Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Over 300 participants from around the world attend the 13th edition of “The Battle”

More than 300 participants from around the world attended the 13th edition of the International Sport Traumatology “The Battle”, the international scientific congress held on 30 and 31 October at Florim Gallery in Fiorano Modenese, under the chairmanship of Professor Giuseppe Porcellini, a member of the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences for Children and Adults and Director of Unimore’s Specialisation School in Orthopaedics and Traumatology.

The 2026 edition, entitled “Joint Overload and Overuse: Biomechanical and Clinical Differences”, brought together Italian and international specialists in orthopaedics, physiotherapy, sports medicine and rehabilitation to explore the biomechanical and clinical differences between joint overload and injuries caused by repetitive strain. These are key issues in improving diagnosis, preventing injuries and developing treatment and rehabilitation programmes tailored to athletes’ needs.

“The participation of more than 300 specialists from around the world confirms the importance of ‘The Battle’ as an opportunity for international scientific exchange and professional development in sports traumatology. Sports medicine requires ongoing dialogue between research and clinical practice: bringing together professional experience, scientific evidence and different therapeutic approaches allows us to gain a deeper understanding of athletes’ needs and improve prevention, treatment and functional recovery strategies,” says Professor Giuseppe Porcellini.

“Our main objective,” Professor Porcellini continues, “is to work towards standardising the data available to us. What I mean is that the data collected throughout Italy, from Bolzano to Palermo, need to be studied more thoroughly and compared. To achieve this as effectively as possible, during these two days at Florim Gallery we presented the first Italian Sports Medicine platform, ‘Sport Medicine Hub’. Developed also with the support of Unimore, the platform takes into account data relating to individual sports.”

Over the two days, the congress explored the latest scientific developments in sports load management, tendinopathies and joint disorders, with dedicated sessions on the shoulder, knee and ankle. The Master’s programme in “Traumatology and Rehabilitation of the Upper Limb in the Athletic Population” was also presented.

One of the congress’s defining features was the comparison of different clinical and therapeutic approaches through its distinctive Battle format. Using structured debates and clinical case discussions, orthopaedic surgeons and physiotherapists shared and compared professional experience, scientific evidence and intervention strategies, exploring different treatment options and approaches to functional recovery.

The scientific programme also included a Cadaver Lab dedicated to the spine, led by Professor Alessandro Gasbarrini, and a round-table discussion on athletic performance in Olympic and Paralympic sports, with a particular focus on fencing and swimming.

Considerable attention was also devoted to technological innovation in sports medicine, with sessions exploring movement analysis techniques and the use of clinical and sporting data. This included the workshop “The Innovative Digital Ecosystem for Sports Medicine”, delivered by Fabio Porcellini, CEO of Sport Medicine Hub, which focused on the applications of digital technologies and artificial intelligence in athlete assessment and return-to-sport programmes.

“Over the years, feedback from university academics and professionals across Italy and Europe has highlighted the need for access to constantly updated data that can be compared to drive continuous improvement and achieve new milestones in both surgery and physiotherapy. To meet this need, we have developed an innovative technological ecosystem that also incorporates artificial intelligence, an area of excellence at Unimore,” commented Fabio Porcellini, CEO of Sport Medicine Hub.

The closing day, Saturday 31 October, featured a keynote lecture, the award ceremony for the competition dedicated to the memory of physiotherapist Fabrizio Borra, and closing remarks by Professor Giuseppe Porcellini.

The 13th edition of “The Battle” once again proved to be an important opportunity to bring scientific research and clinical practice together, encouraging the sharing of knowledge and experience among specialists from different scientific and healthcare backgrounds.

 

Categorie: International - english, Notizie_eng