Welcome

2023 Annual Spring Meeting: Good Bones - The Foundation of Orthopedic Knowledge

I would like to personally invite everyone to the AOAO 2023 Annual Spring Meeting at the Omni Nashville in Nashville, TN. The CME Committee and session Moderators have developed a fantastic educational program focusing on our key pillars: Education, Inclusion, and Resilience.

Education

With the supreme importance of training competent orthopedic surgeons who continue to support patient care and the AOAO mission, it is no surprise that Education remains our most vital pillar. Besides the usual quality didactic lectures and case discussions, the spring meeting will offer a combined full day session, “Hip/Spine Continuum: From hip arthroscopy to reconstruction to spine surgery”. This session is being developed through a collaborative effort between the Adult Reconstruction, Spine, and Sports sections. There will also be several presentations by our 2022 Scientific Paper winners, showcasing their excellent research.

Inclusion

Within our AOAO community, we continue to expand our services at all meetings thanks to significant student, resident, and member organization input. We remain committed to fostering a core membership and expanding our support for faculty development, certification exam review and assisting with education for longitudinal assessment. We also have opened our community to the broad range of medical professionals (PAs and NPs) whose work helps support the AOAO mission. Bring your team with you to Nashville! The AOAO aims to support and represent everyone. Our ever-evolving base of students, residents and members reflects our vision for inclusion and representation in academia and our own leadership and committee structures.

Resilience

In challenging times, the AOAO has demonstrated the ability to reflectively accept that which is before us, to adapt and promote new educational structures, and to seize opportunities that will solidify our organization and its place within an ever-changing culture of medicine.

For the first time since the pandemic started, the 2023 Annual Spring Meeting will be offered only in person. Virtual education has been a necessity and a convenience, but not without its challenges and drawbacks. We look forward to seeing everyone back in person. Those who attend will also be able to view lectures they might have missed when the on demand content becomes available after the meeting for extra CME credit.

As we remember and honor our past, we must also move forward with the goal of reinforcing our pillars and bettering society. Thanks to you all for supporting the AOAO and may this coming Annual Spring Meeting constitute the first step into our always bright future.

Charles Orth, DO, FAOAO
Honorary Program Chair