The International Musculoskeletal Laser Society (IMLAS) was founded in 1993 as a non-profit association of physicians, engineers and industrial technicians wishing to develop:
- Laser
- Radio frequency
- Ultrasound
- Coblation
- Photo-dynamic therapy and ultrasound
- Other electromagnetic techniques for treatment of the musculoskeletal system.
Our focus is on the advancement of:
- Endoscopic surgery
- Navigational aids
- Interactive diagnostics and robotics in the application of minimalist techniques.
IMLAS areas of particular interest include intra-articular meniscectomy, meniscal repair, resurfacing, osteophytectomy, ligamentoplasty, revision arthroplasty, tumour ablation and photo dynamic therapy, keyhole vertebroplasty, spinal and neurosurgery, technical development of interactive diagnostics, navigational aided and robotic minimalist surgery, and basic sciences concentrating on the examination of tissue wavelength interaction.
The primary goal of IMLAS is the worldwide development of the minimalist treatment of the musculoskeletal system through continuous research, education programmes, congress activities, publication of newsletters, collaborations with internationally recognised journals, and via updates on the IMLAS website.
IMLAS holds an Annual Congress, runs an international training programme, and is a long standing affiliate of SICOT. The IMLAS affiliated publication is The Journal of Clinical Laser Medicine and Surgery.
IMLAS members have produced a textbook, 'Lasers in Musculoskeletal Surgery', published by Springer Verlag, which seeks to offer assistance with database provision for randomised studies accepted by the IMLAS Scientific Committee. Members are welcomed to this Society to challenge existing treatment protocols and to develop new minimalist treatment modalities for the benefit of patients with musculoskeletal problems.
