AO Spine Trauma Curriculum Courses

AO’s trusted education and award-winning clinical tools

AO Spine Spinal Trauma Pathway - master spinal trauma surgery in 3 steps!

AO Spine trauma courses and the Global Spine Diploma modules are developed and taught by world-leading experts, based on latest evidence, and provide skills that spine surgeons need for the future. 

Explore our educational offers, which cover hands-on courses, online modules, as well as clinical tools. 

Find the right course focus at the right time

 

Online

Hands-on courses

Global Spine Diploma

Spinal Trauma: Key Concepts and Techniques

Spinal Trauma: Advanced Techniques and Complex Cases

Target audience

  • Recently graduated orthopedic surgeons and neurosurgeons
  • Residents in orthopedic and neurosurgical programs
  • Fellows
  • Surgeons seeking to refine core spinal trauma techniques
  • Surgeons transitioning into spine trauma care
  • Global Spine Diploma participants and alumni
  • Experienced spine surgeons managing complex trauma cases
  • Surgeons who have attended the “Spinal Trauma: Key Concepts and Techniques” course and/or the Global Spine Diploma and want to increase their knowledge and skills
 Format

Online, 12-month program,

Trauma module: 8 weeks

2-day face-to-face course

Access to online pre-learning material 4 weeks before the course
2-day face-to-face course

Access to online pre-learning material 2-4 weeks before the course

Course modules

  • Acute spinal trauma—initial management
  • Radiological assessment and injury classification systems
  • Upper cervical injuries
  • Lower cervical injuries
  • Thoracolumbar injuries
  • Osteoporotic and ankylotic fractures
  • Sacral and spinopelvic injuries
  • Outcomes and complications
  • Online pre-learning
  • Cervical injuries (subaxial)
  • Thoracolumbar injuries
  • Other injuries and complications
  • Osteoporotic fractures*
  • Sacral injuries*
  • Spinal trauma research*
  • New technologies and innovations*
  • Online pre-learning 
  • Upper cervical injuries
  • Thoracolumbar injuriescomplex cases
  • Osteoporotic fractures*
  • Spinal cord injuries*
  • Spinal trauma research*
  • New technologies and innovations*
     
Practical exercises  
  • Pedicle cannulation and decompression (lumbar and thoracic)—open
    • Open pedicle screw placement—lumbar and thoracic
    • Thoracolumbar decompression—with dural repair*
  • Pedicle cannulation (lumbar and thoracic)—percutaneous
    • Fluoroscopy-guided technique
    • Percutaneous screw placement
    • Navigation station*
    • Cement augmentation (video or hands-on exercise*)
  • Cervical decompression—anterior
    • Anterior, discectomy/corpectomy
    • Anterior C2*
  • Cervical decompression—posterior
    • Posterior fixation: decompression, Massa screw, cervical pedicle screws, C2
  • Posterior upper cervical fixation
    • Occipitocervical fusion
    • C1 screw placement

    C1-C2 instrumentation

    • Goel-Harms fusion
    • Magerl fusion C1/C2*
  • Costotransversectomy for posterior thoracic corpectomy
  • Lumbar corpectomy
  • Sacroiliac screws for spinoiliac injuries, including transiliosacral screws (triangular pelvic fixation)
  • Advanced techniques for dural reconstruction*
  • Robotics*

     

 

   *in selected courses—please check the final course program.

AO Spine trauma courses and educational events

Enhance your surgical skills with AO Spine, on life-like simulators or human anatomical specimens, and benefit from the knowledge and expertise of world-leading masters in this field. Courses are based on the AO Spine curriculum framework. Training is delivered concise and ready to be applied into clinical practice on the level of your current experience.

 

AO Spine Course—Spinal Trauma: Key Concepts and Techniques

Two-day hands-on course which gives tools to tackle all the frequent challenges in spinal trauma.

AO Spine Course—Spinal Trauma: Advanced Techniques and Complex Cases

Two-day hands-on course for surgeons who want to master the skill in treating complex spinal trauma cases.

Global Spine Diploma

The GSD program is aimed at recently graduated surgeons who are looking for comprehensive knowledge on key spine pathology domains.

The spinal trauma module is an 8-week online module covering cervical and thoracolumbar trauma.

AO resources for managing spinal trauma

AO Surgery Reference

AO Surgery Reference is a resource for the management of fractures and treating spine patients, based on current clinical principles, practices, and available evidence.

AO Spine videos and webinars

A vast collection of AO’s digital learning and teaching material, webinars, and event coverage for educational purposes. Full access members only.

AO original research and publications on spinal deformities

AO Spine Knowledge Forum Trauma and Infection 

A world-leading study group creating and translating new knowledge to improve patient care, to provide a common language and framework for researchers and clinicians.

AO Spine Books

AO Spine takes pride in creating and sharing knowledge through our extensive library of books, including free and e-books for members.

AO Spine Guest articles

A front-seat view to an evolving global spine world, hot topics and current controversies, as seen by members of our community.

AO Spine Trauma Curriculum Task Force

The Trauma Curriculum taskforce is a group of experts who build and continuously improve our educational program.
Thomas Blattert

Thomas Blattert
Germany

Representing Europe and Southern Africa

 
Marcelo Valacco

Marcelo Valacco 
Argentina

Representing Latin America

John France

John France
USA

Representing North America

Mohamed Fawzy Khattab

Mohamed Fawzy Khattab 
Egypt

Representing Middle East and Northern Africa

Samir Dalvie

Samir Dalvie
India

Representing Asia Pacific

Luiz Gustavo dal Oglio da Rocha

Luiz Gustavo dal Oglio da Rocha 
Brazil

Representing Global Spine Diploma and AO In-Hospital

Sebastian Bigdon

Sebastian Bigdon
Switzerland 

Representing Knowledge Forum Trauma & Infection

Ricardo Rodrigues-Pinto

Ricardo Rodrigues Pinto
Portugal 

Representing Knowledge Forum Spinal Cord Injury

Richard Bransford

Richard Bransford
AO Spine Education Commission Chairperson

Bryan Ashman
AO Spine Curriculum Advisor