75th Annual Meeting to feature Tom Brokaw

Peter Pollack

From covering spirited celebrations like the 1989 dismantling of the Berlin Wall to being a go-to anchor during the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Mr. Brokaw may not have seen everything, but he has probably come close. When he finally stepped away from the anchor desk, it was not to rest on his laurels, but to embrace a new and varied career as correspondent, author, television host, and public speaker.

Are monitors worth the money?

Regarding the article in AAOS Now (November 2007) describing the settlement between the orthopaedic implant manufacturers and the U.S. Attorney of New Jersey (Department of Justice or DOJ): You should also mention the enormous amount that the DOJ has required the companies to pay the monitors.

First AAOS Colombian program was ‘fantastic’

Lisa Cohen

2007 marked initial venture with SCCOT; set stage for a repeat visit in 2009 The AAOS held its first international education program with the Sociedad Colombiana de Cirugía Ortopédica y Traumatología (SCCOT) in Cartagena, Colombia, Aug. 16-18, 2007. The program was attended by 245 orthopaedic surgeons and residents; although 95 percent of attendees were SCCOT members, 30 participants came from other Latin American countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Argentina, and Venezuela.

Floating hospital brings hope and healing

Michael Osborne

Mercy Ships take AAOS members to war-torn West Africa Four AAOS members participated in the first round of orthopaedic surgeries conducted aboard the world’s largest charity hospital ship—the Mercy Ships vessel Africa Mercy. While the vessel was docked in Monrovia, Liberia, James R. McDaniel, MD; Ned M. Grove, MD; Paul R. Linquist, MD; and John Brian Sims, MD, performed orthopaedic procedures on 71 West African patients.

AAOS reaches $1 million international milestone

Jennie McKee

International Rights and Distribution Sales at All-Time High There’s no doubt that orthopaedists and others around the world benefit from AAOS products. The proof? The Academy recently achieved $1 million in international sales, rights royalties, product distribution sales, Orthopaedic Knowledge Online subscriptions, and sales to international Annual Meeting attendees. “A million dollars is a lot of money in anyone’s book,” says Lynne Dowling, international department director.

A Pat on the Back to…

Ignacio V. Ponseti, MD, presented with an honorary doctor of humane letters degree by the University of Iowa in recognition of his efforts in developing a technique to cure club foot. Michael W. Keith, MD, the new chair of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) Evidence-Based Practice Committee. Dr. Keith also serves as a member of the AAOS Guidelines and Technology Assessment Oversight Committee. John R.

Reaching out to reporters and patients

Nicholas DiNubile, MD

AAOS expands efforts to promote musculoskeletal health AAOS media outreach efforts in 2007 ended on a particularly high note. Our first media Webinar, “Sex Matters in Musculoskeletal Health,” was held in December 2007 and is still garnering interest. As a result of the Webinar, Associated Press reporter Lauran Neergaard interviewed Laura L. Tosi, MD, about what children need to help build healthy bones and how rickets is making a disturbing comeback due to low levels of Vitamin D.

How great is the burden of musculoskeletal disease?

Toby King

Updated text presents compelling story All too often, little attention is given to the impact of musculoskeletal disorders and diseases, particularly in the areas of research and funding. National health data show that musculoskeletal conditions rank among the top health concerns for citizens in the United States. Yet research funding for musculoskeletal conditions is under 2 percent of the National Institutes of Health budget.

PR materials win 18 honors in 2007

Frank B. Kelly, MD

AAOS grabs Platinum, Gold, Silver and Best of Show awards Education, advocacy, research, and communications are the four main elements driving the Academy forward. Each distinct component is mission critical. As Communications Cabinet Chair, I would like to share with you the recognition that our Public Relations program has received in 2007—a total of 18 awards for our produced materials.

Mapping an orthopaedist’s mind—from the inside

Lewis Jenkins, MBA

How many opinion surveys have you received in the last year? Judging by the number of non-AAOS organizations eager to learn more about orthopaedic surgeons, in 1 year an AAOS fellow may receive 20 or more such surveys. The groups eager to learn about you, your professional references, your lifestyle, your politics, and your attitudes can range from device manufacturers to insurance companies and from pharmaceuticals to the AMA. How many of those surveys came from the Academy?

New Spanish-language consumer guide on osteoarthritis medicine

A new consumer summary guide is available from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Effective Health Care Program. “Escogiendo Medicamentos Para el Dolor por Osteoartritis,” is the Spanish-language version of the consumer summary guide, “Choosing Pain Medicine for Osteoarthritis.” To review the guide, please visit www.effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov and click on “Summary Guides.”

Give them what they need, not what they ask for

Thomas K. Fehring, MD

Cyberchondriacs are a new breed of patients Pushing open that examination room door has never been harder. Behind it is likely to be an informed medical consumer replete with newspaper articles and Internet downloads concerning his or her particular complaint. The Information Age has added a variable in medical care that none of us learned about in medical school. The Internet, with its unfiltered medical advice, has become part of nearly every medical encounter.

2008 Annual Meeting: Pre-registration reminder

Remember that you save when you pre-register for the AAOS 75th Annual Meeting in 2008. Annual Meeting pre-registration is a free benefit of your AAOS membership. But effective with the 2008 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, a $100 fee will be charged for all on-site registrations, regardless of membership category. The pre-registration deadline is Jan. 23, 2008, so act now and save. For an unparalleled educational experience in San Francisco, register online at www.aaos.org/am2008

Wait a minute—not so fast!

S. Terry Canale, MD

Due to these proliferating innovations, the AAOS fellowship began asking for help some time ago in assessing the efficacy and value of new technologies. The Board of Directors responded by establishing a Technology Assessment Project Team under the Council on Research, Quality Assessment, and Technology. The project team, chaired by Joshua J.

Lessons from history: Past presidents have their say

Felasfa M. Wodajo, MD

What are the most critical issues facing orthopaedic surgeons today? Members of the AAOS Leadership Fellows Program—which encourages leadership skills and mentors young orthopaedic surgeons—were charged with interviewing all of the Academy’s living past presidents. This article is the first in a four-part series drawn from these varied and frank interviews.

AAOS: The early years (1933-1936)

Carolyn Rogers

“American orthopaedic surgeons chose a bad year to launch a national professional organization.” That’s how Henry H. Sherk, MD, begins his account of the founding of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in the AAOS book, Getting It Straight: A History of American Orthopaedics. January 1933 was, in fact, a precarious time to establish a new national medical society.

YOC meets your needs for patient education

Elaine Fiedler

New customization tools enhance patient education materials The AAOS patient education Web site Your Orthopaedic Connection (YOC) is already a well-known, highly respected source of musculoskeletal information for your patients. Now, it can also be your source for customized patient education materials to use in your practice, enabling you to take patient education to the next level.

AAOS offers Web support to BOS organizations

Jim Ogle

Partnership program aims to enhance orthopaedic Web presence In today’s world, practically every business—and millions of individuals—has a Web site. New software programs make it easy to design and establish a site, but maintaining that site can be costly and time-consuming. To help orthopaedic specialty societies reduce costs while building a vibrant Web presence, the AAOS Board of Directors recently approved a new Web support service. Effective Jan.

Coming soon: 2008 member census

Heidi Schmalz; Hazel Natividad

Participation is key to shaping the future Every two years, the AAOS research department conducts a census of AAOS members. The 2008 census questionnaire will be released in April. Your participation is vital for providing information on how AAOS can serve you better. How does gathering this type of information help you? Primarily by giving the Academy an understanding of who you are, how you practice, and how the field of orthopaedic surgery is evolving.

AAOS files two amicus briefs

Grant Nyhammer, JD

On Nov. 12, 2007, the Executive Committee of the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) approved filing amicus curie briefs in two cases before the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Restrictions on tobacco marketing needed The first case is U.S. Department of Justice v. Philip Morris, which is an appeal by Philip Morris USA, Inc., and other tobacco manufacturers (collectively “Morris”), of a decision by the U.S.