Key Points
- The Alliance for Advanced Therapies in Orthopedics Conference 2023 was held May 18–20 in Berlin.
- It is attended by researchers and clinicians from medicine and science, regulatory agency professionals, industry representatives from big companies and start-ups, and venture capitalists.
- Mario Fabiilli, PhD, presented a 15-minute talk on orthopedic applications of focused ultrasound.
The Alliance for Advanced Therapies in Orthopedics (ATiO) Conference 2023 was held in Berlin from May 18–20 to highlight and discuss new orthopedic technologies. ATiO was founded by Tobias Winkler, MD, PhD, an orthopedic surgeon in Germany who is a specialist in orthopedic and trauma surgery at Charité Berlin’s Center for Musculoskeletal Surgery. The conference is fairly small, with about 100 attendees, but it includes researchers and clinicians from medicine and science, regulatory agency professionals, industry representatives from big companies and start-ups, and venture capitalists.
Beyond its conventional academic presentations, ATiO invites about 15 start-up companies to present their concepts, then the audience votes for their favorite company. An interactive world cafe allowed participants to break up into small groups and discuss topical questions, and interesting panels discussed the translation of orthopedic products. One challenge that was raised was establishing newly approved clinical study outcome parameters. Networking opportunities at the conference were facilitated by the conference providing each meal.
ATiO 2023 included a 15-minute feature on focused ultrasound. Mario Fabiilli, PhD, an associate professor of radiology and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan, presented, “Emerging Techniques: Focused Ultrasound.”
“It was a very good meeting, and I am glad that I attended,” said Dr. Fabiilli. “My talk was well received, and the attendees asked a lot of questions, particularly on how ultrasound-induced bioeffects can be controlled and monitored. When I had the opportunity to speak with Tobias, the conference organizer, we talked in depth about the potential of focused ultrasound in orthopedics.”
“We appreciated learning about ATiO from Bob Smith, one of our symposium keynote speakers,” said Lauren Powlovich, MD, the Foundation’s associate chief medical officer. “I am grateful for Dr. Fabiilli for representing the focused ultrasound community at this conference, and I remain interested in exploring opportunities for focused ultrasound in orthopedics, particularly for regenerative approaches.”
The Foundation thanks Dr. Fabiilli for his assistance with this meeting report.