Are comprehensive orthopaedic societies needed or relevant in the face of increasing sub-specialisation in orthopaedics and traumatology?

practice, by requiring budding orthopaedic surgeons to pass a board examination through a peer-review process. Nearer to home, the Western Pacific Orthopaedic Association was formed in 1962 by a group of senior orthopaedic surgeons who believed that the countries bordering the Western Pacific Basin constitute a geographical area with certain medical problems not found in other countries. It was with the hope that the regional countries might share with each other the knowledge of these problems and their solutions that the Western Pacific Orthopaedic Association was formed. Modestly and without too much fanfare, after 40 years and 25 Triennial Congresses, not only has it remained a cohesive and solid learned society, but has expanded gradually to involve more countries and geographical areas. It was renamed Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association in 2000. At least up to very recent times, the members know each other well, many on a first name basis. The activities of the Association certainly fulfill the wishes of the founding surgeons. The atmosphere of the Triennial Congresses is to some extent unique, in that there is an intense feeling of camaraderie. The scientific standard of the meetings improves with each passing Congress, and even if a participant questions a speaker critically, it is often mixed with an element of banter. The social functions in the evenings, where participants from different countries display their musical prowess, add much to the collegiality of the occasion. A comprehensive orthopaedic society, of a much grander scale, sprang up in 1929 in Paris, and became The history of formation and functioning of learned societies or associations of orthopaedic surgery has been relatively recent. The oldest claimed society, the American Orthopaedic Association, was established in 1887. Such learned societies or associations were formed with the objectives of providing a forum for interaction between their members, to maintain and advance the science and practice of orthopaedics and traumatology, to organise and run meetings periodically for members to present the experience of their work and research, and as an educational vehicle for junior or trainee orthopaedic surgeons to learn from. Other than periodic meetings, a journal was soon founded, which further facilitated the implementation of the objectives of the Association. The American Orthopaedic Association gradually evolved to be one whose membership consists mainly of the 'heavyweights' of orthopaedic surgery. There is no doubt that these heavyweights had a tremendous influence on the direction of orthopaedic practice, …