PROGRAMME PREVIEW

Share Your Own Case? Present a treatment case that took an unexpected turn – and help others learn from it!

The Disaster Conference is looking for real cases from orthotics, prosthetics and wheelchair provisionthat challenge conventional thinking and inspire new perspectives.

Submit your case now until 30 August 2025 to: congress@ot-world.com

Take-Home Message:

“It's fine to celebrate success but it is more important to heed the lessons of failure," said Bill Gates.

With this in mind, experts in orthotics, prosthetics, and wheelchair provision present unsuccessful treatments in order to analyse them in the plenary session, discuss them, and work together to develop solutions. After all, pitfalls are everywhere.

Especially as a newcomer to the profession, you benefit from the experience of your colleagues - true to the motto: Learning from mistakes makes you wiser.

Take-Home Message:

What distinguishes different training programmes? How can they be improved? How can we implement a digital training report form? What might vocational training look like in the future? How far have we come—and what still needs to be done? As teachers, trainers, and especially trainees, participants will learn about practice-oriented approaches to excellence in vocational training that are already available today.

Take-Home Message:

Interdisciplinary collaboration is absolutely essential for the stage-appropriate treatment of diabetic foot syndrome (DFS). You will learn about modern concepts in prevention, diagnosis, and therapy that will assist you in practice. This includes new technologies in wound care and orthopaedic footwear technology, as well as best-practice examples and successful treatment approaches from leading treatment centres.

Take-Home Message:

The situation in Europe makes it necessary to address a potential crisis scenario and orthopaedic treatment and care for those affected by war. You will gain insights into the findings of colleagues and their approaches to solutions: current perspectives on acute treatment and the experiences of care teams will be presented, as well as the possibilities and limitations of rehabilitation and orthopaedic treatment.

Take-Home Message:

Good prosthetic treatment and successful rehabilitation require skilled surgical management. You will learn about the necessary surgical prerequisites for different underlying causes and discover how prosthetists and orthotists use this knowledge to assess stump-related issues.

Take-Home Message:

Those who rise to the challenge of providing competent and empathetic treatment to children within an interdisciplinary team are not only taking on medical responsibility, but also actively shaping lives. Through practical examples of treatment, you will discover how much can be achieved with specialist knowledge, creativity, and, most importantly, close collaboration between prosthetists and orthotists, medical staff, therapists, and families, all to ensure that children with impairments are given the best possible start towards a self-determined life.

Take-Home Message:

Digitalisation, artificial intelligence, and robotics will bring about change and open up new possibilities. You will gain insights into various projects and learn where and how new technologies are already being practically applied in rehabilitation. Opposing this progress are traditional processes, procedures, laws and regulations. Where are the limits, and how can we successfully develop these new opportunities together?

Take-Home Message:

The treatment of knee osteoarthritis requires a multimodal and individually tailored therapeutic approach. You will learn how appropriately dosed physical activity can become a form of therapy: sport and sports therapy can help reduce pain and improve function. This is complemented by up-to-date insights into the effectiveness of ointments, medications and injections, physical and physiotherapeutic measures, as well as targeted orthopaedic treatment and care. You will take away valuable impulses for holistic care in both clinical and therapeutic settings.

Take-Home Message:

You will gain practical knowledge about the indication-based treatment with orthoses in sports – from shoulder and ankle to radius fractures. You will learn when and how medical aids are truly effective, and what role the interdisciplinary team plays in ensuring a quick and safe return to the squad. This knowledge will support your informed decision-making in daily practice and improve the treatment you provide to both recreational and professional athletes.

Take-Home Message:

You will gain insight into the interdisciplinary treatment process following a brachial plexus palsy—from possible surgery through rehabilitation and occupational therapy to the treatment with a myoelectric orthosis.

Take-Home Message:

The use of sensor-controlled or adaptive orthoses, up to high-tech applications, can enhance the quality of life for patients with spinal cord injury. The aim is to restore walking ability and improve stability. You will gain insight into the diverse possibilities of interdisciplinary treatment for the lower limb, as well as the high-tech solutions in rehabilitative medicine, along with the biomechanical principles that are essential to this.

Take-Home Message:

Arm prosthetics are undergoing a significant advancement with the introduction of Quality Standard 2.0 by the VQSA e.V. This updated version builds on the established system and features an improved structure, as well as revised and expanded content aimed at optimising patient treatment.

You will learn how to contribute to the goal of offering those affected improved functionality, enhanced comfort, and a better quality of life.

Take-Home Message:

When treating amputees, you will encounter different expectations. Often, the desire for functional reconstruction takes priority, but sometimes the primary focus is on cosmetic reconstruction. This is frequently linked to cultural and religious norms.

Access to reconstructive resources also influences decision-making. By exploring these different perspectives, you will learn how to respond to these expectations.

Take-Home Message:

Caught between modern liner systems and traditional total surface bearing sockets, it becomes clear: only a deep understanding of biomechanics and the residual limb conditions can ensure a long-term stable, comfortable, and mobility-enhancing prosthetic solution. While liners offer increased soft tissue protection and ease of use, a well-crafted total surface bearing socket often allows for more precise control and a greater sense of bodily awareness.

Take-Home Message:

Registers are systematic and transparent data collections in the healthcare sector.

Registers are intended to improve the quality of treatment, care, and rehabilitation. They enable transparency, traceability, and evidence-based decision-making. You will become familiar with various registers – such as the AMP Register Germany or the PraReg Register – and learn how to make use of them in your work.

Take-Home Message:

Scoliosis therapy requires all parties to work together: success can only be achieved as a team. As an active partner in the therapeutic process, you will come to recognise that your responsible contribution—within the bounds of your own expertise—is essential for achieving positive outcomes.

Take-Home Message:

The emergency response chain and acute treatment of severely injured patients are ensured in peacetime through the establishment of the DGU trauma network and the three-tiered DGUV system for managing work-related and commuting accidents. However, could the rehabilitation of military and civilian victims be provided in the event of war if there is already a ‘rehabilitation gap’ in the treatment of seriously injured persons in peacetime? Using Ukraine as a case study, you will learn what efforts are essential to ensure a seamless, phase-specific, and cross-sector rehabilitation process that preserves both military readiness and societal resilience.

Take-Home Message:

Cross-disciplinary knowledge, clear awareness of risks, and the ability to combine technology with clinical judgement are essential for effective treatment of diabetic foot syndrome. You will gain insights into the wide range of available treatment options, including wound management and early detection of complications. Pressure measurement is also covered as a tool for assessment, documentation and evaluation of treatment goals. You will acquire practical knowledge, discover available systems, and learn how to integrate measurement data meaningfully into patient treatment.

Take-Home Message:

Prescribing an orthosis quickly in the emergency department often requires more consideration than it seems. You will get an overview of various orthoses for the ankle, knee, shoulder, and more. You will learn about indications, how they differ, and how to prescribe them correctly.

Take-Home-Message:

Based on the “Fuß + Schuh” (foot + shoe) compendium and current developments within PG 08 (product group 08) and the upcoming e-prescription capability, existing treatment structures will be critically discussed. The focus lies on how orthopaedic footwear services are categorised and integrated into the everyday digital treatment. Discussion points include: How can quality and individualisation be ensured despite growing standardisation? What limitations do prefabricated insoles impose on patient-centred treatment – and how can they be overcome?

Take-Home Message:

When you provide prosthetic treatment, you have to ensure the correct fit, safe function and good appearance – because when it comes to acceptance, the full package matters. Your check-up makes all the difference to your patient’s quality of life and mobility. You will gain in-depth insights into the trial fitting process and learn how to analyse, assess, and improve the prosthesis on the patient to achieve the best possible outcome – step by step.

Take-Home Message:

Small errors, big impact: Even small deviations in the alignment of an upper leg prosthesis can have major effects on gait, comfort, and long-term health. You will see live demonstrations with patients, identifying common fitting errors, their causes, and underlying issues. Questions addressed include: How do I determine the correct prosthesis length? When does the rotation between pelvis, knee, and prosthetic foot align properly? Is the socket flexion angle appropriate? Explore these topics interactively to ensure everything “runs” smoothly.

Take-Home Message:

What does interdisciplinary collaboration in orthopaedic treatment and care really look like? Learn how physicians, technicians, and therapists make joint decisions – and why communication is key. In a real-life case study, you will work with other participants to develop a sample treatment solution, learning what matters to each discipline. You will gain practical knowledge, new perspectives and experience real teamwork – exactly what modern care is all about.

Take-Home Message:

Pain is often the leading symptom when patients consult orthopaedic or trauma specialists. They always start with an anamnesis, a review of the patient's medical history, specifically related to pain. Chronicity factors must be identified, as well as contextual factors from everyday life, family and work. Specific clinical pictures related to pain, after amputation, in the area of the spine or after surgery and/or accident must also be determined through medical history, clinical examination and typical symptomatology, true to the motto: You can only diagnose what you know.

Take-Home Message:

Orthoses are designed to relieve, stabilise or guide the movement of muscles, bones or joints. They can be adjusted to allow controlled movement or to restrict freedom of movement in order to immobilise a joint. As an expert in prosthetics and orthotics, you will identify the affected area of the body, e.g. using a plaster cast or a 3D scan, and take charge of manufacturing and fitting the orthosis. The wide range of indications requires in-depth knowledge of pathophysiological mechanisms and biomechanical principles. You will gain an overview of aspects of manufacturing an individual orthosis as well as valuable tips for practical patient treatment.

Take-Home Message:

Digital processes offer great potential for efficiency, quality and patient satisfaction – if they are integrated sensibly. You will gain a practical insight into digitalisation in prosthetics and orthotics and orthopaedic shoe technology. The focus is on digital treatment processes – from data collection to implementation – as well as the necessary hardware and software. You will become familiar with current interface problems and initial approaches to AI use, and learn how to efficiently integrate digital systems into existing workflows in order to establish digital processes in daily practice.

Take-Home Message:

You will learn about the standard surgical procedures used for lower limb amputations. You will also learn about important factors for amputation heights and understand what is important in terms of treatment so that patients can avoid potential obstacles. You can ask experienced surgeons your questions directly.

Take-Home Message:

You will learn about the applications of artificial intelligence and additive manufacturing in the medical field: through presentations on radiological analysis of X-ray images, scanning and CAD-supported modelling in the workshop, 3D-printed orthoses for Charcot foot, and digitally supported rehabilitation after patient treatment, you will discover how modern technologies can also support you in your work.

Take-Home Message:

Effective spinal treatment depends on individual adaptation, the targeted use of modern materials and a sound understanding of biomechanical relationships. You will learn about the importance of the interaction between technology, function and patient needs, so that your treatment corrects, relieves, stabilises and mobilises in the long term.