At the SIOT 2025 Congress the Guidelines on the use of social media, the campaign against domestic violence and the certification of Italian surgeons
Fighting misinformation, recognizing domestic violence and certifying the quality of Italian surgeons: these are the three great challenges launched by the Italian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology (SIOT) on the occasion of the presentation of the 108th SIOT National Congress, which will be held in Rome from 6 to 8 November 2025. An event that promises to be crucial for the future of orthopedic medicine, between ethics, technology and training.
Orthopedics enters the digital age with the first SIOT Guidelines for the correct use of social media. In a country where 90.1% of Italians use the Internet and over 85% frequent social networks, medical communication can no longer be left to chance. «SIOT has always been committed to guaranteeing the correctness and truthfulness of communications disseminated by orthopedists to the public», explains Professor Pietro Simone Randelli, President of the Italian Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology and professor at the University of Milan. «It is essential to prevent false or misleading information from putting patient trust and the safety of care at risk. This is why today we present the first official guidelines on the use of social media in the medical field.”
The new SIOT directives establish a clear principle: rigor, responsibility and sobriety. Professional tone, respect for privacy, scientific truthfulness and attention to images. No sensational or imitative content, no communication that could harm the decorum or dignity of others. The use of platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Facebook to talk about health is not recommended, while professional tools such as LinkedIn, institutional sites and printed media are preferred. An ad hoc commission will evaluate any violations, reporting the most serious cases to the medical associations or competent authorities.
But at the SIOT Congress we don’t just talk about digital ethics. The Equal Opportunities Commission is launching a major national campaign to train orthopedists and traumatologists to recognize injuries from domestic violence in Italian emergency rooms. Every year in Italy there are thousands of traumas and fractures that hide episodes of violence, often against women, children or the elderly. «The orthopedist can be the first doctor to intercept a case of violence», explains Dr. Erika Maria Viola, Coordinator of the Commission and Director of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Unit of the Cremona Hospital. «Yet only a small percentage of specialists are able to recognize the typical signs. Training them to do this can literally save lives.”
From December 2025, a poster will be displayed in Italian emergency rooms with the image of a hand showing a red dot on the palm: a silent signal for help. The objective is to raise awareness among healthcare personnel to identify the anomalies behind “accidental” fractures. According to ISTAT, in Italy 20.2% of women have suffered physical violence: threats, pushes, slaps, kicks, punches, up to blows with blunt objects. The most common injuries include nasal, mandibular, eye socket, shoulder and rib fractures. «The early recognition of domestic violence is a medical and human act – underlines Viola –. Every orthopedist can become a point of contact, an opportunity to intercept violence and direct the victim towards paths of protection and assistance.”
The Congress will also be the stage for the new SIOT Academy 2025, which introduces for the first time in Italy a system of practical certification of orthopedic surgeons, “like for airplane pilots”. The program includes distance learning courses, visiting surgeon periods, cadaver workshops and technical evaluations with the aim of ensuring high and uniform standards throughout the country. The certification, which will cover hip, knee and shoulder surgeries, will also include the most advanced robotic and computer-assisted surgery techniques. The awards ceremony for the first SIOT certified surgeons will take place during the Members’ Meeting on 8 November.
Ample space will also be dedicated to research and innovation: from new technologies in spinal surgery with the use of 3D and artificial intelligence, to personalized prosthetic surgery, up to regenerative medicine for osteoarthritis with hyaluronic acid, PRP and stem cells. Without forgetting geriatric traumatology, increasingly crucial in a rapidly aging country.
Ethics, training and innovation: three key words that describe the direction of Italian orthopaedics. With the 108th SIOT Congress, the discipline is preparing to enter a new phase, in which technology meets social responsibility and science dialogues with conscience.
