Annual Meeting 2014
| Start: | 6 November 2014 |
| End: | 8 November 2013 |
| Place: | Technical University Dresden |
| Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden (CRTD) | |
| Fetscherstrasse 105 | |
| 01307 Dresden |
Conference review
From 06 - 08.11.2014 this year's annual meeting of the DGBM took place in the new building of the DFG Research Center and Cluster of Excellence for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD) in Dresden. A total of 300 participants were registered for the very nice conference. This is again a small increase compared to previous years and shows that our annual meeting is becoming more and more popular. Fortunately, even the short-notice strike of the train drivers could not change this.
Geoff Richards, Director of the AO Research Institute in Davos (Switzerland), then introduced the scientific program. Another key note speaker on the first day was Jiang Chang, who had travelled especially for this meeting from the Shanghai Institute of Ceramics, an institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Both gave impressive talks on translational research, a core concern of this annual meeting.
As in previous years, about 1/3 of the participants were young scientists. Special consideration was given to them by the Young Scientist Forum and the extensive poster sessions. From the 150 posters submitted, the following colleagues were identified as worthy of an award: Johannes Wendler (Dresden) for his contribution "Textile-based sensors for monitoring chronic wounds", Michael Hans (Saarbrücken) for "Copper as an antimicrobial agent for metallic surface design in the healthcare sector" and Andreas Blaeser (Aachen) for "Microvalve-based 3D bioprinting system for additive assembly of alginate structures loaded with living cells". On Friday afternoon, some of the 67 papers accepted at this DGBM annual meeting were also distributed over two parallel sessions. After some initial interesting technical difficulties (the audio of each other's session was transmitted next door), it was possible to choose from four different topics ranging from metallic and polymeric biomaterials to calcium phosphates, in vitro testing and tissue engineering.
A special highlight was this year's co-hosting of our annual meeting with the Polish Society of Biomaterials. Prof. Chlopek, the chairman, delivered greetings and opened the round of lectures in the joint session with Transregio-SFB 67 on the topic of bone replacement and matrix engineering.
As usual at DGBM annual meetings, socializing was not neglected. The organizers had invited to the social evening in the German Hygiene Museum. After a very interesting guided tour, during which one could learn a thing or two about one's own perception in a self-experiment, the buffet was served.
In connection with the annual conference, the DGBM also dedicated itself to the further education not only of the young but also of experienced scientists. This time, a workshop on "Biomaterials in Surgical Applications" was organized by Prof. Rammelt on 05.11.2014. In addition to applications in trauma surgery and orthopedics, his colleagues PD Dr. Reißfelder and Dr. Schulz also introduced the special problems of visceral, thoracic and vascular surgery as well as oral and maxillofacial surgery.
The practical exercises with original instruments on models for the long tubular bone and the jaw were very popular.
In addition to not too bloody case examples, the audience was above all offered a great deal of surgical practice. This could then be tried out for oneself in the practical part. Bone models were drilled through and "doctored" with screws or plates. Those who had always wanted to see what a dentist does with teeth were able to try it out for themselves using practice models. The feedback was unanimously so positive that a follow-up event will be offered.
Regine Willumeit, Geesthacht and Stefan Rammelt, Dresden