Goal of the course

This AOA Course is a course specifically designed for the earliest introduction to first year residents in Trauma and Orthopedic surgery. It aims to introduce the principles of nonoperative and operative fracture care and develop some of the practical skills required to safely treat fractures.

Structure of course

• Presentations
• Practical exercises
• Group discussions

Content

The course structure provides didactic presentations, group discussions between participants and faculty and practical exercises to apply different operative techniques. This course will address:

• Fracture healing
• Bone biology
• Concepts of absolute and relative stability
• Treatment of shaft fractures
• Treatment of articular fractures
• Soft-tissue management
• Perioperative problems and complications in fracture care
• Hands-on exercises with artificial bones to apply the techniques and promote familiarization with the instrumentation
• Interaction between faculty and participants to clarify understanding
• Safe surgery
• Ethics and professional behavior

Course Objectives

By the end of the course participants will be able to:

• Describe AO Principles for the operative stabilization of fracture
• Relate soft-tissue damage, fracture healing, and surgical intervention in the injured patient
• Plan appropriate care for patients in the peri-operative environment
• Anticipate potential pitfalls and intra-operative complications in fracture care
• Formulate systems for maintaining safe standards of practice
• Prepare and use appropriate instrumentation/implants for fracture treatment