Belgian Arthroscopy Association BAA ABA

Peter VERDONK
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Ghent University Hospital
De Pintelaan 185 - 9000 Gent
Tel: +32 9 240 22 64
Fax: +32 9 240 49 75
pverdonk@yahoo.com

The association was founded in 1985 and its first president was Staf Geens. It holds around 200 surgeons skilled in arthroscopy.

Presidency changes every 2 years, alternating between French and Dutch speakers. The president organizes a convention at the end of his mandate.

One of its goals is teaching arthroscopy: indications, surgical techniques, ...

In 1989, under the presidency of Louis LOOTVOET, the first "Open Doors" were organized. They take place four times a year in different departments.

In 1992, Marc MARTENS organized an international convention in Antwerpen.

In 1995, Jacques THIERY set up the first basic course, which takes place anually, to replace the "Open Doors".

In March of 1996, the association's tenth anniversary took place in Brugge under the theme : "Past, Present and Future in Arthroscopy" and was organized by René VERDONCK.

In May 1998 in Louvain-La-Neuve, Serge WILLEMS held his biennial congress and under the chairmanship of Bruno VANDEKERCKHOVE in Ostend (May 2000) the general assembly voted in favour of inclusion of Sportstraumatology in our interests.

Relations with European sister associations such as the Dutch NVA were already close since a first combined meeting in 1997. Jean-Pierre HUSKIN, president since 2000, initiated contacts with our French colleagues of SFA by organizing a combined symposium in Brussels in March 2001. He ended his presidency with a congress at the Chateau de Colonster in Liège, October 2002.

Frank HANDELBERG took over the presidency from then on and co-organises a combined NVA-ABA meeting on March 28th 03 in Amsterdam.

That same year ABA receives a first group of NVA travelling fellows whom also participate to a new advanced arthroscopy course organized at the Ghent University Hospital (October 17th 2003).

2004 becomes a rather busy year including the organization of 2 symposia concerning cartilage, one at ESSKA in Athens, the second at Orthopedica Belgica and finally F. HANDELBERG ends his presidency with a congress in Brussels with as topic: Articular pain in athletes.

Under the transitional co-presidency of JP. HUSKIN and F. HANDELBERG, whom both continue to build on international relations, the first with AANA, the second with the Italian SIA by participating to the respective congresses, ABA will in 2005 also actively respond to the invitation of SFA and scientifically sustain their congress of December 2005.

A second group of NVA-fellows visits Belgium in October 2005 and B. BERGHS organizes an arthroscopy course the same month.

ABA celebrates its 20th anniversary with a gala-dinner in the presence of nearly all past-presidents and spouses on October 22nd 2005 and Jean-Franзois LABRIQUE then takes over the presidency.

In May 2006, 4 AOSSM-fellows are hosted and ABA co-organizes a combined symposium on ACL-surgery together with NVA and SFA at the ESSKA meeting of Innsbruck. ABA is also involved in Orthopaedica Belgica congress of Gent (June 06) and in the EFOST-meeting of Pavia (September 06). JF Labrique organizes a very successful technical symposium on RC repair and meniscal suture in Brussels on October 7th 06.

2007 becomes also a busy year: 4 Belgian fellows are sent to the Netherlands upon invitation of NVA. Fredrik ALMQVIST is elected new Belgian delegate for EFOST at the ISAKOS meeting in Firenze. JF LABRIQUE manages it to set up an hands-on arthroscopy course in Gent during the month of June 07 and finally presides his own congress, which is of a very high scientific level, in Lille (France) on October 20th 2007.

The year 2008 starts with a new president: Johan VANLAUWE who is immediately very busy with organizing an ABA-symposium during Orthopaedica Belgica in Antwerp (April 08) and hosting a new group of NVA-fellows (June 08). Meanwhile F. ALMQVIST makes sure that ABA will be well represented at the ESSKA congress of Porto in May 08.