Hands-on learning in skeletal repair
On April 11 and 12, 2025, over 60 students and supervisors from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETHZ) and the Zurich University of Applied Sciences Winterthur (ZHAW) gathered at the AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) for the annual block course on "skeletal repair”, led by ARI Principal Scientist Sibylle Grad.
The aim of this course is to provide students of medical technology, engineering, and health sciences with practical insights into operative fracture treatment and the research activities of the AO Foundation. ARI Vice Director Martin Stoddart opened the session with an introduction to the implementation of new developments from the research lab into clinical practice and patient care.
During the "skills training" segment, supported by scientists from ARI’s Biomedical Development Program, participants moved through four illustrative stations where they learned essential techniques and faced challenges related to osteosynthesis, highlighting the important connections between technology and medicine.
In the afternoon, Raphael Jenni, a senior orthopedic surgeon at Kantonsspital Graubünden, Chur, Switzerland, shared insights into the fundamentals of bone healing and introduced the principles of osteosynthesis. Under his expert guidance, and a team of surgeons, participants practiced the application of intramedullary nails, plates, and external fixators on artificial bones.
On the second day, participants engaged in eight different workshops focusing on case studies from medical practice and experimental methods from research labs. Topics included biomaterials, articular cartilage and spine bioreactors, implant infections, in vivo models for skeletal research, interactive biomechanics on computers, shoulder prosthesis, and a clinical case with radiological examinations and surgical treatment.
The workshops were led by scientists and surgeons from the ARI, the ZHAW, and Kantonsspital Graubünden. Participants found the two days at the AO to be very enriching and a valuable complement to their studies. The long-standing collaboration between the ARI, Kantonsspital Graubünden, ETHZ, and the ZHAW is further strengthened by these courses. The block course was supported by the ARI, Johnson & Johnson MedTech, and RISystem.
