The orthoplastics course will give you a good understanding of the application of external fixation for a variety of injuries, including open fractures, but also instructs on the techniques of soft tissue defects with local flaps for the lower limb. 

The course is run in the cadaver lab in Manchester, using fresh frozen cadavers. This is as close as you will get to live surgery, but in an environment where there is no pressure and you will have experienced and friendly faculty guiding you through procedures to improve your confidence and competence. 

This course aims to promote a multidisciplinary approach from both orthopaedic surgeons and plastic surgeons. Central to this is an understanding of what is important to each others specialities, so that each does not compromise the objectives of the other.

This course will be useful for UK orthopaedic surgeons and plastic surgeons – both consultants and trainees – and also for those who may be planning to work in a humanitarian setting where a basic level of competence in the management of injuries in a low resource setting is required, or in conflict areas. It is designed to work in combination with the amputation course on the 12th September, to give a good foundation in humanitarian surgery. 

The course will be led by Susie Yao, a consultant plastic surgeon, and Amer Shoaib, a consultant orthopaedic surgeon, who both have not just a lot of clinical experience, but also a lot of clinical teaching experience in the UK and abroad.