OARSI's Discussion Groups bring together individuals with a focus on specific OA-related specialty areas.
Interested in starting a new Discussion Group? Please complete the form found HERE.
- Imaging
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Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis (formerly OA Prevention related to Sport, Exercise, and Physical Activity (SEPA)
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Interested in starting a new Discussion Group? Fill out the form found HERE.
Joint Effort Initiative Discussion Group
Meeting at World Congress: Friday, April 19 at 12:30 pm CET
The Joint Effort Initiative (JEI) Discussion Group is an international collaboration of 100+ researchers (22 countries, 6 continents), clinicians, consumers, and consumer organizations who are concerned with the implementation of evidence-based, cost-effective, osteoarthritis care for all, particularly through coordinated osteoarthritis management programs (OAMPs). Our mission is to investigate the best osteoarthritis management program models to use, develop long-term strategies for effective implementation of these programs in different socioeconomic and cultural environments, and identify research priorities to facilitate best evidence care internationally. Priorities for the work of the JEI were established in 2018 through an international survey and consensus study (https://www.oarsijournal.com/article/S1063-4584(19)31046-5/fulltext).
Our current projects fall under the themes of:
- Implementation of OAMPs
- Measuring Clinical Outcomes
- Education and Training for Healthcare Professionals
JEI members are invited to participate in working groups or special projects undertaken by the Initiative.
Click HERE for more information on the Joint Effort Initiative Discussion Group,
Chairs: David Hunter, Jillian Eyles, Jocelyn Bowden
Human Movement Biomechanics Discussion Group
Meeting at World Congress: Friday, April 19 at 12:30 pm CET
Please complete the survey found at this link to indicate your interest in the Discussion Group.
The Human Movement Biomechanics Discussion Group was established in July 2023. The objectives of the Discussion Group are to build more cross-institution, international collaborations, develop larger biomechanics datasets, identify and use best-available biomechanics methods, change approaches to biomechanics measurements to meet modern availability and requirements (e.g., out of laboratory, in-clinic) and encourage transfer of knowledge for improvement of patient outcomes.
In addition, the Discussion Group hopes to increase visibility of biomechanics throughout OARSI, improve acceptance rates for biomechanics-related oral presentations at OARSI World Congresses, raise awareness, acceptance, and implementation of biomechanics research in the study and treatment of OA and improve rigor of biomechanics methods in OA research.
Chairs: Laura Diamond and Michael Hunt
Imaging Discussion Group
Meeting at World Congress: Saturday, April 20, 12:30 pm CET
June 22 Webinar: View the recording here. Click here for more details.
The OARSI Imaging Discussion Group was created to bring clinicians, radiologists, imaging researchers, and industry representatives together to discuss OA imaging and the latest trends. The group provides a forum to review State-of-the-Art imaging technologies and their application in clinical settings. In addition, members discuss clinical translation, education, and gaps in research. The group also provides an expert forum that may be used during the approval process of imaging biomarkers by regulatory agencies. The Imaging Discussion Group meets yearly, typically around the OARSI World Congress. The outcome of this meeting often results in the composition of review articles, white papers, and/or position statements.
Chairs: Thomas Link and Xiaojuan Li
International Foot and Ankle Osteoarthritis Consortium Discussion Group
Meeting at World Congress: Thursday, April 18 at 12:30 CET
The International Foot and Ankle OA Consortium Discussion Group was established in January 2019 and endorsed by OARSI as a Discussion Group in May 2019 at the OARSI World Congress in Toronto. The discussion group brings together a network of clinicians, scientists, and other health professionals/key stakeholders who share a common interest in foot and ankle OA. Its aim is to drive the research agenda related to OA setting research priorities in foot and ankle OA to maximize progress and impact that will ultimately improve outcomes for people with OA. A secondary aim is that the foot and ankle could also be viewed as an untapped ‘case study’ into OA research, that if given more focused and collaborative attention internationally may provide some additional insights into the aetiopathogenesis of OA in general.
Chairs: Kade Paterson and Yvonne Golightly
Videos:
Professor Yvonne Golightly [youtu.be]
Associate Professor Kade Paterson [youtu.be]
Professor Cathy Bowen [southampton.cloud.panopto.eu]
International Hand Osteoarthritis Consortium Discussion Group
There will not be a Hand Discussion Group meeting at OARSI 2024 Vienna.
The Hand Osteoarthritis Consortium Discussion Group focuses on defining priorities for hand osteoarthritis research. The group brings together clinicians and healthcare workers, academics and scientists, and key stakeholders. At the OARSI 2021 Congress, the Discussion Group provided an online forum to discuss in particular whether different hand osteoarthritis phenotypes exist. An electronic polling system was used to assess consensus between the Discussion Group attendees, and the results were shared in real time. It is also planned that the results will be submitted for publication. Future meetings are anticipated to run annually at the OARSI Congresses, and these are likely to provide both networking and discussion opportunities for anyone interested in the hand osteoarthritis field.
Chairs:
Multimorbidity Discussion Group
The meeting at World Congress was cancelled.
The Multimorbidity Discussion Group was established in July 2023. The objectives of the Discussion Group are to (i) to map research priorities in the field; (ii) to build multidisciplinary and international collaborations that could bring together the different expertise needed to investigate multimorbidity and its impact on ageing; (iii) map existing cohort and dataset for the study of multimorbidity; (iv) to advocate a shift in OA management from a single disease approach to a more holistic, patient-centric process that considers the interplay of multiple health conditions on ageing and overall well-being.
Chair: Andrea Dell'Isola
Pain in Osteoarthritis Discussion Group
IASP/OARSI Pain in OA webinar, November 4, 2024 at 10:00 am ET. Register here.
The Pain in Osteoarthritis Discussion Group is led by Professor Jason McDougall, Dalhousie University. The group deliberates:
- The complexity of OA pain mechanisms – from joint to brain
- The relevance/reproducibility of pain assessment techniques
- Heterogeneity of OA pain phenotypes
- Viability of current/novel analgesics
- Pharmacological and non-pharmacological management of joint pain
- Biopsychosocial concepts in OA Pain
The discussion group consists of more than 115 members whose research focuses on pain associated with osteoarthritis.
Chairs: Jason McDougall and Michelle Hall
Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Discussion Group (PTOA)
Meeting at World Congress: Thursday, April 18, 12:30 pm CET
The Osteoarthritis Prevention Related to Sport, Exercise, and Physical Activity (SEPA) Discussion Group focuses on reducing the public health impact of osteoarthritis through osteoarthritis prevention research and knowledge translation activities with a focus on sport, exercise, and physical activity. To achieve these goals, the discussion group seeks to create collaborative opportunities for researchers, research trainees, clinicians, and other stakeholders (e.g., advocacy groups, patients) in the area of injury and osteoarthritis prevention (e.g., multicentre studies, development of recommendations, consensus development) with a focus on sport, exercise, and physical activity.
The Discussion Group promotes opportunities to raise the bar internationally in research in osteoarthritis prevention related to sport, exercise, and physical activity. Member benefits from the group’s webinars and annual meeting at the OARSI World Congress. Finally, the group encourages consensus and systematic review projects as well as a special issue of Osteoarthritis and Cartilage focused on prevention.
Chairs: Kay Crossley and Jackie Whitaker
Osteoarthritis Rehabilitation Discussion Group
Meeting at World Congress: Saturday, April 20, 12:30 pm CET
The OARSI Rehabilitation Discussion Group is pleased to announce that applications are open for its Paper of the Year Award for Early Career Investigators. The award seeks to recognize the outstanding achievements of Members of our Discussion Group who have aimed to improve the lives of people with osteoarthritis through scientific investigation of rehabilitation. Papers published during the 2023 calendar year are eligible. More details and application instructions can be found at the link here.
Journal Club Session - Monday, October 9, 2023, 3:00 pm EDT
The OARSI Rehabilitation Discussion Group aims to bring together a network of researchers and clinicians who share a common interest in the rehabilitation of people with osteoarthritis. we endeavor to provide a forum for communication, networking, information sharing, and discussion and collaboration for osteoarthritis researchers working in the rehabilitation field. We work to facilitate the development and implementation of high-quality research in rehabilitation, and contribute to mentoring of early career researchers in the rehabilitation area to increase research capacity.
Chair: Kim Bennell
View OAC Journal manuscript: Recommendations for the delivery of exercise for people with OA
Click for more information on the Rehabilitation Discussion Group
Regenerative Medicine in OA Discussion Group
Meeting at World Congress: Thursday, April 18, 12:30 pm CET
The objective of this Discussion Group is to promote academic and practical discussion in this area within OARSI, and eventually grow into a prominent leading voice in this field worldwide. The most important current research topics in this area are: 1) Determine the place of each treatment method in OA treatment that employs the concept of regenerative medicine, and 2) Explore the working mechanism of these therapeutic measures.
Chair: Gun-il Im
Spinal Osteoarthritis Discussion Group
Agenda - Meeting Friday, April 19 at 12:30 pm CET at OARSI 2024 Vienna
The Spinal Osteoarthritis Discussion Group was formed in In 2018 with the main aim of identifying and classifying spinal OA and its impact on the management and burden of low back pain in older patients. Our working group was selected to present a pre-OARSI Conference in 2019 and in 2020 the Spinal OA working group became the current Spinal OA Discussion Group with our first meeting held in April 2021. The aim of the DG is to raise awareness and scientific and clinical robustness of the diagnosis and management of Spinal OA. The activities carried out by the DG include:
- Workshop on spinal OA definition, phenotype, and management at the 2019 OARSI Conference
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Survey of OARSI members on the need for a phenotype definition of Spinal OA
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Workshop on spinal OA definition, phenotype, and management at the 2019 International Low Back and Neck Pain Forum (premier low back pain conference worldwide)
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Survey of LBP Forum attendees on the need for a phenotype definition of Spinal OA
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Delphi exercise to define Spinal OA for both research and clinical practice purposes. The manuscript will be published soon!
Chairs: Manuela Ferreira and Chris Little