Motion is Life
is the congress theme of the German Congress of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery 2017. Motion is a fundamental condition for our health – beginning with the various processes occurring every second in our body and finally resulting in the movement of our extremities. The loss of motion leads to functional deficits, to the loss of mobility and to a serious restriction of the quality of life. Keeping our motion and regaining lost motion is therefore one of the key goals of orthopedic and trauma surgery.

Sports and Motion have manifested themselves in our society as important topics for many years now. Many of us are exercising sport to keep fit and for having fun; many elderly people want to keep up with the younger generation. Topics such as popular and professional sports with their potential risks, the treatment of sport injuries, but also their prevention are essential contents of the congress of orthopedic and trauma surgery.

Regardless of age acute and chronic joint pain results in a restriction of joint motion. Regaining this lost motion through conservative treatment methods, by joint-preserving measures but also by joint replacing operations are central parts of the modern orthopedic surgery. Similarly, accidents cause motion restrictions, pain and loss of mobility; muscle and soft tissue damage result in functional disturbances and can lead to a compromised circulation. Multiple severe injuries and their acute blood loss can finally result in a life-threatening cardiac arrest. The prevention of these sequela and the restoration of anatomy and function are the central part of the surgical treatment.

Orthopedic and Trauma surgery incorporate a wide range of conservative treatment options, joint preserving and joint reconstructing procedures including minimal-invasive surgical procedures, optimized implants and joint replacing therapies. This is made possible by understanding the process of soft tissue healing and the origin of acute and chronic illnesses.

The various fields of orthopedic and trauma surgery with the underlying mechanisms as well as differentiated diagnostic tools and therapy and also the prevention and rehabilitation are topics of the DKOU 2017. The participation of the United States of America as this year’s guest nation will be a valuable enrichment for the congress, which is become more and more international each year.

Aside from the scientific topics, contemporary issues such as economical problems and the increasing regulation of education and working conditions will be discussed. The various societies, sections and working groups will get the possibility to present their achievements and are invited for inter-collegial exchange.

You all are warmly welcome to participate with abstract submissions and attendance of our meeting. Already today we would like to draw your attention to the German Congress of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery 2017 in Berlin. We are looking forward discussing with you the fascinating diagnostic and therapeutic options in orthopedics and traumatology with the goal of maintaining motion.