From the President and the CEO:
The power of transformation  

The AO’s journey through 2023 was emblematic of the power of transformation. This theme resonated across our research, innovation, and education work as we marked the biannual handover of the AO Presidency and 65 years of the AO driving forward the boundaries of surgical excellence and patient care.

Research
Research initiatives saw the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) deliver novel approaches to clinical care, including the first-in-human application of the AO Fracture Monitor developed by ARI with the AO’s innovation funding—work that underscores how the AO’s research translates into real-world medical advancements.

Innovation
Innovation was marked by the AO Innovation Translation Center’s (AO ITC) delivery of four products gaining regulatory approval, six products in clinical use, and five products applied in AO educational activities. The AO ITC’s support of 21 ongoing innovation projects—including the AO Fracture Monitor—reflects the AO’s dedication to harnessing technology and developing tools that carry the potential to revolutionize patient monitoring and treatment.

Education
Our education efforts were amplified through restructuring the AO Education Institute (AO EI), enabling the AO to stay at the leading edge of medical education program and product development. We integrated new technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality, into our educational portfolios through the AO EI’s inspired approach.

In 2023, we optimized the AO’s education delivery model by forming the Education Events team to deliver our education events through a financially sustainable approach. The AO’s expansive international reach in surgical education held steady throughout this change, delivering over 850 events to more than 70,000 participants worldwide in 2023—events that exemplified the AO’s commitment to fostering a culture of continuous learning and skill enhancement in the surgeon community. Nowhere is that culture of learning more present than at the AO Davos Courses, and the 2023 edition brought together 947 participants from 60 countries, exhibiting the AO’s annual flagship educational event’s global reach and demand for the AO’s expert faculty, with twenty sold-out and nearly sold-out courses across all clinical specialties: AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO CMF, AO VET, AO Recon, and AO Sports.

Together, these achievements encapsulate the AO’s holistic approach to transformation, driving innovation, research, and education to new heights in 2023, setting a foundation for future advancements that will continue to shape the landscape of advancing the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and care.

Tim Pohlemann
AO President

Christoph Lindenmeyer
CEO & Vice Chairman