Abstract
“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page”
In May 1991, I was finishing up my clinical sports medicine fellowship year at the University of California, Los Angeles. I had spent the previous year doing research in their biomechanics laboratory. I had several good research projects, and I was looking for conferences where I could present my work. The International Knee Society and the International Arthroscopy Association were holding a joint meeting that year in Toronto, Canada. These 2 societies would merge a few years later to form the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS). My presentations were accepted but I found out that our research funding would not pay for international airfare. Undaunted, I flew to Rochester, New York, where I had done my residency, rented a car, and drove 3 hours around Lake Ontario to deliver my presentations.
Attending this meeting opened my eyes to a whole new world of orthopaedics. I saw a live video presentation by Giancarlo Puddu from Italy, elegantly demonstrating his technique of a medial opening wedge high tibial osteotomy to treat medial compartment osteoarthritis. I also listened with a mixture of fascination and horror as Paul Grammont presented his early results of his radical design for a reverse total shoulder prosthesis. I remember saying to myself at the time, “That’s the stupidest idea I have ever heard.” Needless to say, 15 years later, the introduction of the reverse total shoulder in the United States revolutionized the way I treated patients with cuff tear arthropathy. Today, many of the “hot topics” in orthopaedic sports medicine are centered around procedures that were originally developed overseas (eg, Latarjet procedure and lateral extra-articular tenodesis from France, autologous chondrocyte implantation from Sweden, superior capsular reconstruction from Japan).
That initial experience in Toronto fostered in me a desire to learn about sports medicine around the world. I was fortunate enough to be selected for the AOSSM traveling fellowship to the Asia-Pacific region in 1999. Our Godparent, Freddie Fu, led us on a tour of leading sports medicine centers in Australia and New Zealand. We were exposed to techniques and approaches that challenged our preconceived notions. Even more important was the chance to develop relationships with sports medicine nobility from “down under.” Getting a chance to see parts of those beautiful countries was an added bonus.
Since then, our sports medicine center at the University of New Mexico has had the honor of hosting traveling fellows to AOSSM from South America, the Latin American Society of Knee Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine (SLARD), and Europe, the European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA), on multiple occasions. Over time, I have become a member of ISAKOS, ESSKA, and SLARD, and I try to attend their meetings as often as possible. This has led to amazing travel opportunities in every corner of the globe. I also had the good fortune to spend a sabbatical year in Lyon, France, with Philippe Neyret’s team. In every instance, my international experiences have expanded my knowledge, improved my treatment of patients, and led to lasting friendships around the world. One of the most important lessons I have learned is that despite the differences in our languages, cultures, and resources, all sports medicine surgeons are constantly striving to provide the best care to enable our patients to return to an active lifestyle.
When I traveled to Toronto back in May 1991, that month’s issue of the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM) included 18 articles, and all but 2 were from centers in the United States. One from Denmark reported on injuries in youth soccer players. 1 The other, from Japan, investigated ulnar shaft stress fractures in baseball and softball players. 2 Fast forward to this current issue of the journal, where 12 of the 26 articles are from overseas, representing 8 different countries. The growth in articles from international authors published in AJSM is a result of the Editorial Board recognizing the excellent research being carried out in centers around the world, in addition to authors valuing the prestige conveyed having a paper published in our journal. Bruce Reider’s tireless international travels have also helped promote our journal and recruit many of our top reviewers. Our sister publication, OJSM, now has over 30 international partner societies, which have contributed to the rapid success of that journal.
Currently, there is a trend toward isolationism in America. An “America First” mentality has crept back into our country’s consciousness. Fortunately, under Brett Owens’ leadership, AJSM is continuing to attract, review, and publish high-quality research regardless of country of origin. I would encourage our readers to absorb the knowledge that our international colleagues are sharing with us. However, only reading the research is like perusing a travel guidebook without visiting. I would also strongly urge you to travel to an orthopaedic conference in another country. Most of these meetings are primarily in English or have English translation available. You will hear fascinating presentations and meet some extraordinary, generous people. And if you are like me, you will take some time before or after the meeting to explore that region to experience more of the local sights and culture. As Mark Twain said, “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.”