Week one of the AO Davos Courses 2024: Bridging generations to advance excellence in trauma and musculoskeletal care

The AO Davos Courses 2024 commenced with its landmark Opening Ceremony, welcoming 573 participants from 67 countries and 182 faculty members to the first week of our annual flagship event, this year dedicated to 13 specialized AO Trauma courses. AO President Tim Pohlemann inaugurated the event, celebrating the AO's enduring legacy of research, innovation, and education through global collaboration. This year marks the 65th edition of our annual flagship event, extending over two weeks and delivering courses led by world-leading surgeons in trauma, spine, CMF, VET, recon, and sports medicine.

Attendees enjoying the AO Davos Courses Opening Ceremony's Founders Reception

The AO's Head of Communications, Olga Harrington, sharing this year's AO Davos Courses offerings

A legacy of excellence since 1958

In his keynote address, Pohlemann shared his AO journey—beginning with when he first encountered the AO in 1983 through the AO’s Manual of Internal Fixation (Manuel der Osteosyntheses) when he was a resident preparing for a rotation in trauma surgery. This book, authored by AO founders Maurice Müller, Martin Allgöwer, Robert Schneider, and Hans Willenegger, is internationally known as the go-to book for osteosynthesis specialists. Through this book, Pohlemann learned about the influence of mechanics on biological processes and the art and aesthetics of fracture reconstruction. That was just the beginning of a lifelong relationship with the AO for Pohlemann, who took advantage of the AO’s opportunities to grow a network built upon teamwork, friendship, and collaboration, culminating with his current presidency.

Pohlemann then dialed further back in time to the AO’s historic beginnings, to its founding on November 6, 1958, when 13 visionary surgeons (including the authors of the Manual of Internal Fixation) gathered in Biel, Switzerland, to establish the AO. The AO’s founding principles revolutionized fracture management through four key pillars: soft-tissue preservation, fracture fixation, fracture realignment, and early mobilization.

"The AO is more than just a professional network,” Pohlemann emphasized. “It's a lifelong family that inspires and supports its members across generations."

Attendees enjoying the AO Davos Courses Opening Ceremony's Founders Reception

Director of AO Research Institute Davos, Geoff Richards

Comprehensive learning experience

In front of the packed house, the AO’s Head of Communications, Olga Harrington, shared how the AO Davos Courses deliver far more than technical training—they offer a gateway into the AO’s community and collaborative spirit that bridges generations, building connections between research, innovation, and education.

Through the AO Davos Courses’ unparalleled complementary events, participants get a window into the AO experience—one that can grow into a lifelong relationship, as with AO President Tim Pohlemann. This year’s complementary offerings for week one include daily Meet the Experts sessions in the SHARD, select fireside chats between participants and key opinion leading surgeons, a tour of the AO’s headquarters to gain insights into ARI’s cutting-edge research, AO Access leadership sessions, membership offerings, and networking events such as the AO Davos Courses Night providing participants with diverse opportunities to have exchanges with one another and the 182 faculty present.

Tim Pohlemann delivering his Opening Ceremony address to a packes house at the Davos Congress Centre

Innovation through three institutes

The Opening Ceremony highlighted the AO's three distinguished institutes and their offerings.

The AO Education Institute (AO EI) delivers cutting-edge educational experiences to the AO’s global course offerings, featuring virtual reality modules and the new Digitally Enhanced Hands-on Surgical Training (DEHST) tool. Throughout the courses, participants will gain insights into new learning tools developed with the AO EI that are being integrated into the AO’s course offerings, and participants can help train AI-powered tools in development.

The AO Research Institute Davos (ARI) leads groundbreaking research in musculoskeletal care, with seven of its scientists ranking among the world's top 2% most-cited researchers. Between 2009 and 2024, the institute has fostered 180 medical research fellows from 38 countries, creating a global network of expertise.

AO Innovation Translation Center (AO ITC) transforms clinical needs into practical solutions through its comprehensive value chain. Notable achievements include the Fracture Monitor, Distal Radius Nail, and Biphasic Plate.

During week one’s Opening Ceremony, Pohlemann presented Keith Mayo with the prestigious AO Recognition Award for his 33-year contribution to the AO’s mission to improve patient outcomes in the treatment of trauma and musculoskeletal disorders through his involvement with the AO Technical Commission and as a medical member of the AO Technical Commission Trauma, as well as the Next Generation Plating Task Force. Pohlemann explained that throughout Mayo’s long and distinguished career with the AO, he has consistently delivered excellence in the development of the pelvic system, as the chairperson leading the Pelvic Expert Group, and as a keynote lecturer at the AO Technical Commission Trauma Experts Symposia and pelvic courses.

AO Past President Nikolaus Renner presenting on AO Alliance

Tim Pohlemann giving Keith Mayo the AO Recognition Award

Global impact through the AO Alliance

AO Past President Nikolaus Renner presented the AO Alliance's remarkable achievements in the past ten years. Since 2015, the initiative has:

Conducted 1,276 educational events
Trained over 41,000 healthcare workers
Developed 300+ healthcare workers as trainers
Provided 500+ fellowships
Established programs in 35 countries across Africa and Asia

Not in Davos this year? AO TV has you covered!

AO TV is unique to the AO Davos Courses; it’s a free online platform where viewers can access extensive, in-depth interviews and discussions with experts from the AO’s surgeon community. These programs are filmed on-site during the courses and feature select live-streamed sessions.

Access the detailed program and AO TV’s sessions online and experience this year’s AO Davos Courses and the best of AO TV from past years—available this year until December 12.

Looking ahead: Week two and registration for AO Davos Courses 2025

Week two of the AO Davos Courses is fully booked and includes courses in AO Trauma, AO Spine, AO CMF, AO Recon, AO VET, and AO Sports, bringing the total number of participants for 2024 to more than 1,000 individuals from 75 countries supported by 338 faculty members.

With a fully subscribed event and waiting lists for this year's courses, it's not too early to plan for the AO Davos Courses 2025, scheduled for November 30–December 12, 2025. Registration is now open—don't miss the opportunity to join this transformative event and contribute to the future of musculoskeletal care. Visit the AO Davos Courses webpage to secure your spot.