A summit to remember
The AO Orthopaedic Research Summit, organized by the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) and held at the Davos Congress Centre from June 16 to 19, 2025, was an extraordinary event for international orthopedic research.
The four-day summit brought together three important orthopedic conferences in one place: ARI's own "ARI Orthopaedics" and the annual meetings of the European Orthopaedic Research Society (EORS) and the International Society for Computer Assisted Orthopaedic Surgery (CAOS).
"As chair of this summit of three congresses, I was honored to host this special gathering with some of the brightest minds in orthopedics, fostering world-class exchanges and collaborations," said ARI Director Geoff Richards. "We welcomed over 860 external attendees from over 53 countries worldwide, amongst them around 13 percent from China, our guest nation, including Hong Kong, as well as almost all of our ARI team."
"As the current president of the EORS, I am pleased with the excellent organization of the summit and the scientific EORS program, including 65 symposia on a variety of topics plus additional Free Paper sessions ranging from basic science to translational research, medical device development, and clinical practice. The traditional EORS collaboration with the ON Foundation and the two recently established new partnerships with Aesculap and the Federation of Orthopaedic and Trauma Trainees in Europe resulted in 27 awards and grants for oral and poster presentations of EORS members distributed in several categories relevant to the Society", said Boyko Gueorguiev, Emeritus R&D Advisor at ARI.
This year's ARI Orthopaedics conference, chaired by Matteo D'Este, Focus Area Leader Biomedical Materials at ARI, focused on biofabrication. "Every year, ARI Orthopaedics, previously known as the eCM Conference, brings together outstanding biologists, engineers, material scientists, surgeons, and innovators. While the organization is a considerable effort, hosting these world-class experts in Davos is a deeply rewarding professional experience. I also admit a tangible pride in sharing the stunning Davos scenery with the audience. It is also gratifying to think that our efforts positively contribute to the local economy and community." said D'Este.
The Berton Rahn Research Award is presented annually at the ARI Orthopaedics conference and celebrates excellence in AO-funded research. This year's award went to spine surgeon Marcel Dvorak, recognizing his exceptional contributions to spine research and education. Dvorak, who sadly passed away recently, was a globally respected spine surgeon and a long-standing contributor to AO Spine. His AO-funded research on thoracolumbar burst fractures has significantly influenced global treatment strategies and health economics in spine care. "Marcel Dvorak was part of the founding group of the AO Spine Knowledge Forums. His AO career, scientific work, and some personal notes were brilliantly presented by his mentee, Charlotte Dandurand, a spinal neurosurgeon at Vancouver General Hospital, during the award ceremony," said Geoff Richards.
Next year's ARI Orthopaedics will take place from June 24 to 26, 2026, and focus on cartilage and disc.
Twenty-five years after its founding in Davos, the annual CAOS meeting returned to its origins. The first plenary presentation by CAOS president and AO Foundation Past President Florian Gebhard provided an excellent kick-off for the summit. Lutz-Peter Nolte, an honorary member of the society, gave an overview of the 25-year journey of CAOS. Several awards were presented to recipients to acknowledge their well-deserved accomplishments, including the ISTELAR best clinical and technical podium presentations and the Maurice E. Müller Award for Excellence in Computer Assisted Surgery. The CAOS presidential chain was handed over to Masaki Takao, who will host the 26th meeting of the society at the Ehime Medical Association Hall in Matsuyama, Japan, in June 2026.
Peter Varga, local CAOS conference chair and Program Leader Biomedical Development at ARI, said: "The combined setting stimulated intense interdisciplinary exchange between the three congresses and societies, providing unique benefits to participants and exhibitors. On behalf of the local organization team, we are grateful for the constructive collaboration with the CAOS board and program chairs that resulted in this successful congress."
The daily plenary presentations, which were held by the aforementioned Florian Gebhard, Rocky Tuan from the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Britt Wildemann from Jena University Hospital, and Jinah Jang from Pohang University of Science and Technology in South Korea, brought participants of all three conferences together. After that, they spread out into parallel sessions, panel discussions, and practical workshops.
Rocky Tuan's last official act as president of the Chinese University of Hong Kong was awarding Geoff Richards an adjunct professorship and ARI Vice-Director Martin Stoddart an adjunct associate professorship. The Chinese University of Hong Kong is currently in 37th place in the global rankings (5th place in Asia).
A highlight outside of the usual conference proceedings was the trip to Lake Davos on Tuesday afternoon. In perfect weather, many participants took part in a run around the lake while being enthusiastically cheered on by others.