India's premier academic body for limb reconstruction and deformity correction — built on decades of clinical excellence, mentorship, and the revolutionary Ilizarov methodology.
ASAMI India is the official Indian country chapter of ASAMI International — the global body dedicated to limb lengthening and deformity correction.
We are a premier professional organisation dedicated to advancing the science and practice of limb reconstruction and deformity correction in India. The association serves as the national chapter of the global Ilizarov community, bringing together orthopaedic surgeons, researchers, and healthcare professionals committed to excellence in patient care and innovation.
Our aim is to provide a platform for Indian orthopaedic surgeons to learn the principles and latest advances in limb lengthening and deformity correction — connecting surgeons across 28 states through conferences, workshops, fellowship programmes, and ongoing educational initiatives.
The association draws its inspiration from the pioneering work of Gavriil Abramovich Ilizarov, whose principles of distraction osteogenesis revolutionised the management of complex orthopaedic conditions, including limb length discrepancies, deformities, non-unions, and bone loss.
"With a strong commitment to education, research, and clinical excellence, ASAMI India continues to play a pivotal role in enhancing standards of limb reconstruction surgery across the country. The organisation also actively encourages innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the dissemination of advanced techniques to improve patient outcomes."
Ilizarov is more than a frame — it is a philosophy grounded in biology, patience, discipline, and ethical transparency. From assembling frames at midnight to mentoring the next generation today, the journey has been one of gratitude and responsibility.
From humble academic beginnings to India's premier limb reconstruction association — four decades of growth, mentorship, and clinical excellence.
ASAMI India's mission is delivered through three interconnected areas of activity — academic, educational, and clinical.
Organising national conferences, cadaveric courses, and hands-on workshops related to limb lengthening and deformity correction. This includes the annual ASAMICON, Mid-Term Meets, zone-based CMEs, and structured cadaveric courses at leading medical institutions across India — bringing together orthopaedic surgeons, PG trainees, and faculty for intensive academic engagement.
Publishing the CORA newsletter (Comprehensive Overview & Reportage by ASAMI) quarterly, conducting regular zone-based live webinars, Sunday Breakfast Case Discussions, and theme-based academic sessions. The digital platform — website, YouTube channel, Facebook, and Twitter — extends ASAMI India's academic reach across India and internationally.
Hosting fellowship programmes for young surgeons to learn the principles of limb lengthening and deformity correction by collaborating with experienced surgeons across India and internationally. ASAMI India fellowships are offered at leading centres, with international fellowships at ASAMI centres worldwide including the USA, UK, Italy, and Russia.
To be a leading national and internationally recognised organisation in the field of limb reconstruction and deformity correction, advancing excellence in orthopaedic care through innovation, education, and research based on the principles of the Ilizarov methodology.
Promote the scientific application and advancement of the Ilizarov technique in the management of complex orthopaedic conditions.
Provide a robust platform for continuous medical education, training, and skill development in limb lengthening, deformity correction, and bone reconstruction.
Facilitate academic exchange through conferences, workshops, and collaborative research at national and international levels.
Encourage innovation and evidence-based practices that enhance patient outcomes and safety.
Support young orthopaedic surgeons and trainees through mentorship, fellowships, and academic opportunities.
Uphold the highest standards of ethics, professionalism, and patient-centred care in orthopaedic practice.
The roots of ASAMI India were laid during the 1983–84 academic year, when pioneering orthopaedic surgeons in India first began systematically studying and applying the Ilizarov circular external fixator technique for limb lengthening and deformity correction.
The association was formally established in 1992 under the leadership of its founding President, Dr. K. T. Dholakia, with early training hubs at Bombay Hospital where Dr. H. R. Jhunjhunwala carried a tremendous Ilizarov workload. Those early years — characterised by late-night frame assembly, meticulous construct planning, and hands-on mentorship — formed the bedrock of India's Ilizarov movement.
A pivotal moment came at the IOA Dr. G. S. Kulkarni Fellowship (2002) at Swasthirog Pratisthan, Miraj, where Dr. G. S. Kulkarni's culture of transparency — openly discussing complications alongside successes — shaped an entire generation of surgeons to approach Ilizarov surgery with judgement, accountability, and humility.
Over the following decades, the association grew through the efforts of a dedicated community of stalwarts who standardised training, restored academic rigour, and expanded ASAMI India's presence nationally and internationally.
ASAMI India draws its entire ethos from the revolutionary work of Gavriil Abramovich Ilizarov (1921–1992), a Soviet orthopaedic surgeon who developed the circular external fixator and the biological principle of distraction osteogenesis — transforming management of complex orthopaedic conditions worldwide.
His method demonstrated that bone and surrounding soft tissue can be induced to regenerate through controlled, gradual separation — making it possible to lengthen limbs, correct deformities, treat non-unions, and reconstruct bone loss in conditions once considered untreatable.
The Ilizarov method gained national and international prominence in 1967 when Ilizarov saved the limb and restored function of Valeriy Brumel, the Olympic gold medallist high jumper, who had been facing amputation after a devastating open tibial fracture with infected non-union following over a dozen failed surgeries.
Olympic Gold Medallist (1964) Valeriy Brumel set a world high jump record of 2.28m. At the peak of his career, he sustained a devastating open tibial fracture. After over a dozen failed surgeries with infected non-union and limb shortening, amputation seemed inevitable.
In 1967, Gavriil Ilizarov in Kurgan not only salvaged Brumel's limb but restored function to a remarkable extent. Brumel returned to competitive sport, achieving 2.06m.
"Accepting a case that has been advised amputation elsewhere… Salvaging a functional limb against all odds… Restoring a patient to their pre-injury occupation… This is the true potential of the Ilizarov method."
ASAMI International is the official international body exclusively dedicated to limb lengthening and deformity correction. It unites orthopaedic surgeons from across the globe who are committed to the study and advancement of limb lengthening, deformity correction, and the Ilizarov methodology.
Through world congresses, fellowships, and international publications, ASAMI International sets the global academic standard for the specialty. ASAMI India is proud to be its official Indian country chapter — connecting Indian surgeons to a worldwide academic and clinical network.
Become part of India's premier limb reconstruction community. Access fellowships, webinars, conferences, and a national network of orthopaedic surgeons across 28 states.
