2026 Course Descriptions & Learning Objectives
Youth Sports Specialization: Who Wins? | Ahmad F. Bayomy, MD
Early sport specialization has become increasingly common among pediatric and adolescent athletes despite evidence linking it to increased risk of injury and burnout. This presentation reviews current evidence comparing specialization and diversification, highlights implications for athlete health and performance, and provides practical strategies for counseling athletes and families using evidence-based recommendations.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe principles and clinical outcomes related to youth sport specialization vs. diversification, including injury risk and performance.
- Outline models for youth athlete development adopted by national sports organizations.
- Identify evidence-based resources that support counseling of parents, coaches, and youth athletes regarding healthy sport participation and long-term athlete development.
Evidence-Based Medicine Reform | Gregory A. Brown, MD, PhD
This presentation examines the strengths and limitations of evidence-based medicine and clinical practice guidelines, including issues related to generalizability, interpretation of randomized trials, and the role of prognostic factors. Attendees will learn how to integrate clinical evidence, physician expertise, and patient preferences to support individualized shared decision-making.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the core components of evidence-based medicine, including clinical evidence, physician expertise, and patient preferences.
- Recognize potential limitations of randomized controlled trials, including threats to validity and generalizability.
- Apply prognostic factors and available evidence to support individualized shared decision-making.
Surgeon Well-Being | Gregory A. Brown, MD, PhD
This presentation explores factors contributing to burnout and well-being among orthopaedic surgeons. Participants will learn practical strategies to identify workplace stressors, strengthen emotional intelligence skills, and enhance professional fulfilment and resilience.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the signs, symptoms, and contributing factors associated with burnout in orthopaedic practice.
- Identify strategies that promote professional fulfillment and meaning in clinical practice.
- Recognize emotional intelligence skills and behaviors associated with improved well-being and resilience.
Patient Compliance: How do we Monitor Recovery? | Melissa Cox, PT, DPT, SCS
Patient compliance remains one of the most significant and under addressed challenges in the management of orthopedic injuries. This presentation examines the factors that predict non-compliance, considers the evolving role of technology in patient care, and explores how the application of current evidence, standardized care protocols, and interdisciplinary collaboration can improve patient compliance and outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify factors associated with patient non-adherence and their impact on rehabilitation outcomes.
- Describe how technology can be used to support patient engagement, recovery monitoring, and adherence to treatment plans.
- Apply standardized communication and referral strategies to improve coordination between orthopaedic and rehabilitation providers.
Hype or Here to Stay: Minimally Invasive Foot and Ankle Surgery | Jeff Feinblatt, MD
This presentation reviews the evolution of minimally invasive foot and ankle surgery, including current techniques, indications, and outcomes. Attendees will examine the evidence supporting minimally invasive approaches, compare potential benefits and limitations relative to traditional open procedures, and evaluate the distinction between emerging technology and demonstrated clinical value.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe current minimally invasive surgical techniques used in foot and ankle practice.
- Evaluate the potential benefits and limitations of minimally invasive approaches, including effects on wound healing and postoperative complications.
- Assess available evidence to distinguish demonstrated clinical benefits from marketing claims related to minimally invasive surgery.
What’s New in Foot and Ankle: Top 5 in 5 | Jeff Feinblatt, MD
This rapid-fire update highlights five emerging foot and ankle procedures, technologies, or clinical concepts relevant to contemporary orthopaedic practice. Attendees will gain awareness of evolving treatment options and resources for further learning and clinical application.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify five emerging foot and ankle procedures, technologies, or clinical topics.
- Describe the potential clinical relevance of these developments to patient care.
- Recognize resources for further education and implementation of new concepts in practice.
Preparing for Medicare Payment Challenges in Orthopaedic Practice | Wilford K. Gibson, MD, FAAOS
This presentation will outline the current landscape of Medicare physician payment reductions and related advocacy concerns affecting orthopaedic surgeons. It will review the policy context, explain why these cuts matter to physicians and patients, and highlight practical ways orthopaedic surgeons can prepare for and respond to reimbursement challenges through advocacy and engagement. Because the MPFS proposed rule and IPPS are expected to be available by the meeting date, the presentation may also incorporate timely updates from those releases and discuss their relevance for orthopaedic practice as available.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the current Medicare physician payment environment and the implications of continued reimbursement cuts for orthopaedic practice.
- Evaluate available professional resources and stakeholder engagement approaches for addressing Medicare payment and policy challenges affecting orthopaedic practice.
- Discuss practical steps orthopaedic surgeons can take to prepare for payment pressures and support policy solutions that protect patient access to musculoskeletal care.
The Practice of Medicine: Orthopaedic Education Past & Present | Kenneth Gundle, MD
This presentation reviews major changes in orthopaedic surgical education over the past decade, including evolving ACGME and ABOS requirements, changing clinical training environments, and their implications for residency education, workforce development, and practice integration.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe recent ACGME and ABOS educational requirements and their impact on orthopaedic training programs.
- Explain how evolving care delivery models influence the structure and challenges of orthopaedic surgical education.
- Discuss how variations in training experiences may affect recruitment, onboarding, and professional development of new orthopaedic surgeons.
Sideline Preparedness for Youth and High School Sports | Quincy John, MD
This presentation reviews best practices for sideline coverage of youth and high school athletes, including emergency preparedness, recognition of urgent and emergent medical conditions, resource planning, and safe transition of care from the field to the clinical setting.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize common musculoskeletal and non-musculoskeletal urgent and emergent conditions encountered during sideline coverage.
- Identify personnel, equipment, and emergency action plan resources necessary for effective sideline preparedness.
- Apply appropriate strategies for triage and transition of care from the athletic venue to the clinical setting.
Pediatric Fracture Remodeling: When Observation Is Not Enough | Heather Kong, MD
This presentation reviews the principles of fracture remodeling in pediatric patients, including factors that influence remodeling potential, variations among common fracture patterns, and clinical scenarios in which early intervention may be warranted. Attendees will examine current evidence to support treatment decisions and optimize outcomes in children with fracture deformities.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe factors that influence fracture remodeling in pediatric patients, including patient age and deformity characteristics.
- Review current evidence regarding remodeling potential in common pediatric fracture patterns.
- Apply evidence-based treatment strategies when remodeling potential is limited or outcomes are unlikely to be acceptable with observation alone.
Stemmed vs. Stemless in Shoulder Arthroplasty | Jason Kurian, MD
This presentation reviews the evolution of shoulder arthroplasty design and compares contemporary stemmed and stemless implant options. Attendees will examine indications, biomechanical considerations, clinical outcomes, and emerging evidence to support implant selection and optimize patient outcomes.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the evolution of shoulder arthroplasty implant design and the development of stemless technologies.
- Compare indications, advantages, limitations, and clinical outcomes of stemmed and stemless shoulder arthroplasty.
- Apply current evidence to implant selection and surgical decision-making in appropriate patients.
Top Malpractice Pitfalls in Orthopaedics and How to Avoid Them | Matteo Leggett, JD
This presentation reviews common sources of malpractice claims in orthopaedic practice and examines evidence-based risk reduction strategies. Attendees will learn practical approaches to documentation, communication, informed consent, and clinical decision-making that may help reduce medicolegal risk and improve patient care.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify common factors contributing to malpractice claims in orthopaedic practice.
- Describe risk reduction strategies related to communication, documentation, and informed consent.
- Apply practical medicolegal principles to reduce malpractice risk and improve patient interactions.
Physical Conditioning for the Orthopaedic Surgeon | Elizabeth Lieberman, MD
Orthopaedic surgery places significant physical demands on surgeons throughout their careers. This presentation reviews the occupational stresses associated with surgical practice, examines available evidence regarding physical conditioning and injury prevention, and discusses practical strategies for incorporating surgeon-specific fitness and wellness practices into daily routines.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the physical demands and occupational health risks associated with orthopaedic surgical practice.
- Review current evidence regarding physical conditioning, injury prevention, and wellness strategies for surgeons.
- Develop practical approaches for incorporating surgeon-specific fitness and conditioning activities into daily practice.
Adult Spine Deformity: Evolution of Treatment Approach | Clifford Lin, MD
This talk will discuss the evolution of Dr. Lin’s approach to adult spinal deformity, from traditional alignment targets to a more nuanced, patient-specific strategy. The presentation will emphasize practical decision-making, the limits of one-size-fits-all correction, and the application of recent technologies to achieve individualized correction goals.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify common clinical presentations and referral considerations for patients with adult spinal deformity.
- Explain why one-size-fits-all alignment targets may be inadequate for adult spinal deformity treatment planning.
- Describe how patient-specific planning and modern surgical technologies can help optimize correction goals, risk assessment, and clinical outcomes.
Navigating Tumors: From Technique to Technology | Nicholas S. Tedesco, DO, FAAOS
This presentation reviews current applications of computer-assisted navigation in orthopaedic oncology, including indications, surgical techniques, advantages, limitations, and emerging outcome data. Attendees will gain practical insights into implementation strategies and evaluate the potential role of navigation technologies in musculoskeletal tumor surgery and other orthopaedic subspecialties.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the indications and current applications of computer-assisted navigation in orthopaedic oncology.
- Identify technical considerations, including common challenges, pearls, and pitfalls associated with navigated tumor surgery.
- Evaluate the potential benefits, limitations, and available evidence supporting the use of navigation technology in orthopaedic practice.
Building Healthier Care Environments for Patients and Clinicians | Ron Turker, MD
This presentation examines current challenges affecting clinicians, patients, and health care systems, including workforce well-being, organizational culture, patient trust, and health system sustainability. Attendees will review emerging approaches to health system improvement and explore opportunities for professional engagement, advocacy, and leadership that support healthier care environments.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe factors that influence clinician well-being, patient experience, and organizational culture within health care systems.
- Recognize characteristics of healthy and unhealthy care environments and their impact on patients and clinicians.
- Identify opportunities for professional engagement, advocacy, and leadership that support positive health system change.
Built, Not Born: Modern Limb Lengthening | Stephen Wallace, MD
This lecture will review the modern principles, indications, techniques, and controversies surrounding limb lengthening surgery. Topics will include deformity correction, post-traumatic reconstruction, stature lengthening, implant technology and complication management.
Learning Objectives:
- Review current indications for limb lengthening in reconstructive and stature applications.
- Compare external fixation and intramedullary lengthening strategies.
- Identify common complications and strategies to optimize outcomes and patient safety.
Limb Salvage in Complex Trauma, Bone Loss, and Nonunion | Stephen Wallace, MD
This lecture will review modern limb salvage strategies for complex trauma, bone loss, infection, and nonunion. Principles of stability, biology, soft tissue management, bone transport, acute shortening, staged reconstruction, and contemporary fixation strategies will be discussed through practical clinical examples.
Learning Objectives:
- Review foundational principles of limb salvage including mechanical stability and biologic preservation.
- Discuss treatment strategies for segmental bone loss, nonunion, and post-traumatic reconstruction.
- Identify indications for techniques including bone transport, acute shortening/relengthening, and staged reconstruction.
What’s New in Pediatric Orthopaedics? Rapid-Fire Updates | Natalie Zusman, MD
This rapid-fire presentation highlights recent developments, emerging evidence, and evolving treatment approaches in pediatric orthopaedic surgery. Attendees will gain awareness of practice-changing literature and contemporary management considerations for both common and uncommon pediatric conditions.
Learning Objectives:
- Identify recent developments and practice changes in pediatric orthopaedic surgery.
- Review recent literature with potential implications for pediatric orthopaedic care.
- Recognize key differences between pediatric and adult orthopaedic patient populations that may influence treatment decisions.
