The 2015 Annual Meeting of the Association of Children’s Prosthetic-Orthotic Clinics (ACPOC) was held May 13-16 at the Hilton Clearwater Beach, Florida. The event provided collaborative discussions by a spectrum of healthcare team members through presentations, workshops, and exhibitor demonstrations.
David B. Rotter, CPO, ACPOC president, opened the general sessions on Thursday, May 14. He presented the New Investigator Award to Natasha Casimir, PT, MS, DPT, for her work, “Functional Outcomes of a Child With Möbius Syndrome and Congenital Lower-Limb Deficiencies After Rehabilitation: A Case Report.” The morning program continued with two sessions about lower-limb deficiencies; topics included surgical intervention, challenging case reports, and comparisons of dynamic elastic feet. The afternoon began with the Hector Kay Memorial Speakers, David Krupa, CP, and Eric Neufeld, CPO, who discussed the Range of Motion Project (ROMP)and how P&O care can be provided to individuals living in less-resourced countries. The Physicians’ Guided Forum followed during which challenging cases were presented and advice and guidance were sought from the audience.
From left, Kuiken and Rotter. Photograph courtesy of ACPOC.
Friday’s morning sessions covered lower-limb impairments and treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, partial foot amputations, and clubfoot. That was followed by a focus on children with cerebral palsy and spina bifida. The first paper discussed the outcomes of hamstring lengthenings relative to gender differences while the second examined prosthetic management for this patient population. The morning sessions concluded with a discussion about spinal concerns: scoliosis, arthrogryposis, and how to manage seating options for a very small child.
Friday’s afternoon session began with the Presidential Guest Lecture by Todd Kuiken, MD, PhD, who presented, “The Origins of Targeted Muscle Reinnervation, Why This Approach is Beneficial, and Current Implementation.” The topics presented during the balance of the afternoon included supporting children and families with limb differences, an update on technology, and a discussion about the genetics of limb deficiencies.
Saturday morning began with a workshop about “Limb Deficiencies of the Upper Limb, Simple to Complex: The Challenges With Surgical, Prosthetic, Orthotic, and Therapeutic Interventions.” This was followed by a presentation about how 3D printing technology can be applied for the initial rehabilitation of children with upper-limb differences; some applications were clarified and some misconceptions were dispelled. More upper-limb interventions were then discussed, as were solutions to problems facing individuals with upperlimb amputations.
Next year’s ACPOC Annual Meeting will be held April 13-16 in Broomfield, Colorado.
To read the Annual Meeting abstracts, visit www.acpoc.org/meeting.
