The Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine hosted the first David Van Sickle Musculoskeletal Days Friday and Saturday, November 9-10. The continuing education conference brought together veterinary and human medicine experts to address the topic of osteoarthritis, which is the most common orthopedic condition among both people and animals.
Presentations at the David Van Sickle Musculoskeletal Days included the use of visual aids to improve understanding about bone and joint related topics.
The Friday program, entitled “The Science of Osteoarthritis,” was designed for academic scholars. The Saturday session on the topic “Orthopedic Health: Focus on Arthritis,” was open to the public. The two-day conference attracted a variety of attendees including researchers, teachers, retirees, students, veterinarians, industry representatives, medical professionals, and members of the general public. The Saturday program brought in many who were particularly interested in equine, dog, cat, or human osteoarthritis.
Dr. Wayne McIlwraith, renowned osteoarthritis researcher and equine orthopedic surgeon from Colorado State University participated as the keynote speaker for the event, which is named in memory of the faculty member who mentored him during his PhD studies at Purdue. Dr. McIlwraith obtained his veterinary degree from Massey University in New Zealand before coming to Purdue, where he completed a large animal surgery residency and then earned his PhD, working with Dr. Van Sickle, who was a long-time Purdue Veterinary Medicine professor of veterinary anatomy. Dr. McIlwraith spoke on several topics at the conference, including cartilage defect repair, the future of osteoarthritis research, and regenerative medicine and how it relates to osteoarthritis.
Dr. Gert Breur, who led the effort to coordinate the conference, pauses for a photo op with one of the other speakers from Purdue, Claire Kilmer.
Other conference sessions were led by PVM faculty members, including Dr. Gert Breur, professor of small animal surgery and director of the Center for Comparative Translational Research; Basic Medical Sciences Department faculty members Russell Main, Marxa Figueiredo, and Dianne Little; and Veterinary Clinical Sciences faculty members Stephanie Thomovsky, Sarah Malek, Chee Kin Lim, and Tim Lescun. The Saturday session that was open to the public featured talks about how to manage the different stages of osteoarthritis in people, horses, and pets, and included presentations by Lafayette Orthopedic Surgeon Robert J. Hagen, M.D. Other speakers from outside the College were Claire Kilmer, a graduate student in Purdue’s Davidson School of Chemical Engineering; Rachel Clarke, a sports dietitian and continuing lecturer in Purdue’s Department of Nutrition Science; and Judah Phipps, a physical therapy assistant with Miracles Rehabilitation in Lafayette.
The success of the conference reflected the support of sponsors and the participation of faculty and students. Attendees commented on the value of the One Health perspective of the conference that highlighted the connection between veterinary and human medicine. They also appreciated how presentations were given in ways that audience members of all educational backgrounds could understand.
Conference attendees were able to view research poster displays between presentations.