Local Daily News 6th March
The Torrevieja hospital, a benchmark in Alicante in fresh bone and cartilage allograft
The knee unit of the University Hospital of Torrevieja has performed two new transplants with fresh osteochondral allograft (bone and cartilage) and, in this way, is positioned as the center in the province of Alicante that has performed the largest number of knee transplants. this type, making a total of 5 interventions. It is an innovative biological alternative to avoid the placement of a knee prosthesis.
This joint reconstruction technique is indicated in young patients with severe and extensive cartilage lesions such as adolescents with high-grade or large osteochondral lesions or young patients (under 45 years of age) with osteoarthritis for whom a prosthesis is not indicated.
“The problem with cartilage is that once it is injured, it does not regenerate and cannot be repaired. This technique is highly complex and entails certain limitations and difficulties, but in many cases it is the only option for this type of patient in whom other techniques have failed or the prosthesis is not an option”, according to Dr. Hugo Marquina, specialist in orthopedic surgery and traumatology of the knee unit of the University Hospital of Torrevieja.
Osteoarticular grafts are usually stored cryopreserved at -80ºC, but in these cases they are preserved at 4ºC and transplanted less than 3 weeks after extraction to maintain tissue viability and allow proper osseointegration.
The Torrevieja center, managed directly by the public by the Ministry of Health, is part of the network of training centers of the Spanish Knee Society (SEROD). The center offers the possibility of receiving specialists and residents from all over Spain to observe and learn the different techniques that are performed.
“La Lonja” hosts the I International Short Stories Contest “Don Ramón de Campoamor”
This Saturday, March 4, at 7:00 p.m., in the Municipal Auditorium of the Lonja de Orihuela, the prizes of the First International Short Stories Contest “Don Ramón de Campoamor” will be awarded. The contest is organized by the Costa Orihuela Cultural Association (ACOC), chaired by Antonio Cifo, and the Santos Ochoa Bookstore.
In this first edition, more than one hundred works have been presented, specifically 109 short stories, which represents a success of participation. The three existing prizes consist of a batch of four books for the first winning story, a batch of three books for the second, and a batch of two books for the third. A commemorative plaque for each of them and a prize of €150 for the first prize. Given the quality of the texts presented, the jury unanimously decided to award a second prize.
In addition to the awards ceremony, the act will consist of a recital of poems by Don Ramón de Campoamor and Miguel Hernández and the show “Femenino Singular”, with Antonio Cifo (voice) and Azucena Carrillo on the harp and a musical performance offered by students from the Orihuela Conservatory. The prizes will be delivered by relevant personalities from Orihuela’s politics and culture. This first short story contest was born with the firm intention of perpetuating itself in the future and consolidating itself as one of the most prestigious existing in the Spanish language.
The Jury has been made up of the poet Ada Soriano; Juan José Sánchez Balaguer, co-director of the “Alejandro Roemmers” Ibero-American Chair of Cultural and Creative Industries of the UMH; Aitor Larrabide, director of the Miguel Hernández Cultural Foundation; in addition to Azucena Carrillo, concert harp player, representing the organizing entity.
The event, which will be presented by Zaira González (Radio Orihuela Cadena SER), is organized by the Department of Culture of the Orihuela City Council and the Costa Orihuela Cultural Association itself, sponsored by the Association of Merchants of the Municipality of Orihuela (ACMO) and the Santos Ochoa Bookstore, and the Cambridge Pub in La Zenia collaborates with it.
The VIII National Artichoke Congress exceeds forecasts
The beginning of the VIII National Congress of the Artichoke, recently distinguished as a Festival of Autonomous Tourist Interest, honored its recognition this Saturday, attracting hundreds of people in the first hours of its celebration.
The mayoress María Gómez was in charge of inaugurating this event that she has described as a gastronomic and festive event that is consolidated in the calendar of the Valencian Community for its authenticity, bringing to the Plaza de la Constitución from the roots of the queen vegetable, of the same garden with demonstrations, even different ways of preparing it and dozens of tapas to savor in the thirteen restaurants and bars that have been located in this square.
María Gómez highlighted and thanked the effort of Almoradí to consolidate this Congress to its associations, clubs, restaurants and bars for placing this town on the national tourist map.
For his part, the mayor of Tourism, José Antonio Latorre, explained each of the more than thirty activities that this weekend fill this square with life, crowded since the beginning of this start of the Congress and with which it is intended “that there is not a single minute of these two days without fun”.
This Congress was visited by the president of the Provincial Council, Carlos Mazón, who was able to see first-hand its development and popularity, where Almoradí is shown as a reference, creating an exceptional tourist product with the artichoke as the protagonist and making it grow year after year.
This event also developed massive activities in other parts of the town, such as the Alcasil Spinning Experience with more than 200 participants who have been able to enjoy a very intense morning with Javi Boss in the Plaza Ciudad de Servicios.
For the first time this Congress has had an Artisan Market close to Artichoke, with workshops and children’s entertainment, again with the concentration of motorhomes, the visit of BlogTrip organized by Carlos Corredor of the Alicante Gastronomic Guide, live music from the voice of Bea Gil, La Hornet, Luces de Neón and even the Chirigotas de Beniaján.
The central stage became a luxury kitchen with Chefs Jesús Fernández and Luis Martín from ACYRA, Gerard Michel, trainer of the CDT or Koldo Royo, Michelin Star and celebrity on social networks, counting in the afternoon with the Gran Torrá Popular de Artichoke from the Vega Baja.
Tomás Ballester, councilor of the Torrevieja City Council, dies
On the morning of this Saturday, Tomás Ballester Herrera, PP councilor in the government team of the Torrevieja City Council, has died.
The news has left a deep sadness in Torrevieja society as it is a very dear person. “He was a very good person,” the mayor of the city, Eduardo Dolón, has highlighted with dismay through his social networks.
The mayor has decreed official mourning in Torrevieja on March 5 in which the exterior flags of the municipal buildings will fly at half mast.
Tomás Ballester had a degree in Pharmacy from the University of Valencia and a Diploma in Clinical Analysis from the University of Barcelona. He has combined his profession being a councilor in the Torrevieja City Council and being dedicated to helping those who have the worst time and need most.
Torrevieja has always recognized his humanity, his generosity and his solidarity. In 1991 he received the Diego Ramírez Pastor Award individually, an honor that he repeated on two more occasions as the highest representative of entities that he founded and promoted. On the one hand, he is helping many people to overcome the real scourge of drugs through Esperanza y Vida and Proyecto Hombre. On the other hand, giving support to Alzheimer’s patients and their families through AFA.