From the Executive Editor

Deborah Eastwood

To quote the first two lines of a song from my youth “I’m so excited, I just can’t hide it” – international travel, F2F science and gossip, coffee and perhaps some other beverages all coming soon for a North London Orthopod. But... after the 18 months we have just had, even I will admit to being a bit apprehensive at this next step towards my old normality.

Much of this edition of the JTO relates to a new normality and the end of old familiar concepts – the trauma clinic perhaps (page 28), revamping how we look at our waiting lists (page 32) and how we select (page 26) and educate (page 36) our trainees and ourselves. All these articles involve leadership and Hiro and Lisa discuss the FLP and why leadership matters to all of us (page 40).

Like all our patients, we want and need to avoid complications at all costs. The medico-legal article (page 54) reminds us that 50% of claims relate to post-operative problems and if problems do occur, Deepa Bose’s Robert Jones prize winning essay advises us not to behave like an ostrich in either burying our head in the sand or running away fast! With this in mind, it was sobering to realise that when asked about tourniquet use and safety – a survey said that only 10% of respondents felt they had been trained in their use whilst 37% had observed a complication (page 48). The BOAST on ‘The Safe Use of Intraoperative Tourniquets’ is published this month.

The subspecialty articles on periprosthetic infection, (page 60 onwards) give us some ‘top tips’ on avoiding complications and demonstrate that if you can’t avoid them you can deal with them – by being expert at what you do!

Two articles gave me personal pleasure: many years ago, after my first registrar presentation at a BOA meeting, Chris Colton made a particular point of coming to find me to congratulate me – perhaps simply a minor detour on his way to coffee in his mind – but to me, a major event and one that I have tried to pass onwards to the next generation of trainees. Reading his reflections on life and trauma surgery was fun! Secondly, the award of the Presidential Medal to Julia Trusler – a real star of the BOA ‘show’ and one who has made all our lives easier – a richly deserved honour and I look forward to celebrating her success with her and the team in our new offices very soon.

With the start of the new school year imminent, it is perhaps a time to look forward too – so this edition contains an article from Bob – his last as President, and from John, as incoming President. To quote another song – the “times they are a-changin”!

I hope to see many of you in Aberdeen for the BOA meeting and if you would like to help us with the work we do, why not get involved (page 8) and apply for one of the positions up for election?