As nearly 3,000 podiatrists and other medical professionals convened in Philadelphia for the American Podiatric Medical Association annual scientific meeting in August, Temple University’s School of Podiatric Medicine geared up for its integral role in the conference.

With the conference in Temple’s backyard, students, faculty and staff at the school worked with the APMA to host pre-conference workshops on surgery and wound care on Aug. 15. James McGuire, DPM, PT, chair of the department of podiatric medicine and orthopedics and director of the Leonard Abrams Center for Advanced Wound Healing, spoke about the benefits of using a collagen tissue graft to help heal chronic wounds during a lecture on innovations in wound care, and Jason R. Miller, DPM, associate professor of podiatric surgery, lectured and performed workshops on surgical management of flexible flatfoot deformities.

In addition, attendees participated in a series of hands-on labs to practice wound care and surgical procedures. Attendees performed arthrodesis, a fusion of the joints, on cadavers in the school’s new clinical skills lab, which features state-of-the-art video equipment. Participants get a clear view of the instructor’s progress through a procedure via a closed-circuit television, and can follow along at their own workstations. In January, students will begin using the lab for weekly clinical practice sessions.

Following the pre-conference workshops, Temple doctors attended the annual meeting, held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The conference offered lectures, symposia and dinner programs focused on continuing medical education, and featured a hall with exhibits by vendors and institutions focused on podiatric health, a silent auction to benefit students, networking events, and oral and poster abstract presentations by leaders in podiatric medicine.

In his own poster presentation, Kendrick Whitney, DPM, assistant professor of podiatric medicine and orthopedics at Temple, shared his findings on the effects of custom-molded orthotics on the flexibility of the big toe joint in patients who previously had suffered from stiffness and pain there. Also at the conference, the APMA recognized the hard work of Temple staff, faculty and students by presenting a plaque to John Mattiacci, dean of School of Podiatric Medicine.