As part of the long-term relationship between the IFSSH and IFSHT, the IFSSH has provided funding to the IFSHT on many occasions. This has continued in the current triennium, with the IFSSH provided US$10,000 towards the Evelyn Mackin Award and $5,000 towards the IFSSH/IFSHT Triennial Congress Grant. In combination with the funding directed to these awards from the IFSHT, up to 36 hand therapists will receive full or part sponsorship to undertake programs and attend the 2025 IFSSH-IFSHT Congress.
A group of hand surgeons from Eastern China recognised the disparate access to hand surgery education and technology across their country. With the support of the Association of Chinese-Hand Surgeons United, six surgeons proposed to travel to two cities in Western China and conduct workshops and seminars in local hospitals. The local hospitals and the Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University co-funded components of the program. The IFSSH awarded US$2,000 to cover the travel of the visiting surgeons.
Read The Full ReportIFSSH funds (up to US$20,000) are available to the local congress host to select/award registration support to triennial congress attendees. In 2022, the British Society coordinated the incredibly successful IFSSH-FESSH-BSSH Travelling Fellowship program, which saw 32 participants spend two weeks in British hand surgery centres and then join in with the 2022 IFSSH-IFSHT Triennial Congress in London. The hosts of the 2025 Congress have committed to replicating this program, incorporating hand surgery centres on the US East Coast and the 2025 IFSSH-IFSHT Triennial Congress in Washington, D.C.. The American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS) are leading this program and the IFSSH has provided US$20,000 of financial support.
The local organising committee of the 2023 APFSSH Congress successfully applied to the CES for funding to assist attendees from developing countries and those in the early stages of their training. The funding will support travel and registrations across the Asian-Pacific geographic region. This will allow greater participation amongst trainees and from the low-middle income countries, and a return of knowledge to a broad area.
The IFSSH awarded US$10,000 to the APFSSH for this congress support.
Read The Full ReportThe 2023 World Symposium on Congenital Malformations of the Hand and Upper Limb, is to be held in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 16-19, 2023. This symposium series attracts a large international audience on a specific sub-specialty topic. The organisers requested financial assistance for attendees from low-income countries, to offset the travel costs and provide gratis registration.
A grant of US$10,000 was approved to assist five registrants (to be chosen by the Symposium organisers).
NB: With difficult global travel circumstances, two chosen registrants were unable to attend at short notice. The full grant was honoured to the organisers, who divided this amongst the three able to attend.
Read the full report - Drs Goldfarb, Van Heest and JamesA WALANT workshop will be held in Mombasa, in April 2023 to coincide with the second International Congress on Innovations in Global Surgery, 2023 (24-25 April 2023) and the Kenyan Surgery Society meeting (26-28 April 2023). Educational sponsorship was requested from the IFSSH CES to support the travel/attendance of participants (from rural Kenya and from neighbouring countries) and workshop logistics.
The CES agreed to support this workshop to a level of US$10,000.
The Polish Society requested consideration of an IFSSH Harold Kleinert Visiting Professor for an educational programme planned for September/October 2023. The program includes courses and lectures for all levels of hand surgeons from trainees to the Polish national meeting, and with the proposed travels to numerous centres throughout Poland. The Polish Society proposed that Prof Jin Bo Tang be the Visiting Professor and this was agreed by the IFSSH Executive Committee and CES. Prof Tang will undertake an extensive schedule form 20th September to 5th October 2023.
The IFSSH has provided US$20,000 as per the IFSSH Harold Kleinert Visiting Professorship guidelines. This includes making up to US$15,000 available for the Polish Society to arrange the Professorship and fund the travel costs, plus a US$5000 stipend.
Read the Full Report - Prof Jin Bo Tang Read the Full Report - Polish Society HostsFollowing the Editorship of the IFSSH special issue of the Journal of Hand Surgery (European), Professor Jin Bo Tang entered a proposal to edit a textbook: ”Current Practice of Hand Surgery”. This 36 chapter textbook will be published by Elsevier with supplementary video and online content. It will recognise the IFSSH and utilise the enormous expertise and knowledge of the IFSSH community. The textbook will be published for purchase at major hand surgery congresses in 2024 and the IFSSH Congress in 2025.
A grant of US$18,000 was approved to support two consulting editors and editorial assistants who will be responsible for graphics and referencing.
With the endorsement of the Canadian Society for Surgery of the Hand (an IFSSH Member Society), Professor Pankaj Jani, the President of COSECSA (College of Surgeons of Eastern, Central, and South Africa) requested further financial sponsorship to continue the work done by their group and Dr Don Lalonde in 2020. Following the 2020 workshop, the use of WALANT in Kenyan hospitals has allowed for improved treatment of hand injuries; WALANT specific theatres have been established in a number of centres.
In 2022 the IFSSH granted a further $10,000 to cover the costs of three further workshops in Kisumu, Eldoret and Nakuru.
The IFSHT submitted a request to have their triennial grants supplemented with IFSSH funding. This gesture from the IFSSH allows the IFSHT to fund a number of educational programmes in relation to the triennial combined congress.
On this occasion the IFSHT requested funding towards the Evelyn Mackin Award ($9761.17) and the Triennial Travel Award ($2561.66).
The IFSSH approved the request, providing US$12,322.83 in financial support.
READ THE FULL REPORTThe Asociación Colombiana de Cirugia de la Mano (ASOCIMANO) will conduct a combined congress with the Venezuelan Society for Surgery of the Hand and Upper Limb (SVCMRMS) in 2020 in Cúcuta, Colombia. A similar congress was undertaken in 2018 with ASOCIMANO covering all costs and providing SVCMRMS with gratis attendance. In addition, the Ecuadorian, Chilean and American Society supported the 2018 course by sending one speaker each and paying for their travel. The IFSSH CES considered this to be a commendable arrangement to promote attendance across the two societies and approved a US$2,500 grant for the 2020 congress.
This grant was awarded in 2020. However, the planned Congress was postponed because of Covid-19. This was rescheduled to 21-22 January, 2022 and the IFSSH honoured the funding arrangement.
READ THE FULL REPORTIFSSH funds (up to US$20,000) are available to the local congress host to select/award registration support to triennial congress attendees. The British organisers proposed a new IFSSH Travelling Fellowship programme to be held in conjunction with the 2022 London Congress. With support from the IFSSH, BSSH and FESSH, 32 participants were chosen by the local organising committee after a global submission process. These participants spent two weeks before the congress at Hand Surgery units in the UK - each participant went to two units, for one week each. The Travelling Fellows then joined together for a pre-congress programme of science and social events in London, before attending the 2022 IFSSH Congress.
The IFSSH provided US$20,000 to the local organisers to support this programme.
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Seven hand surgeons from Romania got the opportunity to train in cutting edge microsurgical re-construction of the wrist. With a grant of US $16975, the surgeons attended a two day course (14th-15th October 2021) in The Netherlands under the auspices of the Oldenburg-Groningen Advanced Training Program in Reconstructive Microsurgery. The surgeons were selected because of their positions within trauma hospitals geographically located across four regions of Romania. This will ensure that the skills learnt at the course are put into practice throughout the nation and locally available to patients.
READ THE FULL REPORTDr Moran was proposed as a candidate for the IFSSH Harold Kleinert Visiting Professorship by the convenors of the Asian-Pacific Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand Congress (Melbourne, March 2020). This congress is run in conjunction with the Asia-Pacific Wrist Association, the Australian Hand Surgery Society, New Zealand Hand Surgery Society, and their respective hand therapy associations. Dr Moran’s programme incorporates lectures at this congress as well as the teaching of orthopaedic and plastic trainees at the preceding 2020 Australian Hand Surgery Society Registrar Course. He will also travel to Sydney for teaching sessions with registrars and fellows and give further lectures and at the New South Wales Hand Surgery Association Clinical Meeting. The IFSSH has provided US$7000 towards travel reimbursement.
READ THE FULL REPORT: DR MORAN READ THE FULL REPORT: APFSSH HOSTSFollowing the successful meeting in 2017, the organisers proposed a second course to be held in Venice, April 5th - 6th 2019. Recognising the extent of international participation in the first symposium and the relevance of the specialty topic, the IFSSH provided US $7500 with a portion of this to be allocated to reducing registration costs for participants from developing nations.
251 participants from 38 countries attended this meeting, learning from 48 faculty members from 15 countries. The IFSSH support allowed the organisers to afford a congress facility to accommodate this increased participation, to waive the registration fees of the faculty and support three speakers and, as requested, to sponsor the registration of six participants from low income countries.
READ THE FULL REPORTThe Asian-Pacific Federation of Societies for Surgery of the Hand will conduct the 2020 meeting in Melbourne, Australia - March 11-14, 2020. The congress has established a scheme for fee-paying registrants to donate to a programme that will reduce registration rates for those from developing countries. Dr Tony Berger approached the IFSSH for additional funding to sponsor such registrants to attend. The IFSSH has approved a grant of US$10,000 to be allocated to this programme. Dr Berger will provide a report in 2020.
Dr Don Lalonde approached the CES with an application detailing a workshop to be run in Nairobi, Kenya in January 2020 - “Managing upper extremity surgery in and out of theater with surgeon provided tumescent local anesthesia”. This was organised in conjunction with Professor Pankaj Jani, the President of COSECSA (College of Surgeons of Eastern, Central, and South Africa), who facilitated invitations to the program directors and trainers from the 24 COSECSA accredited hospitals in Kenya. The application was endorsed by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. The IFSSH granted US$10,000 which was specifically directed towards providing free attendance for approximately 80 local surgeons/trainees.
READ THE FULL REPORTIFSSH funds (up to US$20,000) are available to the local congress host to select/award registration support to triennial congress attendees. The German organisers undertook this process and advised that 18 registrations were sponsored. These surgeons, at various stages in their training and careers, came from Kazakhstan, Romania, India, Russia, USA, Nepal, Philippines, Ukraine, Bangladesh, Venezuela, Peru, Argentina and Egypt. This support reached US$20,000 in total and will be reimbursed to the local organisers by the IFSSH.
The Esser group requested funding to assist with their aim to increase their course series from two to four per year and also prepare an educational platform to allow access to a greater audience than those who could attend in person. The IFSSH provided US$10,000, requesting provisions be made to provide decreased/gratis registration rates for those from developing nations Dr Mohamed Adbelrahman from Khartoum, Sudan, attended the May 2018 course with this IFSSH support.
READ THE FULL REPORT WATCH THE VIDEOThis project aims to develop a core set of outcome measures that can be applied in clinical practice and research across adult hand and wrist conditions/injuries. On behalf of the ICHOM Adult Hand and Wrist Set project, Dr Steven Hovius approached the IFSSH for endorsement and possible financial assistance. The IFSSH was in agreement that the principle of a standardised set of resources ispreferable to the current circumstance presented in journals and to health care administrators/governments; and if this work is tobe undertaken, an influential body with reach, such as the IFSSH, should encourage all societies/surgeons to make use of the core sets that will be developed. The more people that use the system,the more accepted it will become. The IFSSH provided US$10,000 to assist with expenses incurred throughout the project.
June 2019 update: The ICHOM Adult Hand Set has received funding from a number of groups and continues to work on the development of an outcome set for adult hand conditions.
READ THE FULL REPORTDr Abdelraham approached the IFSSH for support to undertake a fellowship, to assist in improving Sudan’s hand surgery services. He wished to do this in China. At the time of his approach (June 2017), neither Sudan nor China were IFSSH members. However, at the 2017 Delegates’ Council Meeting the “Association of Chinese-Speaking Hand Surgeons United” joined the IFSSH. With this group sponsoring Dr Abdelrahman’s application, in April 2018 the IFSSH CES/ExCo granted US$10,900 to go towards supporting travel, housing and living expenses during the fellowship period, as well as towards the purchase of loupes (as per the application). Dr Abdelrahman undertook the Hand & Microsurgery Fellowship at the Department of Hand and Foot Surgery, Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, China in 2018/19 and reported on his experiences.
READ THE FULL REPORTThe IFSSH provided US$9600 to continue its triennial support of three IFSHT educational programmes: IFSSH/IFSHT Triennial Travel Grant; Evelyn Mackin Triennial Award; IFSHT/IFSSH International Teaching Grant.
With additional funding from within the IFSHT, 18 therapists were partially supported to attend the 2019 Berlin triennial congress under the IFSSH/IFSHT Triennial Travel Grant and a further four were fully supported to attend under the Evelyn Mackin Triennial Award. The IFSHT/IFSSH International Teaching Grant funds allowed four therapists to undertake teaching in Malawi, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Rwanda.
READ THE FULL REPORTDr CarolineLeclercq, the organiser of this inaugural International Symposium on Surgery of the Spastic Upper Limb (Paris, March 10-11 2017), requested financial assistance to allow for a full programme and international faculty. The IFSSH provided US$6000 to cover the predicted budget shortfall and final expenses.
180 people from 48 different countries attended the meeting. The IFSSH funding assisted 10 registrants and the faculty with gratis registrations, and 5 registrants with their lodging costs. This symposium on the specialty topic provided educational opportunities not offered elsewhere in this format. A report was published in the November 2017 ezine - ISSUE 28: November 2017
READ THE FULL REPORTThe IFSHT received a further set of triennial grants from the IFSSH, to the value of US$9500 to support three components - International Hand Therapy Teaching Awards - $1500; Evelyn Mackin Triennial Award - $3000; and IFSHT-IFSSH Triennial Congress Travel Grants - $5000.
A report was published in the November 2017 ezine - ISSUE 28: November 2017
READ THE FULL REPORTIFSSH funds (up to US$20,000) are available to the local congress host to select/award registration support to triennial congress attendees. The Buenos Aires organisers undertook this process and distributed the US$20,000 amongst the registration of a number of participants from disadvantaged circumstances.
Dr Sabapathy proposed a 3 day South Asian Regional Education Course aimed at reviewing current trends in the management of common hand conditions, to be held 3-5 July 2015 in Coimbatore, India. The IFSSH provided US$20,000 in sponsorship to assist with the travel expenses of faculty (international) which would therefore minimise registration costs for participants.
The South Asian Regional Course attracted 293 delegates from 18 countries and consisted of a scientific programme of lectures and live surgeries presented by international and local faculty. A report was published in the ezine (August 2015) - ISSUE 19: August 2015
READ THE FULL REPORTFollowing the successful 2013 Eastern European course, the IFSSH Arthritis Committee, led by Dr Kevin Chung and Dr Daniel Herren, submitted a proposal for a further regional course on the topic of “Hand Reconstruction in Trauma and Rheumatoid Arthritis”. To make this accessible to Eastern European registrants, it was proposed that this again be held in Hajdúszoboszló, Hungary. US$15,000 was provided by the IFSSH, to complement sponsorship from FESSH, ERASS and the trade.
90 participants from 14 countries attended the course, held September 3-5, 2015. 40 of these participants received the course, hotel, meals, etc, for free because of the funding from FESSH, IFSSH and industry (Eastern European societies were asked to nominate candidates for these positions - the organisers hope this will encourage increased participation in IFSSH/FESSH). Zsolt Szabo also presented the results of an exit questionnaire showing the satisfaction of participants and encouragement for a future course (wrist instability being the most requested topic). A report was published in the February 2016 ezine - ISSUE 21: Febuary 2016
READ THE FULL REPORTThis application was submitted by the Australian Hand Surgery Society and detailed a well-established hand surgery mission (including teaching, training, patient care) to Phnom Penh, organised by Dr Graham Gumley (Australia) and comprising Australian and American hand surgeons and therapists. On the recommendation of the CES, the IFSSH ExCo has agreed to support this year’s programme with US$19,350 to cover the budget short-fall. The programme was undertaken August 7th - 16th and a full report provided.
READ THE FULL REPORTDr Czarnecki wrote to the IFSSH ExCo detailing that he had received acceptance on to the ASSH traveling fellowship programme after recommendation by the Polish Society for Surgery of the Hand. This provided registration to the ASSH meeting, but he wished to apply for funding to allow a trip of 6 weeks duration (Sept 16 – Oct 18, 2013) to attend four hand surgery centres in the US at the same time. The IFSSH CES and ExCo approved a grant of US$2,000 to assist Dr Czarnecki with his observership travels. His report was published in the February 2014 ezine - ISSUE 13: February 2014
READ THE FULL REPORTIFSSH funds (up to US$20,000) are available to the local congress host to select/award registration support to triennial congress attendees. The Indian organisers undertook this process and advised that 18 registrations were sponsored. US$13,050 in total ("For all the IFSSH sponsored candidates we accepted trainee status registration fees only, so that more delegates could come") was reimbursed to the local organisers by the IFSSH.
The AAHS, through the work of Prof Schenck, requested financial support from the IFSSH to assist with bringing three Mongolian national hand surgeons from the National Trauma Hospital in Ulaanbator to Florida to attend the AAHS ASM and American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery ASM in January 2013. The surgeons will also attend the Mayo Clinic and Northwestern University Medical Centre during their trip, attending a three day microsurgery training course and observing hand surgery cases. The AAHS explained that Mongolia offers few resources and no training to these hand surgeons. The American societies will donate funding, and the Mayo Clinic will donate the cost of the teaching course, to make this trip possible. A translator will accompany the surgeons. The Committee for Educational Sponsorship recommended, with the ExCo’s approval, to support the project to a level of US$12,000 (one third of total budget).
A letter to the Editor from Prof Schenck, acknowledging the IFSSH grant, was placed in the 2012 November ezine - ISSUE 8: November 2012
A final report was submitted by Prof Schenck, detailing that the participation was reduced to two surgeons who successfully attended all components.
READ THE LETTER TO THE EDITOR READ THE FULL REPORTThe IFSHT applied for assistance with three of their ongoing grant systems:
With the ExCo/Delegates’ Council approval, the CES finalised the awards by providing the full US$9000 requested, but asked that the IFSHT distribute this as $4500 to the International Hand Therapy Teaching Awards and $4500 to the IFSHT Triennial Congress Travel Grants(with a request that the names of the awards should include the IFSSH, given their equal financial contribution with the IFSHT). These awards potentially support the education of a large number of therapists, whereas the IFSHT could maintain their own support of the Evelyn Mackin Triennial Award and honour one therapist with this. The report was included in the February 2014 Secretary-General’s newsletter - ISSUE 13: February 2014
READ THE FULL REPORTA proposal to support education in the form of regional courses was discussed and approved by the IFSSH Executive Committee and Delegates’ Council in 2011 and recommendations of the appropriate structure and format were placed into the CES guidelines.
Zsolt Szabo organised the 2012 Eastern European Regional Course (Hajduszoboszlo, Eastern Hungary, 14-16 September) and requested the available US$20,000 from the IFSSH. This was used to provide gratis registrations for a number of participants across Eastern European societies, each nominated by their society.
A report was provided to the 2013 Delegates’ Council Meeting: “The IFSSH introduced provided a $20,000 grant to assist with the Eastern European Regional Hand Surgery Course. This was a three day course with 130 participants (48 participants from 14 Eastern European countries received gratis registration, accommodation and meals; full registration was set at 300 euros) and 12 faculty presenting lectures and cadaveric demonstrations. The original intent was for 60 participants, but demand was much higher than anticipated. The location of Hungary was chosen for its proximity to many Eastern European countries, assisting registrants to travel to the course for minimal expense. The gratis registrants were chosen by their national societies. There was positive feedback, including requests for similar courses in the future. The US$20,000 sponsorship from the IFSSH is not enough alone to fund the course, but it is important and substantial. In combination with FESSH and trade support it is possible to run the course to optimal levels and provide teaching for underprivileged participants/nations. The Executive Committee has recommended that this programme should be continued. As the IFSSH grant provides one quarter of the required income for the Hungary model, other income methods should be considered from Hand Surgery Federations, societies and trade."
A report was placed in the November 2012 ezine: ISSUE 8: November 2012
READ THE FULL REPORTA third request was forwarded by Prof Fleming and another US$15,000 provided by the IFSSH for this much-appreciated Hand Surgery Fellowship at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, South Africa - this time undertaken by Dr Majid Sabeti (Al Dhaid Hospital, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates).
READ THE FULL REPORTThe IFSSH granted US$2850 to the IFSHT to sponsor the attendance of two therapists at the triennial IFSHT Congress (in Orlando, USA; not combined with Seoul IFSSH Congress). After receiving this approval, the IFSHT increased the number of sponsorships by adding IFSHT funds and providing partial support for a greater number of registrants instead.
READ THE FULL REPORTIFSSH funds (up to US$20,000) are available to the local congress host to select/award registration support to triennial congress attendees. The Korean organisers undertook this process and advised that 13 disadvantaged registrants from "low" or "low-middle" countries had been selected: James W.M. Kigera, Uganda; Subbiah Venkatesh Babu, India; Mateev Myrzabek, Kyrgyzstan; Nelson Lim, Philippines; Abu Saleh Mohammed Monirul Alam, Bangladesh; Meena Permthai, Thailand; Terrence Jose Jerome, India; M. Darwesh Al Mustafa, Syria; Ahmed Atiyya, Egypt; Mohammad Monjurul Karim, Bangladesh; Roksana Hoque, Bangladesh; Vineet Dabas, India; Khin Maung Myint, Myanmar. US$9,100 was reimbursed to the organising committee to cover these 13 gratis registrations.
US$15,000 was provided to Prof Fleming for Dr Philemon Owino Oduor (Orthopedic Surgeon, Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya) to undertake a hand surgery fellowship at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, South Africa.
READ THE FULL REPORTCompiled by the IFSSH Committee on Standardization of Nomenclature, initially in 1970 then revised in 1983 and 1985, this publication describes the anatomy and functions of the hand in Latin, English, French, German and Spanish. The booklet is available for download from the IFSSH website - Click to view
