The World Congress on Osteoporosis, Osteoarthritis and Musculoskeletal Diseases (WCO-IOF-ESCEO) took place in Barcelona, Spain, from 4 to 7 May 2023. The congress was attended by professors Vidmantas Alekna and Marija Tamulaitienė, associate professor Asta Mastavičiūtė, geriatrics resident Michail Chatajan, and rehabilitation postgraduate Dorė Orentaitė from Vilnius University’s Faculty of Medicine.
The aim of the Congress was to bring together scientists and clinicians from all over the world, interested in the health of older people, to share the latest research results and knowledge on the treatment and prevention of osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and musculoskeletal diseases.
Lectures, symposia and scientific presentations focused on the main themes of the congress, including geriatric syndromes such as sarcopenia and falls, with a particular emphasis on healthy ageing.
This year, the International Osteoporosis Foundation’s President’s Award was presented to Samantha Cristoforetti for her significant contribution to the advancement of the Foundation’s work and the dissemination of information on the treatment of bone diseases. Extraordinarily, Cristoforetti was also the first European woman to command the International Space Station during Expedition 68 in 2022.
At the Congress, a group of researchers from the Faculty of Medicine presented several scientific papers on gait characteristics, falls, and the impact of early rehabilitation on the functional status and quality of life for elderly people following the surgical treatment of fractures.
Left to right professors of Faculty of Medicine: Marija Tamulaitienė, Vidmantas Alekna, assoc. prof. Asta Mastavičiūtė, Michail Chatajan, Dorė Orentaitė. / Personal archive.