Welcome Message from APAS Organising Chairman
I would like to welcome all surgeons with an interest in Knee and Hip arthroplasty to the tenth Annual Scientific Meeting of the Asia Pacific Asia Pacific Arthroplasty Association. Since returning to my home country in 1991 after an extensive period of training abroad I have had great opportunities to meet and discuss problems relating to hip and knee arthroplasty with experts in the field both from within the borders of Asia and beyond, largely at meetings such as APAS. Together with my own clinical experience in University Malaya, I have now come to the conclusion that the technical and social problems relating to arthroplasty in the Asia-Pacific area are much more varied and complex than those in Western nations. It is indeed a great boon to us to have a venue such as APAS to discuss the diversity of challenges we face and to develop ways in which to improve our service to our communities.
The Asia Pacific Arthroplasty Association has indeed come a long way in the last ten years. With the able guidance of our Founding Chairman, Dr. Wui K Chung the society has grown in leaps and bounds and today stands as the foremost arthroplasty association in Asia. Dr. Chung's extensive travel schedule has enabled the society to blend the best of the East and the West. I am greatly pleased that my friend, Professor Ian Learmonth will be the Guest of Honour as he has been a regular visitor to our shores and I have learned much from him.
I greatly hope that the offerings at the tenth Annual Meeting in Sabah, the Land below the Wind, will tempt you to explore this vast and interesting landscape, both academically and socially. Many of us who live in Asia are not unfamiliar with the Malaysian state of Sabah and its capital Kota Kinabalu. This lush and largely unspoilt tropical paradise offers a treasure trove of experiences which I hope will appeal to all the participants. I would greatly encourage you to take some time to explore the lofty peaks of Kinabalu mountain, the wonders of our rainforests and the sublime beauty of our shores and underwater vistas.
Prof. David Choon
APAS Organising Chairman