Education

Explore the various educational offerings and resources available to our community
Bryan Ashman talks about the key to AO Davos Courses success and his own biggest experience from Davos. Find out more and register through the AO Davos Courses website.

Latest news

More AO Spine news

AO Spine provides over 200 educational opportunities to over 13,000 spine surgeons and spine specialists worldwide

Courses and events

Educational resources

AO Spine Injury Classification Systems

Based on a systematic assessment and revision of the Magerl classification.

Read more

MISS curriculum

Supporting our faculty to design their MISS events based on competencies and aimed at specific target audiences

Read more

Videos and webinars

Digital teaching and learning material, webinars, and event coverage for educational purposes

Read more
More clinical library and tools

AO Spine Davos Courses, December, 2015
From face-to-face practical courses to recorded webinars – AO Spine has the educational option to suit your learning needs at a time and place to fit around your other commitments.

You might also be interested in

Faculty

AO Spine aims to provide opportunities for all members to become better teachers.

Read more

Curriculum

The AO Spine curriculum is a framework that offers a foundation for continuing development in diverse practice settings.

Read more

Fellowships

Providing additional experience in surgical techniques for fully trained orthopedic and neurosurgeons interested in spine surgery.

Read more

Education task forces

  • General information

    The task forces are surgeon led working groups. Most of the work is done virtually. The following criteria applies to all task force positions

    1. Commitment to and active engagement with AO Spine as a paying member for at least a year;
    2. Established regional/international AO Spine surgeon network to help obtain buy-in;
    3. Demonstrated experience and expertise in the specific focus area of the task force;
    4. Recommendation letter from a longstanding and respected AO Spine member.
    Task force members are selected on merit. All interested AO Spine Members are welcome to contact the AO Spine office to discuss how they can add value to task force activities. Individual surgeons can also be recommended for a task force position. The final selection is made by the Task Force Leader and the AOSEC Chair.
  • Fellowship and Spine Centers Task Force
    The Fellowship and Spine Center Task Force aims to improve patient care by bringing together learners, teachers, and experts and providing lifelong learning pathways that are innovative and inspirational. Its key objectives is to develop:
    1. A fellowship Curriculum and Syllabus
    2. Assessment strategies for fellowships
    3. Specialty fellowship programs

    Words from our Task Force leader:

    "The Fellowship and Spine Centers Task Force will create lifelong learning pathways that are innovative, inspirational, and relevant to surgeons’ needs throughout their careers. We will co-ordinate transformational change in how AO Spine delivers education, where that learning takes place, and who delivers the teaching. We will create more opportunities for mentorship and peer-to-peer learning, and enhance our global fellowships and spine center programs."

    Michael Grevitt, Past Fellowship and Spine Center Task Force Leader

    Task Force Members:

    Emre Acaroglu

    Task Force Leader and AO Spine Education Commission Chairperson
    Ankara Spine Center
    Ankara, Turkey

    Mohammed Assous

    AOSpine Spine Center and Fellowship Officer Middle East
    Razi Spine Clinic
    Amman, Jordan

    Fernando Alvarado

    AO Spine Spine Center and Fellowship Officer Latin America
    Instituto de Ortopedia Infantil Roosevelt
    Bogota, Colombia

    Abhay Nene

    AO Spine Spine Center and Fellowship Officer Asia Pacific
    Lilavati Hospital
    Bombay, India

    Pedro Berjano

    AOSpine Spine Center and Fellowship Officer Europe
    IRCCS Istituto Ortopedico Galeazzi, Milan, Italy

    Eric Klineberg

    AO Spine Spine Center and Fellowship Officer North America
    University of California
    Sacramento, California
    United States of America

  • Educational Strategies Task Force
    The Educational Strategies Task Force aims to lead innovation in spine surgery education by delivering education that reflects the learning culture in the surgical workplace. Its key objectives are to ensure AO Spine education includes:
    1. Blended learning 
    2. Hospital based events 
    3. Hands-on courses that are realistic 
    4. Remote access events that are low cost

    Words from our Task Force leader:

    "The Educational Strategies Task Force will allow AO Spine to develop and offer innovative educational programs on a variety of platforms to meet the changing needs of our members."

    Steven Theiss, Educational Strategies Task Force Leader

    Task Force Members:

    Steven Theiss

    Task Force Leader
    University of Alabama at Birmingham
    Birmingham, United States

    AlaaEldin Ahmad

    Arab Care Hospital
    Ramallah, Palestine

    John DeVine

    AOSpine Education Commission Member
    Augusta University
    Augusta, United States

    Harry Gebhard

    Kantonsspital Baden, Switzerland

    Luiz Gustavo

    Hospital Universitario Cajuru
    Curitiba, Brazil

    Jose Manuel Ignacio

     University of the Philippines
    Manila, Philippines

    Alpaslan Senkoylu

    Gazi University
    Ankara, Turkey

    Muzahem Taha

    Sedram Private Hospital
    Erbil, Iraq

  • Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery MISS Task Force
    The MISS Task Force aims to see AO Spine become the leading educator in minimally invasive techniques and procedures and meet surgeons' needs for improved surgical outcomes and reduced morbidity. Its key objectives are based on the following focus areas:
    1. Target – Optimized patient selection
    2. Technology – Optimal combination of access, visualization, navigation, instrumentation, biologic augmentation
    3. Technique – Principles, approaches, neural protection, decompression, stabilization
    4. Training – Simulation, observation, mentorship
    5. Testing the boundaries – MISS for deformity, robotics.

    We appreciate feedback on your local needs. To share your feedback with us, please follow this link.
    If you are interested in becoming a faculty member for MISS courses, please provide us with your details here.

    Words from our Task Force leader:

    "The MISS Task Force spearheads the process within AO Spine to better define the role of MISS going forward, to evaluate the great variety of technologies and techniques available, and to establish successful ways to teach and train surgeons globally and at every stage of their career."

    Roger Härtl, Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (MISS) Task Force Leader

    Task Force Members:

    Roger Härtl

    Task Force Leader
    Weill Cornell Medical College
    New York, United States

    Richard Assaker

    Centre Hospitalier Regional Universitaire
    Lille, France

    Mohammed Assous

    AOSpine Spine Center and Fellowship Officer Middle East
    Razi Spine Clinic
    Amman, Jordan

    Christoph Hofstetter

    University of Washington
    Seattle, United States

    JinSung Kim

    Spine Center
    Seoul, Republic of Korea

    Avelino Parajon

    Hospital Universitario 
    Ramón y Cajal
    Madrid, Spain

    Néstor Taboada

    UNIMEC
    Barranquilla, Columbia

    Paul Taylor

    Spines WA
    Perth, Australia

Bryan Ashman about AO Spine Education Task Forces

“The AO Spine Education Task Forces are the true engines of the Education Commission. They deliver what is needed to ensure AO Spine continues to be at the forefront of spine surgeon education.”

Bryan Ashman, Past Chairperson AO Spine Education Commission