This year, the AAOS Annual Meeting returns to San Diego and its regular March timeframe. San Diego is a favorite location for many, and the meeting promises to provide educational experiences for all attendees.

The Annual Meeting Oversight Committee, under the leadership of Matthew T. Provencher, MD, MBA, CAPT MC USNR, FAAOS; Central Program Committee Chair Stephen Kottmeier, MD, FAAOS; and Central Instructional Courses Committee Chair Xinning Li, MD, FAAOS, has reimagined the educational sessions. Using the five pillars of the new Annual Meeting strategy as a roadmap, our volunteer leaders designed the Annual Meeting to meet our attendees’ needs. Sessions will be optimized with shorter, more impactful formats and carefully selected, high-demand topics to maximize relevance and learning. By prioritizing essential content and refining session structures, we are ensuring that attendees have access to the most valuable, current insights in orthopaedic surgery. Additionally, our roadmap for continuous improvement integrates real-time feedback collection, innovative session formats, and new technologies, enabling quick adaptation to attendee preferences and a dynamic, enriching experience that continues to evolve.

To see what the excitement is about, visit the new Annual Meeting website (aaos.org/annual). The site streamlines access to key meeting information, providing attendees with user-friendly navigation, comprehensive program details, and real-time updates. Designed with a modern visual appeal and mobile compatibility, it offers an intuitive experience that makes it easier for attendees to explore the program, connect with peers, and stay informed. This new platform exemplifies our dedication to leveraging technology to enhance the value of the Annual Meeting for all participants.

Networking and cross-pollination
I, like many of us, belong to many professional healthcare societies. However, unlike any other meeting I attend, the AAOS Annual Meeting is the place that provides me with the greatest exposure to the full breadth of orthopaedic practice. I learn not only from my colleagues in trauma but also from global experts in other subspecialties that overlap with my own. Many symposia feature experts from various areas who provide valuable insights that are synergistic and expand my understanding of clinical problems that I treat.

This year’s President’s Symposium is an example of a multidisciplinary offering. William T. Obremskey, MD, MPH, FAAOS, will moderate the symposium, which focuses on the diagnosis, current management, and future directions of orthopaedic infection. Experts from multiple subspecialties will offer insights on what is arguably the most important complication that we all face.

No other meeting in the world brings together the most knowledgeable leaders in all areas from multiple countries. Several specialty societies are combining their efforts during the Specialty Society Programs on Friday, March 14, to provide perspectives that are seen only at the Annual Meeting. Additionally, the Annual Meeting has more education devoted to practice management than any other meeting. Among the many special sessions is our Presidential Guest Speaker, who was chosen based on the many similarities between surgeons in the operating room and pilots in the sky. Captain and U.S. Ambassador “Sully” Sullenberger’s comments will resonate with many of us as we continue to learn and mature in our careers and in leadership.

Lastly, many of us use the meeting to catch up with colleagues. I look forward to seeing my past co-residents, faculty, and partners, as well as my past residents and the many domestic and international friends I have made over a career in the best specialty in medicine. There is something for everyone at the meeting, from residents to those near retirement. Throughout my career, I have used this meeting to get advice on professional decisions, look at job opportunities, and learn how others manage the same challenges I have faced in my own life and practice. The lessons I have learned at the Annual Meeting have impacted my career in important ways.

The past year
Since February 2024, I have had the pleasure to work with a dedicated Board of Directors (BoD) that has been devoted to advancing the field of orthopaedics as well as AAOS itself. The BoD has had a busy year activating a new Strategic Plan, determining how we can involve patients in the organization, and rewriting substantially out-of-date bylaws. The BoD is grateful to the many volunteers and council chairs, as well as the leadership of the Board of Councilors and Board of Specialty Societies, for working together to reach a new set of bylaws that is universally supported by all of our members. I look forward to having these bylaws passed in the spring and encourage all of you to review the proposed governance changes.

Although I could not be more proud of the work that the BoD has done, we are never satisfied and continue to reflect on our performance. Annually, the BoD undergoes a rigorous self-assessment to identify the things we are doing well and opportunities in which we may have room for improvement. A standardized tool is utilized with a blinded assessment to evaluate the Board as a body against known goals and standards. Additionally, all Board members also perform a blinded evaluation of our CEO, Thomas E. Arend Jr. These results form the basis of the work that we do together to improve annually, beginning with an Officers’ Retreat and extending to our Board workshops and meetings.

As we seek to provide more opportunities for involvement and leadership in AAOS, the AAOS Leadership Institute (ALI) has transitioned to oversight by the Governance Committee, which will continue to move the program forward. This program is available to AAOS members, and I encourage everyone to learn more and get involved!

The future is bright
In March at the Annual Meeting, it will be my pleasure to hand the torch to Annunziato (Ned) Amendola, MD, FAAOS, FRCSC, our current first vice president. Dr. Amendola is a giant in the field; he has been involved in large-scale trials, is a past president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and the Herodicus Society, and has devoted his professional career to caring for elite athletes and bridging the gaps between specialties. Ned’s devotion to orthopaedics is unparalleled. This past year, he began the work of fulfilling the “Patient” pillar in our new strategic plan by organizing a workshop on patient engagement. This work will continue and help AAOS to support our members and their patients. I look forward to Ned’s leadership, and I hope you all join me in listening to his incoming presidential address, “Moving Forward,” during the Your Academy event on Wednesday, March 12, at the AAOS 2025 Annual Meeting.

In closing, I want to thank our council chairs (Adam J. Bruggeman, MD, FAAOS, FAOA, Advocacy Council; Andrew H. Schmidt, MD, FAAOS, Education Council; David S. Jevsevar, MD, MBA, FAAOS, Research and Quality Council; and Valerae O. Lewis, MD, FAAOS, Membership Council), Board members, and our talented AAOS staff for making a very busy and challenging year effective in advocating for our members and our profession. It has been a pleasure working with this talented group on your behalf!

Paul Tornetta III, MD, PhD, FAAOS, is the 2024–2025 AAOS president and the director of orthopaedic trauma at Boston Medical Center. He is also professor and chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine of Boston University.