Arab Health Conference to examine vitamin D deficiency in local Arab women

The Orthopaedic Conference set to take place from January 29-30th followed by a two day Rheumatology Conference starting on January 31st, will address recent findings on topics such as Osteoporosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Hip Joint Infections, Adult Spine and Knee, to improve disease management in the region including workshops on Joint Injection and Clubfoot.

One of the topics to be discussed at the Rheumatology conference will be 'Osteoporosis in the Arab world'; recent joint studies by Dr. Hussein F. Saadi from Tawam Hospital and Al Ain University, UAE have found substantial similarities in the incidence and rate of osteoporosis between western women and local Arab women.

One of the many factors under research in Dr. Hussein F. Saadi's studies on high incidence of osteoporosis in local women is based on his finding of very low vitamin D levels in local women, mostly related to inadequate sunlight exposure.

"There are many cultural and biological factors that contribute to this high level of osteoporosis in the Middle East," says Dr. Hussein F. Saadi. "Currently, many studies are examining these factors with the aim of pinpointing the core problem and hopefully aiding medical practitioners in offering quicker and more accurate diagnosis."

Osteoporosis can often lead to fractures of the spine, causing loss of height or hump back deformities. The Orthopedics Conference will tackle many of the new procedures and recent advances in the field, such as Kyphoplasty for osteoporosis. "Kyphoplasty is a procedure where the original height and angle of a fractured vertebra are restored. Restoration is currently carried out by using either hydraulic or mechanical intravertebral expansion", says Dr. Desmond Kwok, Senior Orthopedic Surgeon from the Dubai bone and Joint Centre. "The inclusion of a dedicated Orthopaedic Conference at Arab health 2007 is an important step forward for orthopedists locally and internationally which I'm confident with translate into better standards of care for patients."