Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBA, FAAOS
Published 12/31/2023
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Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBA, FAAOS
If you are looking for cutting-edge innovation and groundbreaking research, you will not find a better venue than the AAOS 2024 Annual Meeting. I hope you will join me in San Francisco, Feb. 12 to 16, for what will undoubtedly be the must-attend orthopaedic event of the year.
I have been attending AAOS’ Annual Meetings since 1998, and I have never been more excited. The Annual Meeting Oversight Committee, led by Chair Matthew T. Provencher, MD, MBA, CAPT MC USNR, FAAOS, with help from Central Program Committee Chair Rafael J. Sierra, MD, FAAOS, and Central Instructional Courses Committee Chair Carolyn Hettrich, MD, MPH, FAAOS, have assembled an awe-inspiring program.
They have given us many reasons to be excited. So many, in fact, I was recently asked what I am most looking forward to at the Annual Meeting, and I struggled to single out a few. The following highlights are just a few on my list.
OrthoDome is back
After a highly successful debut at the 2022 Annual Meeting, OrthoDome® is already one of the Annual Meeting’s most exciting offerings. Its expanded 3-day program features a unique surgical education format. Presenters will provide live narration as they show their 4K-resolution surgical videos, meaning you can learn directly from the experts performing the cases as you watch them unfold on screen.
OrthoDome is powered by AAOS’ Orthopaedic Video Theater (OVT) and chaired by Lisa K. Cannada, MD, FAAOS, FACS, and Ronald A. Navarro, MD, FAAOS. Sessions will take place Feb. 13 to 15, with video presentations focused on spine, foot and ankle, shoulder and elbow, hand and wrist, total joints, sports medicine, trauma, arthroplasty, and pediatrics.
OrthoPitch: May the best concept win
If you thought OrthoDome was an interesting new addition to the Annual Meeting, you are going to thoroughly enjoy OrthoPitch. The brand-new event presented by AAOS and foundational sponsor MCRA is a technology competition for early- and mid-stage companies with novel, innovative, and potentially disruptive product concepts or solutions for improving existing standards of orthopaedic care. Watch live as representatives from four selected finalists (out of more than 40 applicants) make their best pitches to a panel of industry experts and AAOS members, as well as the audience.
Join your colleagues at what is sure to be a highly entertaining and unpredictable contest, as you see which concept pitchers get “devoured” by the judges and which one earns bragging rights, along with other prizes. OrthoPitch takes place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 13. All Annual Meeting attendees are welcome to attend this event (no ticket required for entry).
VIPER sessions are a new spin on a meeting staple
VIPER, an exciting and innovative education format developed for the AAOS 2024 Annual Meeting by the Central Program Committee, stands for Video, Paper, Education, and Research. This new format was designed to revolutionize traditional paper sessions.
These unique VIPER sessions start off with a 4-minute block of paper presentations, injecting a dynamic start to the traditional format. These podium-paper spots are followed by a video presentation led by the moderator, providing a multimedia dimension to the educational experience.
The ensuing discussion integrates the papers and the video, fostering a more comprehensive understanding of the topics presented. This pattern repeats throughout the session, offering multiple blocks of papers, videos, and discussions.
As you peruse the paper sessions on the AAOS Annual Meeting Mobile App, look for the acronym VIPER preceding the title of paper sessions. This designation signifies participation in this groundbreaking educational format.
Symposium will cover AI’s potential impact in healthcare
I am particularly excited about our President’s Symposium, which is Symposium X, titled “Generative Artificial Intelligence: A Technology Set to Transform Musculoskeletal Care?”
Prakash Jayakumar, MD, PhD, assistant professor of surgery and director of value-based healthcare and outcome measurement at the Dell Medical School, University of Texas at Austin, and I will serve as moderators. The panel includes Joseph H. Schwab, MD, FAAOS, director of spine oncology and director of the Center for Surgical Innovation and Engineering at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles; Joyce Shen, MBA, lecturer in data science and artificial intelligence (AI) at the University of California, Berkeley School of Information and investor in multiple next-generation technologies and AI startups; Jacobien Oosterhoff, MD, PhD, assistant professor in AI for healthcare systems at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands; and Justin Krogue, MD, assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco and clinical scientist in health AI at Google.
The session, which will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 14, in South, Room 210, will cover the current landscape of generative AI tools, including today’s and tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities. The experts on stage will discuss how the implementation of this technology will drive a new era of health and healthcare for our patients and populations. This symposium is sure to be just as informative as it is thought-provoking, and it is a must for anyone who is trying to separate hype from reality when it comes to the potential impact of AI on our specialty.
AAOS’ future leaders are ready
One of the most exciting aspects of the AAOS 2024 Annual Meeting will be the introduction of our incoming president, Paul Tornetta III, MD, PhD, FAAOS, during the Your Academy event, taking place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Dr. Tornetta has served in a variety of leadership roles for AAOS over the past two decades, including member-at-large on the AAOS Board of Directors, chair of the Annual Meeting Oversight Committee, and chair of the Education Council, among others. He is the right leader at the right time as we launch our next 5-year Strategic Plan, which will set AAOS and its members on a course for continued success in an ever-evolving healthcare landscape.
Dr. Tornetta will be surrounded by a talented, committed Board of Directors, including newcomers Wilford K. Gibson, MD, FAAOS (second vice president); Mininder S. Kocher, MD, MPH, FAAOS (treasurer-elect); John T. Gill, MD, FAAOS (member-at-large); and Sean Tabaie, MD, MS, MBA, FAAOS (member-at-large under 45). We also express our gratitude to outgoing Board members Felix H. Savoie, MD, FAAOS; Chad A. Krueger, MD, FAAOS; Toni M. McLaurin, MD, FAAOS; and Alfonso Mejia, MD, MPH, FAAOS.
It has been an honor
In my final column for AAOS Now as AAOS president, let me reiterate what an honor it has been to serve in this role over the past 11 months. It has been an incredible year, one that has challenged me as a leader, while also allowing me to step back and reflect on my personal and professional goals and priorities.
And most importantly, I have had the opportunity to meet colleagues around the country and the world who are doing amazing things every day. I could not be prouder of the important role AAOS plays in advancing our profession, and I look forward to many more productive years ahead as we strive to become the leaders in advancing musculoskeletal health.
Looking forward to seeing you in San Francisco in February!
Kevin J. Bozic, MD, MBA, FAAOS, is the 2023–2024 AAOS president. He is the inaugural chair of the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin.
Attend the President’s Symposium during AAOS 2024
Symposium X, “Generative Artificial Intelligence: A Technology Set to Transform Musculoskeletal Care?” will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 14, in South, Room 210.