In June of this year Mr Brownson attended the annual meeting of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society. During the meeting, Mr Brownson gave a presentation on the BESS Best Care Pathway for Traumatic Anterior Shoulder Instability. These guidelines were drawn up at the request of the society to provide an overview to both surgeons and physiotherapists on the best treatment options for patients suffering shoulder dislocations.
The guidelines were developed by a committee following a review of the current evidence. The committee was led by Mr Brownson and the guidelines have recently been published in the society journal – Shoulder and Elbow.
Mr Brownson was one of the moderators for the afternoon session on the first day which started with the management of rotator cuff disease and, after this, he was the host for an industry sponsored meeting where live surgery was carried out by three well recognised UK surgeons. Mr Brownson acted as the moderator as the link between the audience and the operating surgeons. Several different types of operative procedure were carried out, including a rotator cuff repair, shoulder stabilisation and a shoulder joint replacement.
At the Annual General Meeting of the members on the second day, Mr Brownson was elected as the next vice president of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society. This is a two year appointment after which Mr Brownson will progress automatically to become the next president of the Society for a further two years.
The British Elbow and Shoulder Society is the biggest subspecialty society within the British Orthopaedic Association. It has approximately 750 members comprised of surgeons specialising in shoulder and elbow surgery as well as allied healthcare professionals (mainly physiotherapists) who specialise in the treatment of shoulder and elbow conditions.
The appointment is a great honour as the election is by a closed anonymous vote of the entire membership, held at the annual general meeting. This role will involve Mr Brownson taking a leading role in steering the future direction of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society and working with the British Orthopaedic Association as well as other national organisations to optimise shoulder and elbow treatment for patients within the United Kingdom and abroad.