STRENGTHENING the global effort to CURE neuromuscular disease

Oksana Haiko, MD, PhD, has been awarded the 2023 Best Abstract Runner Up Award for her abstract, “The Role of Ultrasound in Diagnosis of Nerve Injury After Gunshot Wounds and Blast Injuries.” Her co-authors include Liudmila Klymchuk, MD, and Roman Luchko, MD, PhD.

As head of diagnostics at the Institute of Traumatology and Orthopedics of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Dr. Haiko led the team in investigating the US features of different types of nerve injuries resulting from gunshot wounds and blast injuries to enhance diagnostic capabilities and establish evidence-based treatment strategies.

The motivation behind Dr. Haiko’s research stems from the prevalence of nerve injuries to the limbs caused by gunshot wounds and blast injuries, and the challenges associated with assessing the severity of nerve damage using conventional clinical and EMG techniques. Shedding light on the significance of US in this context, Dr. Haiko explained, “In the early stages after injury, ultrasound helps determine the site, severity, and extent of nerve damage, and the condition of the surrounding tissues.”

Her research concluded that US can be leveraged as an objective and highly informative diagnostic tool for nerve injury after gunshot and blast injuries, allows early identification of injury severity, and helps guide surgical decision-making.

Looking ahead, Dr. Haiko plans to delve deeper into the study of US changes in nerves and muscles, and comparison with EMG data to further refine diagnostic approaches and advance treatment strategies for patients with nerve injuries.

Thrilled by the unexpected recognition received from AANEM, Dr. Haiko expressed her happiness and pride in receiving the Best Abstract Runner Up Award. “This was unexpected for all authors. We feel happy and very proud to receive the Best Abstract Runner Up from AANEM, one of the biggest and most famous associations dedicated to NM and EDX medicine,” she said. “This award encourages us to work harder and generate new ideas and projects. We would like to thank the AANEM Abstract Committee which deemed our abstract worthy of the award.”

Dr. Haiko is eager to attend and present her work at the upcoming AANEM meeting, anticipating a valuable opportunity to expand knowledge, develop skills, and bring innovative ideas back to Ukraine.