Inauguration of 8th edition of Muscletech Network Workshop, the world's most important meeting on muscle and tendon injuries

Monday brought the opening of the eighth edition of the MuscleTech Network Workshop, which is being held over two days on the club premises. The event, which brings together a large number of internationally renowned researchers is being organised by FC Barcelona and its foundation in association with the Leitat Foundation and Aspetar. It forms part of the FCB Universitas project to make FC Barcelona a world leader in research, generation and transfer of knowledge and information in relation to sport.

The meeting was opened by Dr Jordi Monés, the director and commissioner of FCB Universitas and Dr Scott Gillogly, the chief medical officer of Aspetar.

Over its many years, the MuscleTech Network Workshop has become a world leading forum for researchers, doctors, physiotherapists and fitness coaches to share and discuss the latest trends and innovations in the field of muscle and tendon injuries. In this year’s edition, the objective is to look deeper into quadriceps injuries, with a focus ranging from theoretical study to clinical practice.

The Muscle and Tendon, ‘Inspiring Clinical Excellence’ forum is being attended by such world-renowned researchers as doctors Richard Lieber (United States), George Koulouris (Australia) and Per Aagaard (Denmark) among others, as well as the active participation of various members of FC Barcelona and Aspetar’s medical teams, and Leitat researchers. In total, more than 300 professionals from around the world will be present at this event.

Spreading knowledge

The MuscleTech Network focuses on research and communication between scientists and international professionals who are working in hospitals, universities and research centres with the goal of making new treatments a reality for patients.

In the last eight years, it has promoted numerous international research projects and has promoted and conducted research and dissemination of new results-oriented approaches for the treatment of injuries, improvements in sports medicine, promotion of the healthy practice of sports and the solution of other social problems related to muscle and tendon injuries.

Statement by doctor Jordi Monés, director and commissioner of FCB Universitas:

“We have always been in the position to win and be the first. This means that we must always be at the forefront of knowledge. We must acquire knowledge from the best and we have to generate knowledge through our athletes. We must disseminate that knowledge and we must exploit it using things that come from the market and that can benefit the people. Those are the core ideas behind FCB Universitas and are what we are here to do today: acquire knowledge and disseminate it to the people. We are very happy to be doing so for the eighth year in a row at such a well-consolidated event.”

Statement by Joan Parra, director general of Leitat:

“Technology is increasingly more important, not just for our standard of living but also for the performance of own bodies. That means applications to elite sport, amateur sport and even to rehab and hospital matters. The applications are extremely broad ranging.”

Statement by Mohamed Ghaith Al Kuwari, director general of Aspetar:

“As a hospital specialising in sports medicine and orthopaedics, Aspetar is the best such centre in the Middle East, and is aiming to become the world leaders in sports medicine and sports science by 2020. And we are working in that direction every day through excellence in sports medicine, physiotherapy, sports science, orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation services,”

* For further details and the full programme:
www.muscletechnetwork.org
E-mail: info@muscletechnetwork.org
Meritxell de la Varga: 689 054 020 (telephone)