The Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society: A Wonderful Year in Review

Warm greetings to the JLLR family! As 2026 starts off, this is an opportune time to update the readership on the activities from the Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society (LLRS): ASAMI–North America (LLRS). LLRS continues to grow in initiatives and productivity. Here is a brief summary of the year’s highlights! The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Specialty Day held in San Diego, California, in March 2025 focused on the vital contributions of our rehabilitation colleagues to the care of limb reconstruction patients. Esteemed invited speakers included physical and occupational therapists, rehabilitation scientists, prosthetists and orthotists, and surgeon colleagues. We discussed specialized rehabilitation strategies such as advanced bracing options and blood flow restriction therapy, surgical and bracing optimization for limb lengthening for contracture management, special considerations for care of congenital pediatric patients, gait analysis, psychological support from both surgeon and mental health professional perspectives, and amputation reconstruction, including osseointegration. It was a comprehensive educational event that emphasized how robust multiprofessional teams benefit patient care and our success as limb reconstruction surgeons. The 34th LLRS Annual Meeting and precourse were phenomenal events held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in July 2025. The precourse, “Become a Better Human, Become a Better Surgeon,” agenda focused on surgeon well-being and hosted guest speakers who aided us in facing with honesty and courage the identification of burnout, stress management strategies, and coaching and peer support. As a refreshing divergence from a “typical” meeting, the precourse set a new standard for recognizing how holistic well-being makes us better physicians. The scientific meeting that followed, including podium and poster presentations, covered a breadth of adult and pediatric limb reconstruction original research. The Alessandro Codivilla Guest Speaker and two-time Paralympic Medalist, Blake Leeper, presented an inspiring talk entitled “Achieving Excellence.” The Presidential Guest speaker, Dr. Mikhail Samchukov, spoke on the “Ilizarov Method of Surgical Manipulation with Bone Length, Shape, and Structure.” Another exciting meeting highlight was the presentation of the first inductees into the LLRS Hall of Fame, where Dr. Stuart Green, Dr. John Herzenberg, and Dr. Dror Paley were honored for their foundational contributions to our field and to the success of LLRS. Throughout the year, the LLRS members participated in teaching courses such as the Essentials of Lower Extremity Reconstruction and Baltimore Limb Deformity Course, as well as several industry-sponsored courses and events. LLRS members hosted adult and pediatric traveling fellows and sponsored participants at the Orthopaedic Research Society Clinician Scholar Career Development Program. LLRS has also recently launched a research grant opportunity for members, which can be found at https://www.llrs.org/research. In the coming year, please mark your calendars for upcoming LLRS events. The LLRS is partnering with the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society for a combined Specialty Day at the 2026 AAOS Annual Meeting, which will be held on March 6, 2026, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. The AAOS agenda also will include LLRS members presenting Instructional Course Lectures and Symposia. The LLRS 35th Annual Meeting with precourse will be held on July 16–18, 2026, at the Sofitel Montreal Golden Mile Hotel in Québec, Canada. The precourse will be partnering with AO North America. More information on these events and others can be found at the LLRS website (https://www.llrs.org/events). Recognizing that these events reflect the goings-on just within the North American Society, the limb lengthening and reconstruction community across the globe continues to be a wonderful and passionate community of truly amazing colleagues who collaborates, shares research and knowledge, and pioneers procedures and techniques. The team at JLLR thanks you for your work, care of your patients, and support and continued readership. We additionally wish you a blessed New Year and please continue considering JLLR the next time you have a manuscript to submit for publication! Sincerely, Jessica C Rivera, MD, PhD Co-Editor JLLR

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