History

Significant interest was demonstrated for an arthroplasty society to be formed in Canada back in 2005 when a group of approximately 30 surgeons met previously at the COA Annual Meeting in Montreal, but there was insufficient momentum to carry the initiative forward. In January 2011, Drs. Steven MacDonald and Emil Schemitsch took the initiative to organize a formative meeting to discuss the development of the Canadian Orthopaedic Arthroplasty Society (COAS) with a group of 14 surgeons from across Canada and the COA CEO at the time, Doug Thomson. Thus, the COAS was formed on January 21, 2011.  In 2012, the society adopted a new name, the Canadian Arthroplasty Society (CAS), and introduced its new logo at the inaugural meeting held on November 15 & 16 at the Hilton hotel in London, Ontario.

To learn more about the early days of the Canadian Arthroplasty Society, read the Summer 2011 COA Bulletin article written by CAS member and Past-President, Michael J. Dunbar, M.D., FRCSC, PhD (Halifax, NS).