AFAS
Ankle & Foot Association
[ access to details ]

ESSKA-AFAS WEBSITE

Website: www.esska-afas.org

===================================================================== 

Board ESSKA-AFAS

C.N. van Dijk / Chair / c.n.vandijk@amc.uva.nl
Jon Karlsson / co-Chair / jon.karlsson@telia.com
James Calder / Treasurer / james.calder@imperial.ac.uk
Gino Kerkhoffs / Secretary General / g.m.kerkhoffs@amc.nl
Giuliano Cerulli / letpeoplemove@tin.it
Milan Handl / milanhandl@seznam.cz
Ramon Cugat / ramon.cugat@sportrauma.com
Robert Smigielski / robert.smigielski@carolina.pl

=======================================================

WELCOME TO AFAS

Dear Friends,

Summer is over and we are all back to work now, time for an update on the activities of ESSKA-AFAS. Our meeting took place at the ESSKA Congress in Oslo on June 11^th 2010. The rules and duties of the ESSKA - AFAS were accepted by all members and members of the first Board of ESSKA -AFAS (Niek van Dijk President, Jon Karlsson Vice-president, James Calder Treasurer, Ramon Cugat, Giuliano Cerulli, Milan Handl, Robert Smigielski, Gino Kerkhoffs Secretary General). The first 2-year strategy was successfully discussed and the projects for the upcoming period were presented.

One of the projects is an annual meeting for all ESSKA - AFAS members. In 2011 this meeting will be held in June in Warschau. The scientific goal of the meeting will be to discuss the acute ankle ligament instability in the athlete and the come up with a guideline on diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. The afternoon session of this meeting will be filled with interesting case discussions.

Another project is the visibility of ESSKA-AFAS and its members within ESSKA and more specific within the ESSKA website. We are working to achieve this as an extra button on the official website. In order to provide input for this website, all ESSKA-AFAS members can submit case reports to the Secretary-General; the first case report has been submitted already! Another item to improve visibility of the members both on and of the website is that we want to get to know each other better and our specialities, therefore a small CV can be send to the Secretary General as well. An example of the format is attached.

So far we are heading for a great end of the year, please contact any of the board members for any questions or issues.

Niek van Dijk

President ESSKA-AFAS

Gino Kerkhoffs

Secretary General ESSKA-AFAS

Email: esska.afas@amc.nl

=======================================================

2-year strategy

1.            Specialty day in Geneva 2012. ICL(s), symposia, minibattle, case / panel discussion, free papers.  Organisation with help of Jacques Menetrey. GINO KERKHOFFS

2.            Newsletters, reports of meetings, articles. We will use help of the members with that. GINO KERKHOFFS

3.            KSSTA, goal could be a special issue every year. KARLSSON

4.            Meeting. Warschau in June 2011. Acute ankle instability in the athlete's ankle. Prevention-diagnosis-treatment and prognosis. ROBERT SMIGIELSKI (In 2013 in Arezzo..)

5.            Website. Will be positioned under the ESSKA website, with part being open for everybody and part for the members only. Short case reports to make the site more lively and active. JAMES CALDER

6.            BOOK, 2 options: DJO and through G. Puddu. Organization chapters and authors. NIEK VAN DIJK, JON KARLSSON, MILAN HANDL

7.            ESSKA-AFAS Arthroscopy course. GIULIANO CERULLI

8.            CD/DVD RAMON CUGAT

The responsible board members will involve the members to actively complete the projects together.

=======================================================

Rules of the ESSKA subspeciality Section Ankle and Foot Associaties  (ESSKA-AFAS)

Art. 1  Purpose

The purpose of the ESSKA ankle and foot association is to group current or future European key opinion leaders in the field of sport related ankle and foot pathology with special focus on arthroscopy, in order to form a European expert group, in order:

1. to advance knowledge of sport related ankle and foot pathology including ankle arthroscopy

2. to provide an appropriate educational setting that maintains the highest level of professional standards in order to promote continuous advancements in professional knowledge and improved treatment of sport related ankle and foot pathology with special focus on ankle arthroscopy

3. to create an optimum environment to enhance education, research and treatment of sport related ankle and foot pathology, including arthroscopy.

4. to promote and maintain professional standards to provide the best care to patients with sport related ankle and foot pathology.

Art. 2  Membership

Section I.      Categories

There shall be only 1 category of membership in the association, so called "active members".

Section II.    Requirements

Memberships shall be by invitation. Only ESSKA members will be eligible for membership.

Section III.   Size

The size of the membership shall be limited and determined by the Steering Board.

Section IV.   Dues

Additional dues for membership can be charged by ESSKA-AFAS.

Section V.    Active members

A. Eligibility for active membership

• a) An accomplished orthopedic surgeon or research scientist who has demonstrated interest in the advancement of orthopedic surgical knowledge of sport related ankle and foot pathology and/or ankle arthroscopy, through substantiated accomplishments such as special studies, writings, lectures, etc. (in English language)
• b) The applicant shall be a person of good ethical standing in ESSKA, as well his or her own community in Europe.
• c) If the prospective member is an orthopedic surgeon, he/she shall be a member of ESSKA, and of European nationality.
• d) A candidate for membership shall have demonstrated an interest in ankle or foot pathology and/or ankle arthroscopy by presentations at national and international meetings, and/or publications in a peer reviewed journal.

B. Rights and Duties of Active members

• a) May vote.
• b) May serve on committees of the association.
• c) Must be an ESSKA member
• d) Must maintain good professional standings within ESSKA and his/her local community.
• e) Must attend at least every second meeting of the association. If a member does not attend at least one meeting every two years, membership will be forfeited, unless there is a reason, considered by the Steering Board to be satisfactory.
• f) Shall submit at least one abstract for presentation at the ESSKA Ankle and Foot Association meeting every 3 years, for the first 10 years of his/her active membership, or membership will be forfeited, unless there is a reason, considered by the Steering Board to be satisfactory. After 10 years of active membership, this abstract submission requirement for maintaining membership ceases.
• g) The presenter of a paper to the ESSKA Ankle and Foot Association is encouraged to submit the manuscript for publication in the KSSTA journal.
• h) Active members shall review manuscripts that are sent to them for publication in the KSSTA journal. Acceptance of such a position as is reviewer for the KSSTA journal is to be made by the editor of KSSTA.

Section VI.   Election of members

• a) Only active members may propose candidates for membership.
• b) Each active member may propose candidates each year.
• c) Each candidate for membership must be proposed for membership by one active member and seconded for membership by another active member.
• d) All candidates should be proposed to the Steering Board meeting, which will be held once a year, at the occasion of the ESSKA congress or interim meeting.
• e) The Steering Board shall vote on the eligible candidate as follows:
• i. Approve
• ii. Not approved
• f) To be considered eligible by the Steering committee, recommended candidates for membership must be approved by at least three-quarters (3/4) of the Steering Committee.

Section VII. Application for membership

• a) Request for membership must be submitted to the Chairman of the Steering Committee at least 6 months prior to the ESSKA congress or interim meeting.
• b) No active member may propose or second the application of a candidate who, at the time of the application, is affiliated with the nominating member's primary hospital or orthopedic program.

Section VIII.  Notification of membership

• a) All new active, international, honorary and emeritus members shall be notified of their membership status by the Steering Board. They shall be sent a copy of the rules and a membership certificate.

Art. 3  Steering Board

Section I.      Composition

The Steering Board shall consist of 4 members, amongst which the Chairman, Vice-chairman, Secretary and Treasurer (Executive Board) and 4 members. The chairman will be invited to the annual meeting of the ESSKA Board. If he is a full board  member he will fulfill his function on the Board and represent the Association. The treasurer will be a member of the ESSKA financial Committee, Chaired by the treasurer of ESSKA..

Section II.    Election of Steering Committee Members

• a) Steering Committee members will be selected by vote of the active members.. For this the Steering Committee will organize every 2 years (during the ESSKA congress) a vote amongst all active members in order to propose a list of candidates as Steering Committee members. (President/ Vice-president/Secretary/ Treasurer/Steering Board Committee Members).
• b) The name of the president will be proposed to the ESSKA Board, which has a possible veto right against the proposed name. Under such condition, the Steering Committee will propose a alternative president out of the list of candidates.
• c) The term of Steering Committee membership shall start after each ESSKA congress for the duration of 2 years. No Steering Board member may serve more than 2 consecutive terms (total of 4 years) as a Steering Board member.

Candidates for Steering Board members shall be nominated by the active members at the interim meeting.

• d) The president , vice-president treasurer and secretary are automatically elected for the next term.

Art. 4  Meetings

Section I  ESSKA Ankle and Foot Association meetings

Once yearly, the members of the ESSKA Ankle and Foot Association shall meet.

A Steering Board meeting will be held in conjunction with this meeting. During the year that the ESSKA Congress is organized, the Association's meeting shall coincide with the ESSKA congress and be an integral part of the ESSKA congress.

During the year in which the ESSKA congress is not organized, an interim meeting of the ESSKA Ankle and Foot Association will be organized, during which a General Board Meeting will be organized as well.

Section II       Steering Board meetings

Steering Board meetings will be organized every 6 months, of which one will be during the ESSKA Congress and the interim meeting.

Art. 5  Tasks of the Steering Board

The Steering Board will coordinate and execute according to the ESSKA subcommittee guidelines and charges, including the following:

• a) Prepare a 2-year strategy for proposal to the General ESSKA Executive Board.
• b) Develop a symposium and IC proposals for the ESSKA congress.
• c) Meet the deadline for submission of articles to the ESSKA News Letter.
• d) Submit all relevant reports on the association's activities to the ESSKA Board..
• e) Develop and propose consensus meetings, multicentre studies, current standards in care, and current concepts review reports.
• f) Organize the interim meetings of the association.

Art. 6  Termination of membership

Section I  Resignation

Any member may withdraw from the association after fulfilling all obligations and giving written notice of such intention to the Steering Board.

Section II       Mandatory membership forfeiture

• a) A member must attend the Interim meeting of the association at least once every 2 years, or forfeit membership, unless excused by a unanimous vote of the Steering Board.
• b) A member who fails to submit at least 1 abstract of a paper every 3 years for presentation at the association's interim meeting or ESSKA congress meeting during his/her first 10 years of active membership shall forfeit membership, unless excused by a unanimous vote of the Steering Board.

A member whose practice pattern changes so that he/she no longer meets membership criteria shall, if recommended by a unanimous vote of the Steering Board, forfeit membership.

Art. 7 Finances

The Association will receive a biannual grant of € 10.000 from the ESSKA main board. As stated under art.2 sect.4 no additional dues will be charged to the members, except the general ESSKA membership dues. In return the Section will let 20% of its income from interim meetings, publications, sponsoring, fellowships, grants etc. to the ESSKA to cover its administrative expenses (i.e. participation fees of chairman at the board meetings, membership handling & communication, administrative assistance from the ESSKA headquarter for courses, publications etc.). The finances of the section will be administered on a subaccount of ESSKA reserved to the Association.  The ESSKA treasurer and the Head of ESSKA administrative staff have access to the account. The AFAS Treasurer can ask an account overview or copies of the bank statements at any moment. The Association Chairman can ask an account overview or copies of the bank statements at any moment.

The Association is not entitled to open or administer any other bank account.

Art. 8 Use of the ESSKA Administrative Office

As a section of ESSKA, the AFAS will use the ESSKA Administrative Office as a support in any administrative matters related to their activity. In order to contribute to the use of the ESSKA facilities, a compensation should be paid. For this, AFAS is free to choose among the following:

1.                  To pay a percentage of their gross income on a yearly basis. This percentage is fixed at 20%.

2.                  To pay the actual costs of their use of the office on an hourly basis.

=======================================================

ESSKA-AFAS Activities

21^st  April 2011                  Maastricht, The Netherlands

IMUKA congress: Symposium Posterior Ankle Arthroscopy, what are the limits?

9^th June 2011                     Warschau, Poland

1^st Annual Meeting ESSKA-AFAS: Acute lateral ligament injury in the athletes' ankle

16-17^th June 2011            Amsterdam, The Netherlands

11^th Amsterdam Foot and Ankle Course

9-10^th March 2012            Dublin, Ireland

Organized by ESSKA - Ankle & Foot Associates

Clontarf Castle 

For more information, click this link: http://www.esska-afas.org/dublin2012

DOWNLOAD

=======================================================