All conflicts of interest must be disclosed when abstracts are submitted

AAOS members, residents, and other orthopaedic professionals are invited to submit abstracts for the AAOS 2010 Annual Meeting, to be held in New Orleans, March 10–13. This is your opportunity to share your knowledge and present your research—via a podium presentation, poster, scientific exhibit, or electronic media program—at the most important educational event in orthopaedics.

Important new requirement
Beginning this year, with the 2010 Annual Meeting, you must disclose any potential conflicts of interest not only for yourself, but also on behalf of all coauthors, up front, when you submit your abstract for consideration. Abstracts will not be accepted or considered unless disclosure information for all authors is provided.

“We have always required disclosure of conflicts of interest by authors,” said Joseph A. Bosco III, MD, program chair for the 2010 meeting. “Tying the disclosure requirement to the abstract submission process ensures that the information is available and reduces hassles later in the process.”

“The Council on Education believes the disclosures of all contributors to a paper, poster, or any other part of our education program are relevant to the material being presented,” said Mark W. Wieting, the Academy’s chief education officer. “Our goal is to manage conflicts and to eliminate commercialism in our programs. This new requirement in the abstract submission process will help us do that.”

Abstracts will be accepted in the following classifications:

• Adult Reconstruction—Hip
• Adult Reconstruction—Knee
• Foot and Ankle
• Hand and Wrist
• Pediatrics
• Practice Management/Rehabilitation
• Shoulder and Elbow
• Spine
• Sports Medicine/Arthroscopy
• Trauma
• Tumor/Metabolic Bone Disease

Deadlines to remember
Abstracts for podium presentations, posters, and scientific exhibits must be received by June 1, 2009; abstracts for electronic media presentations must be received by July 15. All abstracts must be submitted online. The online submission process is user-friendly and available at your convenience. Go to www.aaos.org/abstracts

More than 10,000 orthopaedic surgeons from around the world will attend the AAOS 2010 Annual Meeting in New Orleans. Don’t they deserve to hear about your work and discoveries? Contact your coauthors, get their conflict of interest disclosures, and submit your abstract.

Kathie Niesen, CMP, is education manager in the AAOS department of convention and meeting services. She can be reached at niesen@aaos.org