Dear Colleagues:

On behalf of the Organising Committee, we would like to invite you to the Pearl River International Forum On Bone & Joint Diseases 2018 and the 1st Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) Guangzhou Satellite Meeting, on 15-16, December 2018.

OARSI is the premier international organization for scientists and health care professionals focused on the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis through the promotion and presentation of research, education and the worldwide dissemination of new knowledge. China, with leading population in the world, has the largest number of osteoarthritis patients worldwide. The incidence of osteoarthritis in China accounts for about 10% of the total population, reaching at an estimated number of 100 million. Thus, we sincerely invite you to participate in the first OARSI Satellite Meeting in China, helping promote knowledge in OA research and care.

This conference will be held in Guangzhou (Canton), China, focusing on advances in clinical and basic research of bone and joint related diseases. It will have four sessions including “Clinical epidemiological research in bone and joint diseases”, “Mechanisms underlying bone and joint diseases”, “Early detection and diagnosis of bone and joint diseases”, and “Therapeutic potentials for bone and joint diseases”.

Guangzhou, the forerunner of China's reform and opening up, is blessed with a profound history dating back two thousand years, and boasts the unique and splendid culture of Southern China. Hence, Guangzhou will not only make a perfect venue for the meeting, but will also offer a chance for participants to explore Chinese culture, traditions, as well as China's unique development.

We promise Guangzhou will leave you with unforgettable memories. You will be delighted by discovering the charms of this ancient and modern city. We eagerly look forward to meeting you in Guangzhou in 2018!

Changhai Ding, Professor and Director of Clinical Research Centre, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University

Ali Mobasheri, President-elect of OARSI, Professor of University of Surrey, UK 

Xiaofeng Zeng, President of Chinese Rheumatology Association, Director of Rheumatology, Beijing Union Medical College Hospital

Congress Presidents