The AAOS, the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), and the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons (ABJS) are hosting the first ever research symposium to focus exclusively on disparities in musculoskeletal health care. The AAOS/ORS/ABJS Musculoskeletal Healthcare Disparities Research Symposium (MHD) will take place May 6–7, 2010, in Alexandria, Virginia.

Cochaired by Mary O’Connor, MD; Charles Nelson, MD; and Carlos Lavernia, MD, the MHD symposium will include a forum of experts from multiple disciplines. The symposium will focus on defining and outlining gender and ethnic musculoskeletal health care disparities in joint replacement, pain management, osteoporosis and fragility fractures, and diabetic foot management and amputation, based on current knowledge.

Clinicians and researchers from various backgrounds and disciplines will collaborate to identify potential solutions to the identified disparities and define relevant performance measures. The results of the symposium will be published in a supplement of the ABJS journal, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research.

The MHD symposium is the latest in a series of workshops held in collaboration with government agencies, industry, and specialty societies. It is designed to define the knowledge base in a chosen topic area based on scientific evidence, to identify gaps in the knowledge base, and to outline future research opportunities. A link to additional information can be found in the online version of this article, available at www.aaosnow.org