Newswise — The Department of Orthopaedics at Stony Brook University Medical Center and the Office of Continuing Medical Education will run a CME program for hand surgeons, hand therapists, rheumatologists, researchers and others interested in understanding the latest treatment and research on Dupuytren’s disease, a debilitating hand disorder caused by progressive accumulation of collagen that deforms fingers and limits motion and affects millions worldwide. SBUMC Orthopaedists and 19 other hand surgery specialists from around the world will lecture at the Dupuytren’s Disease Symposium on April 17.

The day-long program features more than 25 presentations by international leaders in the fields of hand surgery, therapy and orthopedic research. Presentations include: Pathoanatomy of Dupuytren’s Disease, Open/Segmental/Dermato- Fasciectomy, Needle Fasciotomy, Managing Recurrent Dupuytren’s Disease, Collagenase Clinical Development, Collagenase Storage/Reconstruction, and Injection and Manipulation Techniques.

Upon completion of the program, participants will have a solid understanding of the history and basic science of the disease and how to diagnose it and manage it both operatively and nonoperatively. They will also be well informed on hand therapy, postoperative management, surgical and non-surgical complications, strategies for performing and identifying collagenase injection therapy, and future directions of research.

In February 2010, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new drug to treat Dupuytren’s disease that was discovered and developed by Marie A. Badalamente, Ph.D., and Lawrence C. Hurst, M.D., in the Department of Orthopaedics at SBUMC. The new treatment, an injectable form of the enzyme, collagenase, that significantly improves outcomes in many patients with the disease, is the first FDA-approved non-surgical treatment for Dupuytren’s disease. Drs Badalamente and Hurst will discuss the new treatment approach at the meeting.

The CME program will take place at SBUMC’s Health Sciences Center, Level 2, Lecture Hall 1. Sessions will run from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM. For more information, call the SBUMC Office of Continuing Education at 631-444-2094, or e-mail [email protected].

For the full program brochure, or to register online, see http://www.stonybrookmedicalcenter.org/cme/courses.

The Department of Orthopaedics at Stony Brook University Medical Center is opening a “Dupuytren’s Institute” to further support patient care, research, and educational aspects of this debilitating disease that so often interferes with the quality of life, particularly in later years.

The Department of Orthopaedics at Stony Brook University Medical Center provides full-service patient care and sub-specialty resident and fellowship training in all areas of orthopaedics and hand surgery. The department includes a comprehensive Orthopaedic Research Program featuring clinical and laboratory facilities and resources for investigation of molecular, biologic, and biomechanical research topics.

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