Review of the 7 EUSSER Cadaver Course

Title: Does the Impingement Syndrome Make Sense ?

Venue: Centre Universitaire des St Pères, 45 rue des St Pères 75006 , Paris

Date: 12 June 2015
 
It is not often that one gets the chance do some CPD in the beautiful city of Paris! This course has been on my to-do list for a number of years and I am pleased to say the day held up to expectations.
 
The focus of the course this year was on the coracoacromial arch and its interaction with the rotator cuff and bursa and the role of surgery, ultrasound imaging and rehabilitation in impingement syndrome. The course consisted of a number of lab sessions with anatomical dissections and each was accompanied with a focused theory section. The day also included a diagnostic ultrasound session and a rehab presentation.  The course was delivered by key figures in the treatment of shoulder dysfunction across Europe and included Olivier Gagey, Marco Conti, S Abrassard,
Edwin Duijn and Ingrid Hultenheim Klintberg.
 
The first and second sessions of the day were led by Olivier Gagey, S Abrassard and Marco Conti who collectively discussed how the anatomy does not support ‘Neers impingement’ theory but rather supports repetitive micro trauma of supraspinatus. Their beliefs were backed up by the exploration of the anatomy of the shoulder on a cadaver and by current research.  The role of the bursa in the painful shoulder was also discussed in-depth, followed by an interesting and controversial section from Olivier Gagey on the most effective way of guiding a sub-acromial injection – different from most current clinical practice! It was also an opportunity to have an in-depth look at the deltoid and rotator cuff, including the cuff interval and cable. The final lab session of the day covered the periscapular muscles and linked the anatomy to the role of the scapula muscles. This was followed by exploration of the nerve anatomy of the shoulder. Edwin Duijn then provided information regarding the role of US imaging in RC tendinopathy and delivered a case study on the role of deltoid in irreparable cuff tears. The final session of the day was delivered by Ingrid Hultenheim Klintberg who discussed the biomechanical dysfunctions associated with impingement syndrome, the roles and actions of the rotator cuff and axioscapular muscles and linked this to rehabilitation. She also provided us with a copy of her recent paper on “The Consensus for Physiotherapy in Shoulder Pain” which introduces a new physiotherapy algorithm for the assessment and treatment of shoulder pathology.
One of the benefits in attending this course is that the numbers are kept small so there is plenty of room to get upclose to the cadaver.The course provides the rare opportunity to engage with shoulder physiotherapists outside your own country. It is held in a very relaxed atmosphere with plenty of opportunities for open discussion. Morning and afternoon snacks were extensive. We attended for lunch in a nearby café and candiates paid for there own lunch (20 euro) which included three courses and a glass of wine so no complaints!The only thing the course lacked in was the provision of a handbook, including copies of the presentations which would have been helpful for note-taking and post course reflection.For me, the highlight of the course was the interactive lab sessions led by Olivier Gagey who is really fasictating to listen too for those of you who have not had the opportunity to listen to him.
 
Defintiely worth a trip to Paris- I even managed to squeeze in a visit to Disneyland!
 
Edel Fanning, MSC, MICSP, MMACP