Get ready for an unparalleled educational experience

AO Regional Courses Latin America will be held in Santiago, Chile in August 2026

AO Regional Courses LATAM 2026

The third edition of the AO Regional Courses Latin America will be held in Santiago, Chile in August 2026. The event will feature ten educational activities over a week, covering six AO pathologies. More than 100 of the world's leading experts in trauma, spine, craniomaxillofacial, veterinary, sports, and reconstructive surgery will gather in Santiago de Chile to share their knowledge and expertise with nearly 450 participants in a dynamic, comprehensive, and interactive event. These activities will allow surgeons to develop their careers and effectively meet the highest standards of their profession. It is an excellent opportunity to build professional networks, reaffirm existing relationships, and create new friendships.

Find the activity that is right for you and register now. We look forward to seeing you in Santiago!

Planned Educational Activities

  • AO CMF Course—Management of Facial Trauma
    August 18-19, 2026
    Chairs: Carlos Gaete García (Chile), Ricardo José de Holanda Vasconcellos (Brazil)
    Faculty highlight: Marta Redondo Alamillos (Spain), Diego Camaly (Argentina), Juan Carlos Orellana Tosi (Ecuador)

  • AO CMF Masters Course—Face Aesthetics Surgery
    August 20-21, 2026
    Chairs: Alan Panarello (Brazil), Juan Zambrano Bürgl (Colombia)
    Faculty highlight: Michael Grant (USA), Geraldo Capuchinho (Brazil), Cristian Schauvinhold (Argentina)

  • AO Recon Course—Complex Total Hip Arthroplasty
    August 19-20, 2026
    Chairs: Daniel Schweitzer (Chile), Rodrigo Guimarães (Brazil)
    Faculty highlight: Seung-Jae Lim (Korea), Karl Stoffel (Switzerland), Bartolomé Allende (Argentina), Guillermo Bonilla (Colombia), Dario E Garin (Mexico), Humberto Gonzalez Ugalde (Mexico), Pedro Amenabar (Chile), Maximiliano Carmona (Chile), Ianiv Klaber (Chile), Rafael Iván Radovic Repetto (Chile), Claudio Rojas (Chile), Joaquin Valenzuela (Chile), Roberto Valiente (Chile)

  • AO Recon Course—Complex Total Knee Arthroplasty
    August 20-21, 2026
    Chairs: Jorge Vega (Chile), Darío Garín (Mexico)
    Faculty highlight: Seung-Jae Lim (Korea), Karl Stoffel (Switzerland), Bartolomé Allende (Argentina), Guillermo Bonilla (Colombia), Humberto Gonzalez Ugalde (Mexico), Pablo Besa (Chile), Daniel Cerda (Chile), Joaquín Donoso García-Huidobro (Chile), Hugo González (Chile), Javier Perez (Chile), Cristián Ruiz (Chile)

  • AO Trauma Seminar Masterclass—Expert Strategies for Complex Cases
    August 20-21, 2026
    Chair: Paulo Roberto Barbosa de Toledo Lourenco (Brazil), Marco Carrion-Monsalve (Ecuador)
    Faculty highlight: Mark Reilly (USA),Eladio Saura Sánchez (Spain), Jorge Barla (Argentina), Luis Ochoa (Mexico), Rodriogo Pesantez Hoyos (Colombia), Jorge Filippi (Chile), Nicolás Gaggero (Chile), Christian Ortiz (Chile), Alvaro Zamorano (Chile)

  • AO Trauma Masters Course—Complex Cases and Complications in Shoulder and Elbow Trauma
    August 20-21, 2026
    Chair: Carlos Miguel Zublin Guerra (Argentina), Rodrigo Liendo (Chile)
    Faculty highlight: Martin Jaeger (Germany),Giuseppe Alajmo (Colombia), Vincenzo Giordano (Brazil), Claudio Calvo (Chile), Julio Contreras (Chile), Rodrigo de Marinis (Chile), Cristobal Maccioni (Chile), Carlos Moreno-Castillo (Chile), J Tomás Rojas V (Chile), Susan Sulzer (Chile)

  • AO Sports Advanced Course—Knee: Injuries and Deformities
    August 18-19, 2026
    Chair: David Figueroa (Chile), James Stannard (USA)
    Faculty highlight: John Alzate Arboleda (Colombia), Rodrigo Maestu (Argentina), Camilo Partezani Helito (Brazil), Gustavo Rincón (Colombia), Horacio Rivarola Etcheto (Argentina), Carlos Yacuzzi (Argentina), Xabier Carredano (Chile), Maximiliano Scheu (Chile)

  • AO VET Masters Course—Feline Orthopedics
    August 16-18, 2026
    Chairs: Tomás Guerrero (Switzerland), Francisco Corral (Argentina)
    Faculty highlight: Alessandro Piras (Finland),Gabriel Diamante (Brazil), Paulo Marinho (Brazil), Bruno Watanabe Minto (Brazil)

Emilio Fantin

“Dear Colleagues,

I would like to invite you to register for the AO Latin America Regional Courses 2026.

For the third time in our region, the Clinical Divisions of the AO Foundation will share knowledge in an opportunity to build communication networks and friendship ties. In addition, we will have a research competition called "Latin American Research Challenge". It is open to members under the age of 40 who have original clinical research that has not yet been published or presented and/or has been published within the last 6 months. It is our mission to promote excellence in the care and treatment of our patients' musculoskeletal disorders and our commitment to educate the next generation of surgeons to create a better world.”

Emilio Fantin, past AO LAT Chairperson

Research

Some clinical divisions will have a module dedicated to research to highlight the scientific production that is carried out in different countries of the region.

  • The AO Spine Scientific Session is a unique opportunity to share your research with spine experts from across our region. The 12 best-evaluated abstracts will be presented at the Scientific Session, during the regional courses and the presenters of the best three studies will be awarded.

  • The AO Trauma Latin America Research Challenge will be an incredible chance to showcase your project on the international stage and make your research shine. The top six papers will be presented during the regional courses and the top three papers will be awarded. The project is coordinated by the Grupo de Apoyo a la Investigación (GAI) de AO Trauma Latin America.

  • The AO CMF Latin America Research Challenge is a unique opportunity to present your scientific project at an international event. The two best papers will be awarded, and the best paper will be presented during the regional courses.

  • The AO Recon Latin America Research Challenge is a golden chance to showcase your project on the international stage. The challenge will feature the presentation of the best abstract during the regional courses.

During the Regional Courses, a cross divisional section called Latin America Research Challenge will take place. The winners from each clinical division will meet to present their successful projects and a final winner will be selected. Stay tuned for more information