Frontera Grill & Topolobampo

For amazing Mexican food and even better margarita, I choose Frontera Grill! This is by far my personal favorite for Mexican food in Chicago.

Celebrity chef Rick Bayless defines authentic regional Mexican cuisine for north-of-the-border diners at Frontera and Topolobampo, where the latter provides fine dining and the former offers a rustic take. Topolobampo accepts reservations but I never mind waiting for a table at Frontera while enjoying a margarita.

Click here to check out their website to learn more about this great dinig choice.

Exhibitor: ExtraOrtho Profile

Check out what ExtraOrtho has to offer!
Their sole purpose is to provide surgeons with the most innovative and easy-to-use solutions for all external fixation needs. Dedication to this singular focus allows us to develop unique external fixation products. The XtraFix® External Fixation System offers a new level of choice and control compared to other systems in the market.

XtraFix is advanced because it is designed to quickly, simply and simultaneously address the needs of multiple traumatic conditions. With XtraFix, the surgeon, not the system, dictates how to best address a patient’s external fixation needs.

Visit them in the exhibit hall to experience the tilt & angulation clamp first hand.

Love the Theatre?

Looking for something to do in the evening? Chicago has some great shows while you'll be in town. These shows are within walking distance of the Palmer House Hilton.

Billy Elliot click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

Shrek the Musical click here for more information and to purchase tickets.

I've seen Billy Elliot and highly recommend it. I have tickets to see Shrek the Musical the weekend following the course with my family. I'm sure you would enjoy either one.

These are popular Tony Award winning productions. Buy your tickets now if this is something you'd like to do while in town.

Hands-on Workshop: New Concepts in Intramedullary Nail Locking

The Synthes Angular Stable Locking System (ASLS), when used with Synthes cannulated titanium intramedullary nails, is intended to aid in the alignment and stabilization of tibial, humeral, femoral and ankle fractures. It is designed to allow users who want fixed angle locking in a nail.

Fixed angle locking is achieved when the gap between the locking screw and the nail is filled by an elastic material (PLA) which gives a firm initial connection after which resorption will gradually increase micromotion and load sharing to the levels of a typical interlocked nail.

For more information click here for the product guide.

Beer & Biologics

What is better than a good debate?

The orthobiologics session of the course is formatted as an Oxford style debate to be enjoyed with a beer or soft drink. Our distinguished facutly will debate current issues and options in orthobiologics. We are proud to historically have course participants that are eager to join in on these debates as well.

This debate is a great way to end the day. Don't forget to bring your challenging questions or comments!

Lollapalooza 2010

I'm not sure what is going to be bigger in Chicago the weekend of August 6-8, 2010...Chicago Trauma Symposium or Lollapalooza? They both have big names performing. You may run into Lady Gaga, Green Day or Soundgarden at the Palmer House but they won't be speaking on orthopaedic trauma.

What timing! If you enjoy great live music, people watching or general excitement this is a great weekend for you. Lollapalooza happens to be taking place the same weekend as the course almost just across the street at Grant Park. What a great way to relax after the course each evening.

For more details click here.

Hands-on Workshop: New Concepts in Peri-Prosthethic Plating

The Chicago Trauma Symposium hosts a rotation of 1 hour hands-on workshops to allow participants to learn more about evolving surgical and implant technologies. The workshops are led by our premier faculty lending their own personal tips and pearls to each procedure.

The Peri-Prosthetic workshop will utilize a 3.5mm Locking Attachment Plate as an alternative to cerclage cables. The plate is attached to existing Synthes locking compression plates (LCP) using a connecting screw, to augment stabilization of fractures.

The arms on each side of the plate offer the possibility of bypassing the prosthesis stem with 3.5mm locking screws (or 3.5 mm cortex screws). The locking capability is important for a fixed-angle construct in periprosthetic fractures and fractures in the presence of intramedullary implants, particularly in osteopenic bone where screw purchase is compromised. These screws do not rely on plate-to-bone compression to resist patient load, but function similarly to multiple, small, angled blade plates.

For more information click here for the product guide.

Great Opportunity

The Chicago Trauma Symposium is a great meeting in a great city. Take advantage of this opportunity to obtain 30.5 credits while enjoying all that Chicago has to offer.

Here are a few pictures of past participants from Canada that enjoyed visiting Millenium Park and a Chicago Fire Soccer game while in Chicago. And yes, they were at the course all day long as well....I was there.

To say the enjoyed the Chicago Trauma Symposium would be an understatement.

AAOS President to present keynote address

We are honored with the privilege of having John Callaghan, MD, AAOS President, as a keynote speaker this year. We have been bestowed the honor of having the current AAOS President as a keynote speaker since 2003. We graciously thank the AAOS presidential line for their continued support and dedication to education.

Read an excerpt from
John J. Callaghan, MD, assumes the presidency
By Jennie McKee
© American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2010

AAOS President John J. Callaghan, MD, has a strong vision for what the Academy will accomplish in the coming year. Enhancing quality in orthopaedics, he says, is at the top of the list.


For complete article click here

Baseball

There is nothing better than a sunny day spent at Wrigley Field. This is something everyone should do at some point in their life.

The Chicago Cubs will be in town Friday, Saturday and Sunday playing day games against Cincinnati. The course will be over in plenty of time for you to catch the Sunday 1:20 game.

You can take the El from the Palmer House directly to Wrigley Field, take the Red Line Monroe Stop to Addison.

You can purchase tickets here .

I can't guarantee sun or a win but I will guarantee a great time!

The Chicago White Sox will be in Detroit during the course.

Disclosure: I root for the cubs.

Welcome

We will utilizing the blog to help communicate information regarding the Chicago Trauma Symposium. We will update you on course highlights, city happenings and many of our city favorites. We hope this will enable you to make the most of your participation in the Chicago Trauma Symposium and your visit to Chicago.