In September, we welcomed Prof. Dr. Alexej Barg to the post of the new President of the International WBCT Society. We would like to thank him for taking on such an important role and have no doubt that he will take our Society from strength to strength.
We would also like to thank our outgoing President, Prof. Dr. Martinus Richter, for his undeniable input in placing the International WBCT Society on the map of foot and ankle innovation and all his endeavours in leading a strong and fruitful journey over the past two years.
In this post, Prof. Dr. Barg highlights our successes to date and shares his vision for the Society's future.
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
3D Weight Bearing Computed Tomography (WBCT) has steadily gained popularity among foot and ankle surgeons and radiologists over the past 5 years. Several advantages of this modality have been widely recognized within our medical community. These include imaging of the upright weightbearing position, high spatial resolution, fast imaging acquisition time, low radiation dosage, and modest costs. The enormous progress of this new and emerging imaging technology would not be possible without the tireless efforts to synthesize and execute research of 3D foot and ankle imaging.
Efficient, simple, barrier-free, and fast communication is an essential key to achieving fruitful collaboration among several research groups. Therefore, in 2017 the International WBCT Society
was inaugurated by Dr. Richter, Dr. Lintz, Dr. de Cesar Netto, Dr. Burssens, and myself.
The primary tasks of the Society were defined as:
To improve the research of 3D-radiographic imaging using WBCT
To standardize the methodology of various measurement methods
To serve as a platform of education and communication between foot and ankle surgeons and radiologists
To inform others through educational events
To offer guidelines and reviews regarding the indications and use of WBCT at the national and international levels
Our Society would not have enjoyed the success it has over these last two years since its inauguration without the invaluable support and enormous efforts of Prof. Dr. Martinus Richter – the first President of International WBCT Society. Since our inception, the Society has been present at all significant Foot and Ankle Surgery meetings around the world. Additionally, we were lucky to have Dr. Ellis Scott join the board of our Society, bringing new insights and abundant experience in the area of 3D foot and ankle imaging.
Applications for membership in our Society are welcome at any time. Currently, we are counting around 60 members within our group as of the end of 2019. Anyone with clinical and research interest in foot and ankle imaging is cordially invited to join us.
Two years following our creation, the major tasks of our Society remain the same. Our ultimate goal is to improve the diagnostic options for patients with foot and ankle pathology, which in turn may help to improve our patients’ care – the most important goal for us all.
Sincerely,
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