Evolution of the AOA

AOA Releases its First Pictorial History Book

The American Orthopaedic Association has released its first ever pictorial history book, A History of The American Orthopaedic Association: Leadership in Orthopaedic Surgery since 1887, under the direction of James R. Urbaniak, MD, historian, and supported by the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. The coffee table-style book will give a pictorial chronicle of the past 120 years in orthopaedics and the evolution of the AOA as it relates to key events in history.

Dr. Urbaniak unveiled the book at the AOA Annual Meeting in June. We invite all AOA members to reserve copies of the book for $50 (plus $10 shipping and handling). 

Click here to reserve your copy today!

Past Presidents

Past Officers

At the core of The American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) lie the solid and consistent ideals of its mission: “To identify, develop, engage and recognize leadership to further the art and science of orthopaedics”.

Founded in 1887, the AOA is the oldest and most distinguished orthopaedic association in the world. Membership in the AOA is achieved by those who have made a significant contribution to education, research, and the practice of orthopaedic surgery. In 2003, the Academic Orthopaedic Society, formerly the Association of Orthopaedic Chairmen, founded in 1971, was incorporated into the AOA. This positioned the AOA as the formal home and supporter of department chairs, program directors, fellowship directors and academic faculty, furthering the AOA’s commitment to academics. Currently, the AOA has over 1200 members.

The AOA has been the parent of several major orthopaedic organizations. In 1889, the Association published its first transactions, continued to the present as the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. With the active support of the Association, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons held its first meeting in 1933. The Association was an active sponsor of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, incorporated in 1934. In 1953, the AOA initiated the survey that resulted in the organization of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF). In 1993, the AOA founded the International Center for Orthopaedic Education (ICOE) which serves as a worldwide clearinghouse to coordinate and facilitate international exchange in postgraduate orthopaedic education opportunities between countries.

In addition to the Annual Meeting, the AOA supports varied leadership and educational programs. The ABC Exchange Fellowship began in 1948 and now is an established program in six countries. The first Orthopaedic Residents' Conference was held in 1968 under the sponsorship of the Association and has since evolved in to the AOA-OREF-Zimmer Resident Leadership Forum (RLF). The Forum seeks to identify the future leaders of orthopaedics as residents, and offer them an opportunity to interact with, and learn from, current orthopaedic leaders, while developing personal leadership skills. The North American Traveling Fellowship program for the United States and Canada began in 1970 and the Austrian, Swiss, German Traveling Fellowship in 1998. In addition, The American Orthopaedic Association manages the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Traveling fellowship and sponsors the C. Howard Hatcher Fellowship in Orthopaedic Pathology.

The AOA recognizes leadership excellence in orthopaedics with award programs including: the AOA-Zimmer Award for Distinguished Contribution to Orthopaedics, the AOA-Smith & Nephew Endoscopy Distinguished Clinician Educator Award and the Shands Awards.

The AOA also offers leadership development courses including a governance course titled Leadership in Voluntary Organizations. New in 2003, the AOA launched the AOA~Kellogg Leadership Series, an intense three-module series that teaches orthopaedists to think and act productively inside and outside the practice setting; the Series also discusses opportunities for leadership as it relates to business issues, community involvement, advisory appointments and governance affairs.

The AOA is the only orthopaedic organization that so strongly emphasizes a single theme of purpose: leadership in orthopaedics.The quality the AOA’s programs demonstrates that the organization is committed to nothing less than perfection in addressing this focus.

Copyright © 2007 American Orthopaedic Association