Welcome

Photo Credit: Helsinki Marketing, a company owned by the City of Helsink

Dear Colleagues,

ECTS 2022 is just around the corner and I am really looking forward to meeting many of you, live again, in Helsinki, from 6-10 May 2022. This is a welcoming and safe city with direct flights from most hub airports in Europe, North America and Asia. The congress will be held conveniently near the international airport and with excellent connections into the city of Helsinki.

The ECTS vision is to advance science and build careers and networks for all members in the musculoskeletal field.  After two years of virtual activities, this becomes more relevant than ever and we expect that ECTS 2022 will give us the opportunity to get together and connect.

We are planning to merge our dynamic and stimulating environment of the ECTS face-to-face events with new developments in meeting technology.  As always, ECTS will provide session recordings for on-demand access to all delegates, but we will enhance online components for live participation and discussions during selected scientific sessions to facilitate participation for those unable to attend in person.

However, we want to make this our return to a normal conference experience with all the advantages that being immersed in an international scientific meeting has.

All session rooms, catering points, exhibition and other areas will be set up in accordance with the Finnish health and safety regulations.  The Finnish management of the pandemic has been among the best in the world.

The Scientific Programme Committee has put together a varied programme that highlights the diversity of our field. We’ll be covering new technologies such as organ-on-chip approaches for basic and clinical science, diving into chronobiology, bone metabolism and sleep disturbances and exploring the latest insights in cranial defects for the clinician and basic scientist. The latest studies into disturbances in calcium and phosphate homeostasis will be reviewed and discussed as will the epidemiology, prevention and clinical management of osteoporosis. We will be discussing the latest news in the osteoclast field, skeletal angiogenesis, osteosarcoma and mechanobiology.

The long list of eminent main programme speakers includes Juleen Zierath (Switzerland), Christine Swanson (United States), Klara Sjögren (Sweden), Raj Thakker (UK), Rachel Gafni (United States), Carola Zillikens (Netherlands), Claudio Pedone (Italy), Elizabeth Zimmerman (Canada), Gretl Hendrickx (Germany),Fernando Lecanda (Spain), Maya Kansara (Australia), Steve Twigg (UK), Pekka Vallittu (Finland), Serge Ferrari (Switzerland), Andries van der Meer (Netherlands), Edmond Young (Canada), Kent Søe (Denmark), Mei Wan (United States), Brent Richards (Canada), Nick Harvey (UK), Bente Langdahl (Denmark), Daniela Pfeiffer (Germany), and Amelia Moore (UK).  In addition, the congress will offer a large educational and ancillary programme with additional expert speakers, many sessions planned in collaboration with other societies.

We are also looking hugely forward to the National Day organized by Outi Mäkitie, which will feature eminent speakers within population genetics, epidemiology, in vitro models and rare bone disease.   

For the first time, the ECTS congress will offer two rather than one debate session so that in addition to the Clinical ECTS/ASBMR debate we will also be able to enjoy a Basic Science debate.

New this year, the Pre-Congress Day will include Open Fora as enhanced Working Group programme.  There will be a range of new topics and discussions, and I think there will be something for everyone enjoy. If you are familiar with the Working Groups then you will know the concept but we felt that the name might have kept some delegates from attending the sessions as it may signal invitation only, therefore the change of name.

Of course, the key thing is for this congress to allow you to present your findings and discuss those of others.  Please do not hesitate to submit your abstracts.  Following delegate feedback we will be making additional abstract categories to encourage contributions under the headings Innovative Concepts, New Technologies and Case Reports.

We look forward to meeting you again in a stimulating and secure setting.  Let’s get back together again and meet in Helsinki!

Have a look at our online Scientific Programme and submit your abstract or clinical case before 11 January 2022.

Don’t miss the opportunity to attend and present during #ECTS2022.