Paul Manson, Romano Mathys-Mark, Emanuel Gaultier, Tim Pohlemann at the Trustees Meeting 2010 in Lisbon

Playground is a technical “parcours” (training ground) for orthopedic trauma surgeons with a focus on surgical skills. It is an innovative, clever way to enhance the knowledge about underlying principles through practical hands-on exercises that allow surgeons "to get a feeling for" what a technique feels like. It enhances the educational offerings of the Foundation in a unique and practical manner.

Emanuel Gautier instructing at the Playground

The driving forces behind this concept and its implementation are Prof Emanuel Gautier, Fribourg, Switzerland and Romano Matthys-Mark, Davos along with other members of the AO Institute Davos (ARI) Innovations Group. Emanuel Gautier was an AO Fellow at AO Research Institute Davos with Stephan Perren (1980-83 & 1985). Since 1996, he is the co-chief of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Kantonsspital Fribourg, Switzerland. Gautier is a renowned as a specialist in pelvic and acetabular fractures. Emanuel Gautier generously donated his prize money to Jim Harrison's Malawi project on hearing Harrison's presentation on the topic during the Trustees Meeting 2010 in Lisbon.

Romano Matthys instructing at the Playground

Romano Matthys-Mark is an AO "home-grown" talent. He joined the AO at the age of 22 after completing his education and has been with the AO Development Institute and the AO Research Institute for the past 16 years. He is currently Group Leader of the Innovations Team.

The following members of the Innovations team have contributed greatly and were also honoured: Urs Schlegel, Dieter Wahl, Peter Däscher, in addition to Peter Toggwiler who works for the Academy for Medical Training and Simulation (AMTS).

(L-R) Urs Schlegel, Dieter Wahl, Peter Däscher,Peter Toggwiler

An empty Playground waiting for its next surgeon visitors