On 16 April 2026, at the premises of the Municipal Non-Profit Enterprise of Kharkiv Regional Council “Regional Clinical Hospital”, a planned scientific and practical conference “Treatment of periarticular injuries of limb bones, including combat-related injuries” was held in a hybrid format (offline and online), attended by 160 participants. The conference, within the framework of the “Traumatologist’s Day”, was organised by the Kharkiv Regional Branch of the Ukrainian Association of Orthopaedic Traumatologists and the Sytenko Institute of Spine and Joint Pathology National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine.

Before the start of the conference, a ward round was conducted in the new orthopaedic department with 20 beds together with the Head of the Department, DMSc Volodymyr Babalian, Professors Volodymyr Filipenko and Viktor Ryndenko, as well as doctors of the department and representatives of various hospitals of Kharkiv and Kharkiv region.

The conference was opened by the Chairman of the Kharkiv Regional Branch of the Ukrainian Association of Orthopaedic Traumatologists, Prof. Volodymyr Filipenko, who noted that the meeting was dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the All-Ukrainian Public Organisation “Ukrainian Association of Orthopaedic Traumatologists”, emphasising the importance of this event for the country as a whole and for the specialty in particular. The Regional Clinical Hospital had been headed for many years by Prof. M. I. Berezka, who recently passed away; therefore, Volodymyr Filipenko asked to begin the meeting (scientific and practical conference) with a minute of silence in his memory. He also noted that this was the first meeting held at the regional hospital since the beginning of the war and gave the floor to the General Director of the Regional Clinical Hospital, Ruslan Vrahov.

Ruslan Vrahov welcomed all participants, thanked the organisers, expressed gratitude to the defenders of Ukraine, and wished everyone a productive working session. He emphasised that the Regional Clinical Hospital is ready to support the organisation of events related to the treatment of combat injuries, and that the hospital’s specialists are always willing to learn and keep pace with modern developments. Events bringing together military doctors, trauma surgeons, and researchers always yield productive outcomes.

In the first presentation, “Fundamental contribution of the Kharkiv scientific school of orthopaedic traumatologists to the establishment and development of the Ukrainian Association of Orthopaedic Traumatologists”, Prof. V. Filipenko outlined the origins of medical societies from 1860, highlighting the progressive physicians of Kharkiv University, including Professor Wilhelm Hrube and his colleagues, who initiated the creation of the Kharkiv Medical Society. He further described the development of orthopaedics as a distinct branch of surgery (second half of the 19th century). A major milestone occurred in 1907 with the opening of one of the first orthopaedic and trauma institutions in the empire—the Medico-Mechanical Institute (now the Sytenko Institute), which by the 1940s had become a centre of scientific advancement in the treatment of injuries, their consequences, and musculoskeletal disorders. Key contributors included K. F. Wegner, M. I. Sytenko, and others. The official history of the Kharkiv Scientific Society of Orthopaedic Traumatologists began in November 1926 as part of the surgical section, and on 7 February 1927 it became an independent section headed by Prof. Samuil Trehubov, with Mykhailo Sytenko as deputy. The speaker also highlighted the establishment in May 1927 in Kharkiv of the specialised journal “Orthopaedics and Traumatology” and its development to the present day. He noted the creation of the first department of traumatology and orthopaedics in Ukraine, the emergence of regional societies in Kyiv (Prof. I. Frumin), Odesa (Prof. M. Kefer), and Dnipropetrovsk (Prof. O. Kozlovskyi), as well as the first Orthopaedic Congress of Ukraine initiated by M. I. Sytenko (January 1936), where the decision was made to establish the Republican Scientific Society of Orthopaedic Traumatologists, with M. I. Sytenko elected as Chairman. The contributions of M. P. Novachenko, O. O. Korzh, M. O. Korzh, V. A. Filipenko, S. Ye. Bondarenko and others were also acknowledged. The ongoing work of the Kharkiv regional branch and the strong Kharkiv school of orthopaedics and traumatology up to the present day was highlighted. Currently, 14 members of the Kharkiv branch are serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In the presentation “Surgical treatment of the consequences of peroneal nerve injury”, DMSc Volodymyr Babalian addressed the epidemiology and causes of peroneal nerve lesions; diagnostic features from clinical assessment to imaging; details of selecting neurosurgical or orthopaedic correction methods; collaboration with neurosurgeons; indications for neurolysis; end-to-end nerve suturing; and the use of nerve grafts. The speaker noted that neurosurgical methods do not always ensure optimal orthopaedic outcomes and therefore emphasised tendon transfer techniques, used since 1924, which, although technically demanding, have significant advantages. Indications, surgical techniques, postoperative management, results from personal experience, clinical cases, conclusions, and key recommendations were presented.

In the presentation “Use of 3D-printed implant materials in combat-related limb injuries”, PhD Yurii Klapchuk explained that additive manufacturing, also known as rapid prototyping or three-dimensional (3D) printing, was developed in the 1980s, when Charles Hull created the first commercial 3D printer in 1986. During the years of war, there has been a notable increase in the use of adaptive technologies in healthcare institutions of the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Defence, as 3D-printed titanium implants allow an individualised approach, high strength, and the promotion of osteogenesis in the treatment of gunshot defects with extensive zones of secondary necrosis and soft tissue deficiency. In April 2022, at the Regional Clinical Hospital, a team of military hospital and regional hospital doctors performed reconstruction of a diaphyseal defect of the right humerus using an individual 3D-printed PEEK scaffold, which became a stimulus for the use of additive technologies in treating patients with critical gunshot defects of the upper and lower limbs. The authors presented a comparative analysis of PEEK scaffolds and titanium implants by anatomical localisation (long bones and joint surfaces). The typical workflow for designing and applying biomedical 3D-printed implants was described: after patient examination, CT scans of the affected segment and the contralateral limb are obtained; imaging data are analysed in a 3D printing centre; an online conference is held to discuss all aspects of the surgery, including implant design, scaffold or framework selection, fixation methods, use of plates or intramedullary rods, size and number of screws and their positioning, as well as the creation of navigation guides for precise bone resection and optimal implant fitting. Sterilisation and delivery of the implant to the clinic are followed by surgical planning. The main stages of treatment of gunshot soft tissue and bone defects, advantages and disadvantages of 3D-printed implants, and comparisons between titanium scaffolds filled with bone material and porous load-bearing titanium augments were presented. Nine clinical cases and conclusions were provided.

The presentation “Current issues of arthroplasty under the National Health Service of Ukraine” in the context of regulatory changes in 2025–2026 was delivered by orthopaedic surgeon Denys Horbachov from the orthopaedic department of the Regional Clinical Hospital. Recent reforms have significantly changed not only funding but also the approach to implant selection and clinical decision-making. Key changes occurred within the framework of the Medical Guarantees Programme and procurement regulations since 2018. Following updates in 2024, an electronic queue system for joint replacement patients was introduced, ensuring transparency, queue control, and accurate implant accounting. In 2025–2026, additional funding sources were introduced, including local budgets and humanitarian and charitable assistance, complementing existing sources (NHSU funding and institutional resources). This allows hospitals to create more flexible implant portfolios and enables personalised prosthesis selection. The speaker presented detailed data on procurement and distribution of implants over the past year, highlighting the gap between demand and supply. The conclusions explained why the reform has improved the system while still presenting certain challenges.

In the presentation “Modern algorithms for the treatment of proximal tibial fractures”, Oleksandr Tsarov presented the results of treatment of 37 patients in the orthopaedic and trauma department of the Regional Clinical Traumatology Hospital over the past three years. Diagnostic methods, two classification systems, principles of surgical treatment, surgical approaches to the tibial plateau, clinical cases, and conclusions were described.

PhD Roman Pazdnikov and co-authors shared their initial experience in treating anteromedial knee instability using a combination of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and extra-articular tenodesis according to Lemaire. During the war, there has been an increase in patients, particularly military personnel, presenting with knee instability after previous ACL reconstruction. The author presented the surgical technique (“modified Lemaire tenodesis”) and treatment outcomes in 17 male patients aged 25–54, including 14 military personnel. The authors aim to determine how primary ACL reconstruction can be optimised to reduce recurrence rates.

In the presentation “Surgical treatment of Lisfranc joint injuries”, PhD Ruslan Buznytskyi highlighted the increased incidence of Lisfranc injuries during wartime, particularly in patients with severe trauma (including military personnel), as well as improved diagnostic capabilities for the complex anatomy of the midfoot. Literature data, anatomical features, treatment strategies for stable and unstable injuries, the Myerson classification (1986), radiographic features, the importance of CT, and analysis of 12 treated male patients over the past three years were presented. Clinical cases were also demonstrated.

Following the official part of the conference, discussions continued in a second hall in a more informal setting.