Orthopaedic news is often controversial, and, unlike the old Bulletin, the new AAOS Now doesn’t intend to shy away from controversy

I’ve twice served as editor of the AAOS Bulletin, which I believe makes me qualified to say that it is time for a change. A recent survey of AAOS fellows also agreed that it is time for a change. Many, including myself, don’t like change, but according to the survey, the Bulletin as the primary member publication of the AAOS has outgrown itself.

From its origins as a “one-page bulletin” to the recent magazine format, the AAOS Bulletin has continued to grow. It has reached the point where it has outgrown both the word and the concept of being just a “bulletin.” So it has a new name—AAOS Now, which implies up-to-date news about all of orthopaedics, not just Academy news. I hope you will find the new departments—Clinical News and Views, Managing Your Practice and many others—exciting.

The format has changed as well. AAOS Now is in a newspaper format because survey respondents believe this format is easier to read and enables them to find what they want quickly. Because some complained about a newspaper format being hard to fold and carry around, we have gone to considerable trouble to ensure that the issue will be bound in such a way that folding will be easier.

We have assembled an experienced, knowledgeable editorial advisory board of Academy fellows to provide direction on content and identify the “hot topics” that you most want to hear about. Our senior staff editor—as well as the managing editor and reporters—have as their sole objective making AAOS Now the premier publication in orthopaedics. We have also hired new reporters and writers to cover the expanding news—including news on specialty societies and industry.

Orthopaedic news must be timely, so AAOS Now will be a monthly—rather than a bimonthly—publication. This immediacy will be reinforced by linking AAOS Now to AAOS Headline News. This three-times-per-week Internet publication devoted to orthopaedic-related stories in the daily headlines is available to all AAOS members, and I urge everyone to subscribe. It enables you to link to the entire article or you can read an expanded synopsis later in AAOS Now.

Orthopaedic news is also often controversial, and, unlike the old Bulletin, the new AAOS Now doesn’t intend to shy away from controversy. We plan to look at new techniques, research studies and developing stories with a critical eye and take a journalistic approach to reporting on them. However, coverage of a technique or mention of a product does not imply endorsement by the AAOS or the AAOS Now editorial advisory board.

This debut issue reports on the first actions taken by the AAOS Board of Directors under the Professional Compliance Program. It also features coverage of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons annual meeting, news about the new Maintenance of Certification program, an interview with Freddie Fu, MD, on the double-bundle technique for ACL reconstruction—and one with Richard Hawkins, MD on why bother?

Finally, we hope you like our first effort and we promise to continue improving your member publication. The mission of the AAOS Now is to deliver orthopaedic news for you and about you. Our goal is to have you respond with a “Wow!” about AAOS Now.