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CAPO Conference Impressive The Canadian Association of Prosthetists and
Orthotists (CAPO) biannual conference is Canada's largest national
O&P event. According to several exhibitors, 2004 CAPO, held in
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, was a very well organized and united
meeting, offering an impressive agenda of speakers and informative
sessions.
The CAPO membership includes 350 practitioners, of which 256
attended this year's event. According to Tami Beatty, event planner
for Ohio Willow Wood, "We maintained good booth traffic for all
three days, and sessions were very well attended. The meeting
organizers did a very good job of pre-show planning, and Chris
Kraft went above and beyond in meeting the needs of
exhibitors."
 Particularly important to Tony Barr, president of
the Barr Foundation, was the considerable interest CAPO members
showed in learning more about the Ertl osteomyoplastic amputation
and reconstructive procedures, as presented by Jan Ertl, MD, and
Raymond Francis, CP. Barr stated, "In one presentation, Bob Gailey,
who is well respected in amputee rehabilitation, addressed the
importance of equality in three key areas in obtaining complete and
successful prosthetic rehabilitation: 1) surgical procedures, 2)
proper application and selection of prosthetic components, and 3)
physical therapy, gait training, and exercise." Barr, a strong
proponent of the Ertl procedure, has hopes that Canadian
practitioners will become advocates for the procedure within the
country's healthcare system.
Otto Bock HealthCare Canada representatives also said the show
was a great success. "Otto Bock's marketing, sales, and
professional personnel were very busy identifying the company's
latest trends in prosthetics and orthotics," said Sandra Ramdial,
CP, manager of custom silicone services for Otto Bock HealthCare
Canada. She added, "This year's hot topics among the Canadian
practitioners seemed to center around myo electronics and custom
silicone services."
Among the several sessions offered at CAPO were "Technical and
Clinical Aspects of Energy-Storing Lower-Limb Orthoses," "Orthotic
Management of Cerebral Palsy," and "Orthotic Research: An Evolving
Paradigm." Through the biannual event, the association's objective
is to ensure that Canadian professionals have access to educational
and professional resources and a forum to advance their profession
for the continual improvement of prosthetic and orthotic services
in Canada. 
Table Of Contents - October 2004
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