“The OTWorld 2026 is a very special moment for us. The event is turning 50. The anniversary motto ‘50 years – you make the difference’ reminds us that each one of us makes a decisive contribution every day. Together, we bear the responsibility for ensuring that patients worldwide receive the best orthopaedic treatment and care. The World Congress provides the ideal setting for discussing the motto. With symposia, workshops and open publications, it creates space for lively exchanges and new ideas”, Dr. Doris Maier and Thomas Münch, Congress Presidents of the OTWorld 2026, share.

OTWorld is a long-running international meeting point for modern assistive technology, bringing together manufacturers, distributors and service providers working across prosthetics, orthotics and related fields. Held biennially, the 2026 event will take place from May 19 to 22 in Leipzig, Germany, and will feature both a congress and a trade fair.

With simultaneous translation between German and English, the congress format combines symposia, workshops, free paper sessions and e-posters, offering multiple entry points for learning and discussion. Networking is positioned as a core feature, with the event encouraging professional dialogue across clinical and technical disciplines. 

The congress is supported by around fifty professional associations, reflecting the breadth of disciplines involved. Topic coverage spans prosthetics and orthotics, orthopaedic footwear technology, rehabilitation technology, paediatric and neuro-orthopaedics, biomechanics, materials research and production technology, as well as digitalisation and treatment in crisis areas.

Footwear-related themes are expected to feature prominently through orthopaedic footwear technology sessions that connect clinical needs with product and manufacturing developments. The agenda highlights applications where footwear and insoles contribute to mobility and treatment outcomes, including preventive and therapeutic use cases.

Among the footwear-focused workshops highlighted are sessions on advanced insole development using artificial intelligence and 3D printing, as well as anatomy-based approaches linking myofascial chains to insole treatment decisions.

Another stated focus is the diabetic foot, with workshops planned around treatment and care pathways as well as decision-making and support frameworks. In addition, organisers indicate that orthopaedic footwear will be addressed through free papers and poster exhibitions.

For more information, see the OTW Congress programme.