Libyan Orthopaedic Association

The (LOA ) was formed in 1993. The Libyan Orthopaedic Association (LOA) held its 17th annual meeting on 2-3 June 2010 in Tripoli, Libya, with the attendance of more than 300 participants from Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Tunisia, Morocco, Senegal, Chad, Niger, Benin and Mali. The First Vice President of SICOT, Dr Thami Benzakour, and distinguished lecturers from Germany, Italy, Poland, Austria, and Jordan were guests at the meeting, which saw the birth of the Federation of Orthopaedic Societies of the Sahel-Saharan Community (CEN-SAD) as a regional society. The Bylaws were ratified by the society representatives who attended the meeting. The Organising Committee headed by Prof Seddiq Ben Dalla, who worked hard to make this meeting a success, had prepared a condensed scientific programme that was mainly directed toward continuous medical education for orthopaedic trainees in the form of 23 lectures, 4 workshops, 18 presentations and 12 video presentations. The Orthopaedic Industry added a good flavour to the meeting with an excellent exhibition. The social programme was structured to satisfy the guests, with the main event being the Gala Dinner in the newest luxury hotel in Tripoli. The orthopaedic societies of participating countries were honoured at the event. Six Libyan orthopaedic surgeons were honoured for their pioneering work in the service as well as the teaching of Orthopaedics in the country.