17th World Congress ICRS 2023 - Time for Action Meliá Sitges, Sitges

As we all know, cartilage injury and arthritis continue to take its toll on millions of patients throughout each of our countries. Therefore, we must boldly move forward in scientific discovery and clinical treatments for cartilage repair and joint preservation.

We look forward to welcoming all of you to Sitges for the 17th ICRS World Congress from September 9-12, 2023. We-Wael Kafienah and Aaron Krych- are the Co-chairs of the Scientific Program Committee, and together with our committee members, are planning a scientific program that will energize our current members, welcome new colleagues, and help to define the pathway forward. We have chosen the theme of the meeting to be “Time for Action: Advancing the Science and Treatments for Cartilage and Joint Preservation” to recognize the critical need and urgency for progress in our field.

Our goal is to deliver on the vision of the ICRS: international collaboration to advance the science and education for prevention and treatment of cartilage disease worldwide. We are working with the Scientific Program Committee to focus on current developments in our field, critical analysis of our successes and learning from previous failures. In this World Congress, we will unite as scientists and clinical researchers, physicians and surgeons, and industry partners. Though COVID has ushered in a new era of virtual meetings and interaction, we feel strongly that there is no better platform than an in- person meeting, for the fully interactive discussion and debate that is the highlight and centerpiece of the ICRS experience.

In this World Congress, the Plenary sessions will be used to frame broad concepts and strategies. These will be immediately paired with more focused topic-based content in the special break-out sessions to further the deliberation. Based on your feedback, we have extended time for discussion, with audience participation and panels of experts. We will continue to maintain the foundation of ICRS World Congress meetings with abstract presentations organized within highlighted topics, morning workshops on basic and advanced skills in clinic and research, poster sessions and industry exhibition, and lunch spotlights. The Opening Ceremony hosted by the ICRS Executive Board, the ICRS Awards Ceremony, ICRS Welcome Cocktail, and NexGen Social will provide the best opportunities to meet with peers of the ICRS family to continue growing together and strengthening our mission.

Our OARSI colleagues will share a special session on understanding joint preservation with proteomics, genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, and microbiomics. We will explore the current controversies and whether we can find any consensus with orthobiologics. We look forward to sessions devoted to big data and advancing the tools needed for the next discovery. In addition, we will move beyond articular cartilage to whole joint preservation strategies highlighting muscle, subchondral bone, meniscus, and synovium.

Our industry partners will help lead discussions on navigating the journey from idea to clinical treatment, including a regulatory perspective. Topics will include gene modulation and genome sequencing, as well as pharmacologic intervention for cartilage repair and joint homeostasis with cellular senescence.

Dear friends and colleagues, please join us in Sitges, a beautiful city known for its incredible beaches, nightlife, and historical sites. We look forward to meeting you there!

Wael Kafienah and Aaron Krych, Co-chairs of the 2023 Scientific Programme Committee