We have two years until the end of the decade of the Bone & Joint. Wouldn't we all like to see substantive advances for osteoarthritis in this decade? At the 2008 OARSI Congress, Dr. Marie-Pierre Hellio Le Graverand-Gastineau opened the congress with a marvelous overview of the state of the art of the osteoarthritis treatment pipeline. She laid down the gauntlet and the call for the osteoarthritis community of investigators to assist with the science to improve outcomes that will make clinical trials for structural agents an attainable goal. Just as a collective solution is required for the current financial crisis in the US that is rippling through the world, it is imperative that we work together to achieve advances and successes for this disease, that is in many ways, no less challenging than the financial crisis! This year's Congress was notable for its record number of attendees (927), and record number of excellent abstracts and presentations (566) from 34 countries underscoring the growth of osteoarthritis research world-wide united under the OARSI umbrella! We hope this year's congress will inspire you to work collaboratively and collectively to advance the OARSI mission focused on the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis through the promotion and presentation of research, education and the worldwide dissemination of new knowledge. We wish to thank you for your support of OARSI and the Congress and to thank especially, the session speakers, 2008 Program Committee, and our Italian colleagues who hosted us to their beautiful city of Rome. A special note of thanks is due to Dr. Leonardo Punzi, whose excellent help with the program and all aspects of the Rome meeting helped to make it a success; and to Dr. Annamaria Iagnocco who hosted our first ever ultrasound workshop and helped to launch a new OARSI OMERACT initiative to explore and further the research uses of ultrasound for osteoarthritis. You as a member of OARSI have a great part to play in the unfolding advancements for osteoarthritis. Please get involved and inform the Board members or next year's Program Committee about how you would like to assist and what you would like to see happen in the coming years as the clock of the Bone & Joint decade ticks. We look forward to seeing you next year in Montreal!
Virginia Byers Kraus, MD, PhD
Farshid Guilak, PhD
Wim van den Berg, PhD
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>> Click Here to Access Abstract Presentations from the 2008 World Congress in Rome