Dear Colleagues and Friends,
For the third time Savona will host the 48th Congress of our Society.
This event, to my great satisfaction  and a certain anxiety, represents another milestone in the 50 year history  of our School and, most importantly, gives me the opportunity to share it with Renzo Mantero, dean and past president of SICM, founder of the Hand Surgery Center in Savona ,  master of many of us.
The main topic of the Congress will be “Elbow, Joint and Hand Articular Surgery”, that is reparative surgery of post-traumatic and degenerative lesions.
I consider this topic a very important  branch of our speciality after a decade full of innovations in the development of both new prothesis and alternative techniques.
The Congress is structured with Round Tables on different anatomical sites. Each Round table will analyze the anatomo-functional traits of the zone, focusing on reparative possibilities together with rehabilitative techniques, which are fundamental for our surgery.
Hence the opportunity to organize the Congress jointly with GISRAM (the Italian society of hand therapist).
A SIMI session, dealing with nursing aspects, is also scheduled.
Moreover lectures, instructionals courses and face to face meetings will take place during the Congress with the intervention of some mayor international specialists in hand articular surgery. A joint meeting with the British Society for Surgery of the Hand is organized the day consacrated to Long finger joints.
My main aim is to offer, in particular to the younger hand surgeons,  the widest view of state of the art techniques in hand articular surgery: its guidelines, algorithm, results and last but not least  the treatment of failures.
The Municipality and Province of Savona have worked to host you grandly in a superb venue to make your stay in Liguria unforgettable.
Looking forward to seeing you in Savona late September 2010!
My warmest regards

Mario Igor Rossello

ABOUT SAVONA
Since Roman times, Savona has always been an important military and commercial crossroads, thanks to its port and its strategic position. Reasons which have given it an important role in History.
Today it is in the centre of a very interesting area for tourism; it offers its own visitors and those from the nearby resorts all types of entertainment : theatrical, musical, cultural ones, centers for leisure and sport and splendid artistic treasures. The museums and the works of art, which can be found in the Churches and Convents within the city, are witness to an artistic past and to the cultural and historic wealth of a city. Which was the birthplace of two Popes (Sixtus IV and Julius II) and which played many roles in the History of Italy. This was brought about the presence of important Savonese citizens such as Christopher Columbus (leaving the town in youthfulness), the Doria family and Della Rovere family as well as other famous people who left their mark on the history of Savona such as Napoleone Bonaparte and Giuseppe Mazzini and Others.
The city can boast about its beautifully decorated buildings which date back to the Middle Ages, while under the arches along the main  street, built in the 19 century one can find the most exclusive shops.
The Priamar, nowadays restored, is the guardian of the historical roots of Savona, and represents the central point for tourists and cultural visits. At its base we can find a new developing tourist port and the city's historical centre, while from the top of its walls we can enjoy a superb view of the  Gulf. Inside the newly restored halls for our meetings.

Enjoy the stay and a good work!