Dear Members of EPOS,
I would like to express my sincere gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the EPOS Paediatric Sports Observership at the University Children’s Hospital Basel (UKBB), Switzerland, between 19–30 January 2026, under the mentorship of Dr Gyözö Lehoczky and Prof. Dr Elke Viehweger.
I first came across the EPOS Observership Programme on the EPOS website. Later, during a movement analysis course organised in Istanbul by Prof. Dr. Muharrem İnan, I mentioned my interest to Prof. Elke Viehweger, who kindly helped establish the connection with the Basel team. The administrative process at UKBB was remarkably efficient and well organised, which made the preparation phase very smooth.
Every Monday I participated in the departmental academic meeting chaired by Prof Dr. Carol Hasler. I also attended a dedicated movement analysis reporting conference, which was particularly valuable for understanding how gait and motion data are incorporated into treatment decisions.
During the observership I was involved in 15 paediatric sports surgery cases, carefully selected and prepared by Dr Lehoczky. For each case we held pre-operative discussions and case-based teaching sessions, which greatly improved my understanding of surgical indications and planning. During the observership, I observed in a variety of paediatric sports surgical procedures, including:
- Anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions
- Cartilage injury procedures
- Patellofemoral instability surgeries
- Meniscal repairs
- Multi-ligament injury reconstructions
- Deformity correction procedures associated with sports injuries
Beyond the clinical programme, the team created a very warm and welcoming environment. Dr Lehoczky and his kind wife graciously hosted us for a wonderful dinner, which made the experience even more memorable. We also discussed plans for future scientific meetings and collaborations.
I am especially thankful to Dr. Gyözö Lehoczky for preparing such a well-structured and highly educational clinical and case-based program. Under the mentorship of Prof. Dr. Elke Viehweger, Dr. Lehoczky was an excellent host, and the observership was both professionally inspiring and academically valuable. I would also like to extend my thanks to the entire UKBB team for their support and hospitality, as well as to EPOS for creating and facilitating this valuable program. In addition, I am very grateful to Prof. Dr. Muharrem İnan for kindly enabling the communication and supporting my participation in this observership.
This observership significantly contributed to my professional development by improving my surgical perspective on paediatric sports injuries, strengthening my knowledge of movement analysis–guided decision making, and expanding my international academic network. I strongly encourage young paediatric orthopaedic surgeons to take advantage of the EPOS observership opportunities.
With my kindest regards,
Asst. Prof. Dr. Süleyman Kozlu, MD, MSc
Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology
Kutahya Health Sciences University, Kutahya City Hospital
If you are interested in participating in a medical observership in paediatric orthopaedics, you can find a list of institutions offering observerships on our observership page.