The 2014 Annual Meeting in New Orleans promises to be a vibrant venue with outstanding educational and networking opportunities. Offerings include 29 symposia on exciting and timely topics, 840 scientific presentations, 560 scientific posters, 85 scientific exhibits, and 200 instructional course lectures (ICL) presented by world-renowned faculty. In addition, 550 technical exhibits will be on display Wednesday through Friday in the Exhibit Hall; on Specialty Day, 14 orthopaedic specialty societies will present the latest research in their fields.

“As always, this year’s impressive scientific program is the culmination of many months of hard work by dedicated committee members and Academy staff,” said Brian J. Cole, MD, MBA, chair of the Central Program Committee. “Particularly exciting are the Health Care Reform: How Can We Adapt? symposium (March 14, 8:00 a.m.–10:00 a.m.) and the Game Changers paper session (March 14, 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.), which will feature the most influential and cutting-edge research likely to shape orthopaedic practice in the near term.

Other programs of special note include the following:

• International Paper Session (March 11, 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.)—Moderated by Xavier A. Duralde, MD, and Robert P. Dunbar, MD, this session will feature the best papers from countries outside of the United States.
• Best of AAOS (March 14, 1:30 p.m.–3:30 p.m.)—This symposium will present a synopsis of the best papers and posters from each of the 11 classifications as chosen by the Annual Meeting Program Committee chairs.
• Poster Tours—Now in its third year, guided poster tours are led by experts in the field and provide an opportunity for meeting attendees to ask questions and gain insights while earning CME credit. The schedule of tours will be available in the final program and at the Poster and Scientific Exhibit Help Desk in Academy Hall.
• New! ePosters and eScientific Exhibits—ePosters and eScientific Exhibits provide audio for many of the Annual Meeting posters and scientific exhibits. The audio is a narrative of the exhibit recorded by the presenter and offered on playback by Smartphone and tablets as the attendee views the exhibit. A blog will enable viewers to question the authors, creating an ongoing dialog.

Instructional courses
“ICLs at Annual Meeting are always very popular because they represent what the Academy does best—AAOS members volunteering their time to educate other members,” said Craig J. Della Valle, MD, chair of the Central Instructional Course Committee. “This year we are introducing case-based interactive ICLs designed to bring the participants closer to the faculty. We will have four courses, each focused on a different topic: shoulder, cartilage replacement therapy of the knee, complex primary hip arthroplasty, and trauma.”

During these sessions, cases will be presented by the moderator and discussed individually at roundtables of 10 people, including one faculty member. The moderator will query each table for their opinions and then present the final solution using evidence-based data, including teaching points with references to support the selected treatment. “These are small courses of only 100 participants and are likely to sell out quickly. Fortunately, if they are successful and well-received, they will probably be expanded for next year,” Dr. Della Valle said.

New this year is a course series called Technical Skills. These courses are meant to replace the former Surgical Skills courses and are focused on patient positioning, approach, and step-by-step technical tips in edited videos. The courses will feature four to five cases and each case will be followed by a discussion and pearls.

In addition, courses aimed at orthopaedic surgeons who are preparing for Maintenance of Certification (MOC) and those who practice internationally will also be available.

Mini-review courses (March 11, 8:00 a.m.–11:00 a.m.) on hand and wrist, sports medicine, spine, and trauma are intended to assist those who need a general review or are preparing for MOC. These courses will be followed by an optional MOC primer.

The Orthopaedic Review Course (March 14, 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.) will review current knowledge on diagnosis and management of clinical problems from a nationally accepted orthopaedic practice perspective.

Moderated by Rafael J. Sierra, MD, Lessons Learned from U.S. Hip and Knee Practice (March 11, 10:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m.) is intended for Spanish-speaking international attendees. The goal is to share U.S. practice experience with total hip and knee arthroplasty to improve care in other countries.

Other noteworthy programs include the following

• Team STEPPS Workshop (March 13, 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. or 1:30 p.m.–4:30 p.m.)—TeamSTEPPS is an evidenced-based team building and communication program designed to enhance patient safety and efficiency in health care. This fundamentals workshop will give members of the healthcare team the tools to help lead highly effective medical teams. Early registration is encouraged.
• Community Orthopaedist Workshop (March 11, 1:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.)—After a successful debut in 2013, the Community Orthopaedist workshop returns to focus on the orthopaedic surgeon who handles a variety of conditions, whether in the emergency department or in the office. This session will educate orthopaedists on “best practices” for commonly encountered orthopaedic conditions and include sessions on organizational issues associated with a general orthopaedic practice.

For more information on the AAOS 2014 Annual Meeting, visit www.aaos.org