina to disseminate and promote trauma orthopaedic within the country.
AOA (Australian Orthopaedic Association)  
The Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA) was established in 1936 and currently has 1,796 members. The Australia Orthopaedic Trauma Society (AOTS) has 179 active members and formed as a specialist society within the AOA in 1990. The AOTS organizes trauma sessions at the AOA annual scientific meetings held every October. In 2015, AOTS began a trauma specialist scientific meeting that is held in June. The AOTS overseas the AOA trauma curriculum, has an multicentre clinical trial group and provides orthopaedic trauma experts for the Australasian Trauma Verification Program's trauma center site visits.
BOTA (Belgian Orthopaedic Trauma Association)
The Belgian Orthopaedic Trauma Association (BOTA) is the national lead partner for medical doctors with a special interest in the musculoskeletal trauma-care in Belgium. It was founded in the summer of 1990 by orthopaedic surgeons René Verdonk (Gent), Peter Reynders (Leuven) and Jan Vanmelkebeek (Antwerpen) who envisioned the need for a separate scientific organization dealing with musculoskeletal trauma, joining the Dutch- and French-speaking orthopaedic colleagues in our country with English as the working language.
From its inception, the BOTA’s purpose has been to promote evidenced based treatments for orthopaedic trauma. This mission is supported through the organization’s annual one-day congress that takes place in September and directed meetings held throughout the country where colleagues and residents can present their ‘case-reports’ with peer review. Our website http://www.botatrauma.be/ and bi-annual newsletter report extensively on these events.
Additional important initiatives include the BOTA’s institutional membership in the European Society of Trauma and Emergency (ESTES) and active participation in the creation of a national trauma registry in collaboration with different surgical and emergency physician scientific organizations.
The recent emergence of supra-regional trauma centers in Belgium and the growing body of evidence that trauma systems are a prerequisite for high quality care of the severely injured strengthens has helped us strengthen our mission. The BOTA hopes to continue the legacy of its visionary predecessors Albin Lambotte and Robert Danis, the founders of Osteosynthesis. We are convinced that membership of IOTA can only reinforce this process. 
SBOT (Brazilian Society of Orthopedic Trauma)  
The Brazilian Society of Orthopedic Trauma (Sociedade do Trauma Ortopédico – TRAUMA,) originated as a division 25 years ago from our major Orthopedic Society, the SBOT (Sociedade Brasileira de Ortopedia e Traumatologia – SBOT), to which it is still linked as a committee. Currently, we have over a thousand active associated members of the approximately 15,000 SBOT members and promote a main annual event dedicated to Orthopedic Trauma (Brazilian Congress of Orthopedic Trauma) that is traditionally held in May. There is also a mini Trauma Congress within the annual Meeting of the SBOT, and currently we are developing a new web platform to offer internet based learning to our associates.
CAOS (Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons) 
The Chinese Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (CAOS) serves over 150,000 orthopedic surgeons in China and is authorized by Chinese Government and National Health and Family Planning Commission of the People’s Republic of China. CAOS has 26 Orthopaedic sub-societies covering various orthopaedic areas and has become one of the largest and most influential medical associations in China.
 
CAOS not only focuses on providing Clinical Practice regulation, physician advocacy, examinations and certification, but also on continuing education of orthopaedic surgeons, especially on residency/specialist training. The variety of domestic and international education programs are held and fellowship opportunities are provided through CAOS. CAOS is committed to being the most practical continuing education platform and professional orthopaedic society in China.
SCCOT (Colombian Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology)
The Colombian Orthopedic Society or Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (SCCOT) is the main academic orthopaedic trauma organization and is headquartered in Bogota. The SCCOT groups more than 700 associates, with a structure divided into chapters that include trauma, spine, hand, hip and knee, and foot and ankle surgery. SCCOT hosts multiple academic activities with the purpose of updating of orthopedics and traumatology in Colombia. Its Annual Congress includes top international guests with topics directed to general orthopedists and sub-specialty practice.
SCCOT utilizes CLEMI, a cadaveric-based skills laboratory, to hold courses for surgeon throughout Central and South America.
DGU (German Trauma Society) 
The German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma (DGOU) is a medical professional society with approximately 10,500 members. It was founded in 2008 as a non-profit organization and is headquartered in Berlin. As an Association Group, the DGOU combines the objectives and tasks of its two supporting associations, the German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma (DGOOC) and the German Trauma Society (DGU), and of their members. As such, the DGOU represents the overarching and common interests of the field of orthopaedics and trauma surgery in the areas of research, teaching, and advanced education and training. The DGOU represents the interests of its members in the areas of science, healthcare and vocational and public policy. In close collaboration with its various groups and committees, the organization works effectively for its members in its capacity as a professional society.
TSI (Trauma Society of India)
The Trauma Society of India (TSI) was founded 20 years ago by Prof. Dr. Sudhir Babhulkar and Prof. Dr. D. D. Tanna who were joined later by Prof. Dr. G. S. Kulkarni and Prof. Dr. S. C. Goel. The TSI represents the largest orthopaedic trauma organization in India, with over 1,200 current orthopaedic surgeon members. This society facilitates international scientific promotion, learning opportunities and clinical and basic research on musculoskeletal trauma.
 
The TSI holds a flagship meeting of every mid-August in Mumbai that caters to participants from India and neighboring countries, benefiting more than 2,000 attendees. In addition, TSI holds a midterm meeting called Current Concepts in Trauma (CCT), which rotates around the country to promote trauma knowledge uniformly. In addition to these two important meetings, the TSI sponsors a special symposium during the Indian Orthopedic Association’s Annual Meeting. TSI’s official publication journal is "Injury" and the organization has also published through Thieme on its own guidelines concerning specific fractures management, such as the tibial plateau, femoral neck, and distal femur. TSI seeks to begin additional scientific programming in collaboration with the IOTA, with India being a gateway for Far East Asia and providing an important pathway towards Asia-Pacific region.
IOA (Israeli Orthopaedic Trauma Society)
The Israeli Orthopaedic Association (IOA) is the official association for orthopaedic surgeons across Israel. There are approximately 1000 licensed orthopaedic surgeons in the country, of which 600 are active members of the IOA. The Israeli Orthopaedic Trauma Society (IOTS) is the official organization representing orthopaedic surgeons who are committed to trauma surgery. There are nearly 60 surgeons who dedicate their professional careers to orthopaedic trauma care, approximately half of whom have orthopaedic trauma fellowship training from leading centers abroad. The IOTS holds annual meetings and teaching symposia, and joined the IOTA as a formal society member in 2018.
OTODI (Ortho. and Trauma Specialists Hospital of Italy)
OTODI (Ortopedici Traumatologi Ospedalieri Italia) is an association consisting of over 3,000 orthopaedic surgeons and traumatologists who work in public and/or private health sectors. The OTODI is a non-profit association is that is divided into 20 regional societies, and its main purpose is to promote scientific, cultural and teaching activities.
OTODI’s goals include:

a) To support of professional and cultural-level studies, research and mutual exchanges by gathering, organizing and disseminating information and experimental findings;
b) To facilitate the exchange of ideas and experience among Italian and non-Italian specialists in the field;
c) To continuing medical education for its members through an annual continuing medical education (CME) training program; and
d) To develop study trials, master courses, and guidelines in collaboration with the Ministry for Health, Regional Authorities, and local healthcare organizations.
JSFR (Japanese Society for Fracture Repair)  
The Japanese Society of Fracture Repair (JSFR) was founded in April 1978 and currently has 4,680 members. Its current president is Professor Toru Sato from Okayama Medical Center. The current JSFR activities include holding academic conferences and training sessions, publishing its journal quarterly, updating its website , investigating and reporting on implant failures, and participating in academic conferences with the Korean and Taiwanese Fracture Societies. The JSFR also participates in the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) and collaborates with the many member societies of the IOTA.
 
 
The upcoming Annual Meetings are as follows:

46th Annual Meeting, July 3-4, 2020
Kitakyusyu Convention & Visitor Association
Congress President: Seiya Jingushi, MD, PhD
Vice Director, Director of Adult Reconstruction Center
Kyushu Rosai Hospital, Japan Organization of Occupational Health and Safety
FEMECOT
(Federación Mexicana de Colegios de Ortopedia y Traumatología)
The Mexican Federation of Orthopaedic and Traumatology Surgeons (FEMECOT) is an organization, founded 51 years ago, represents Orthopaedics and Traumatology in Mexico. In the country there are 64 colleges of Orthopaedic and Traumatology, 63 colleges are affiliated to FEMECOT, which has 3,102 active members, making it the second largest orthopaedic and trauma organization in Latin America, after Brazil. FEMECOT hosts an annual international congress, five regional meetings and an indexed magazine. 
NVT (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Traumachirurgie)  
Dutch Assoc. for Trauma Surgery
The Dutch Trauma Society (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Traumachirurgie, NVT), was founded in 1982 as a sub-specialty and scientific society within the Dutch Society for Surgery (NVVH). NVT has about 520 active members. Dutch Trauma surgeons take care of about 80% of acute skeletal trauma and are responsible for trauma care in roughly 75 hospitals in the Netherlands. Trauma care for the 17 million inhabitants of the Netherlands is organized in 11 Trauma networks around 11 Level I Trauma centers. NVT introduced ATLS to the Netherlands in 2004, and since that time, ATLS based initial trauma care has been definitively established in all hospitals .
The Dutch Trauma Society organizes its annual international congress in Amsterdam, with the Dutch Society for Orthopaedic Trauma (NVOT) and the Dutch Society of OR-nurses (LVO). Additionally, there is a long tradition of organizing the biennial multidisciplinary Postolympic Sports Congress at the National Sports Institute at Papendal, advanced trauma courses, AO courses, and courses for residents in (trauma) surgery. The NVT is the second largest sub-specialty of the Dutch Surgical Society, and actively participating in the society’s work, including through the annual meeting, a scientific peer-reviewed magazine (Injury), a yearly magazine aimed at the para-medical and non-medical members of society (‘ De Traumachirurg’), and a very active website ( www.trauma.nl ) .
 
For 2020 the NVT has been given the honor of organizing the first IOTA Triennial meeting, which will be held in combination with its annual congress meeting at the RAI congress center in Amsterdam (Dec 2-4, 2019).
SAOTA (South African Orthopaedic Trauma Society)
The South African Orthopaedic Trauma Society (SAOTS) is a subspecialty interest group of the South African Orthopaedic Association. The SAOTS was founded in 2012 and has just over 100 members. The society aim is to improve orthopaedic trauma care across the country through education, as well as promoting research in the field of orthopaedic trauma. 
 
 The society hosts a subspecialty meeting during the annual Combined South African Orthopaedic Association Congress, and a biannual trauma meeting combined with the Surgical Trauma society.
SOTA-SECOT(Spanish Orthopaedic Trauma Association) 
The Spanish Society of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology (SECOT) and IOTA facilitated the development of SOTA-SECOT (Spanish Association of Orthopedic Trauma - Spanish Society of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology), which is dedicated to training, research and the development of specialist partners with a special interest in the field of orthopaedic traumatology. SOTA-SECOT currently has 400 affiliated orthopedic surgeons. The association promotes science, learning opportunities, and clinical and basic research on musculoskeletal trauma in Spain and supports these efforts internationally.
As an academic opportunity, the next SECOT annual meeting will be held in Zaragoza, where a two-hour SOTA session will be held and will include faculty internationally recognized for their expertise in orthopaedic trauma and address key topics in orthopaedic trauma.
OTS (Orthopaedic Trauma Society)
The Orthopaedic Trauma Society (OTS) was set up in 2012 in response to the increasing specialization of orthopaedic trauma in the United Kingdom and the establishment of major trauma networks. Its mission is to foster education and research, and the organization has grown rapidly. The OTS currently has over 200 members, holds an annual meeting and is responsible for the trauma re-validation for the country’s orthopaedic trauma surgeons. Using a collaborative approach, the OTS has delivered significant research trials that have changed practice, and continues to engage in important research questions.
OTA (Orthopaedic Trauma Association)
The Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) is celebrating its 35th year of promoting excellence in care for the injured patient. Main OTA promotes musculoskeletal injury care through its Annual Meeting and Courses, Research Grant Award Program, two official journals (JOT and OTAI), and several other initiatives. The OTA’s newest member benefit, OTA Online (OTA Online is a premier online educational portal offering many valuable online resources). The OTA currently has just under 2,500 members. Visit the OTA website to learn about the OTA member benefits and resources.  
IOTA Activity
IOTA Publications
Understanding Global Trauma Systems – OTA International Looks at Current Status, Future Needs
March 13, 2019 -
OTA International supplement reflects the growing interest in improving trauma care in order to reduce trauma-related mortality around the world. "This work represents a collaboration of member societies of the International Orthopaedic Trauma Association (IOTA), which is an international association of orthopaedic societies dedicated to the promotion of musculoskeletal trauma care through advancements in treatment, education, and research," writes Guest Editor Theodore Miclau, MD, of University of California, San Francisco.
 
While acknowledging the gap in trauma system development between higher- and lower-income countries, the supplement papers draw attention to a common goal: documenting improvements in survival and subsequent outcomes, as a direct result of care provided by national trauma systems. "Well-developed trauma systems in higher income countries have been shown to improve patient outcomes; however the overall adoption of such systems remains low," Dr. Miclau writes. He concludes that "The information presented in this supplement will contribute to larger efforts toward understanding, improving, and standardizing existing trauma systems worldwide."


Taken from Understanding Global Trauma Systems Wolters Kluwer March 13, 2019 press release. View the entire press release here.
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