AO Alliance

10/06/2026

In Lilongwe, Malawi, the Basic Principles of Fracture Management for Operating Room Personnel course was held from 28–30 April and attended by 43 participants. The course focused on peri-operative patient care, the preparation and use of instruments and implants, the management of potential intra-operative complications, and the maintenance of safe standards of practice. The course was chaired by Forcina Mdala and Boston Munthali. This was followed by the Basic Principles of Fracture Management course from 1–3 May, pictured above, attended by 17 trainee surgeons and chaired by MsPherson Mahala and Vincent Mkochi. Topics included the biology and biomechanics of bone healing, the AO/OTA Fracture and Dislocation Classification, AO principles of fracture management, reduction techniques, and the management of nonunions.

05/06/2026

Vincent Mkochi, a trauma and orthopedic spine surgeon at the Lilongwe Institute of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery (LION) and AO Alliance faculty, is raising funds and awareness for spine-injured patients living in Malawi.

His journey began on May 11 at Marka in Nsanje, Malawi's lowest geographical point, approximately 31 metres above sea level. Over the course of 13 days, he walked and hiked across the country to Sapitwa Peak on Mulanje Mountain, Malawi's highest point at 3,002 metres.

While treatment can improve quality of life and restore independence, the cost of surgery, rehabilitation, and essential medical equipment remains out of reach for most families.

By supporting this campaign, you help ensure that patients facing life-changing spinal injuries are not left to make their recovery journey alone.

Donate here: https://ow.ly/Y6u850Z70PT

03/06/2026

Wilfred Labi Addo’s illustrious career has been closely linked to his work with the AO Alliance. He joined the AO SEC in 2008 and later served as Chair of the AO Alliance Steering Committee for English-speaking Africa from 2015 to 2023.

“I was privileged to work alongside all the pioneers who laid the foundation for the establishment of the AO Alliance,” Addo said.

The AO Alliance formally began its work in Ghana in 2015, followed by the launch of the Ghana Country Initiative in 2017. Since then, trauma and orthopedic training capacity in Ghana has grown considerably. Residency intake increased from two trainees in 2017 to 97 in May 2026 under a structured six-year training program overseen by a faculty board at the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons. The number of training centers expanded from two to seven nationwide.

Addo identifies his proudest achievement as: “Providing unique opportunities for the training and development of surgeons, operating room personnel, and technicians across Africa, who are now national leaders in their respective fields and champions of AO principles.”

18/05/2026

+++ Eighth annual conference of the Association of Pelvic & Acetabular Surgeons (AOPAS) held in New Delhi +++

The event took place in New Delhi, India, from April 17–19, 2026 under the leadership of Vivek Trikha who is this year’s president of AOPAS, and who also serves as AO Alliance Medical Advisor for Asia.

The conference brought together around 300 physicians from India and 13 international participants, including six supported by the AO Alliance from Asia and Africa. The program included cadaveric workshops—featuring basic and advanced sessions with small-group, hands-on training—followed by lectures and case discussions on key principles, reduction techniques, and fixation methods in pelvic and acetabular (P&A) surgery.

With over 50 faculty members, including national P&A experts, the meeting focused on sharing current concepts in P&A surgery to support consistent standards of care and improved patient outcomes.

15/05/2026

The 2025 Annual Report is now available online, detailing a year of noteworthy progress in our mission to improve care of the injured in 37 countries in Africa and Asia. The report features success stories about patients treated by our faculty of active surgeons in Burkina Faso, Cambodia, Cameroon, and Malawi. In 2025 alone, the AO Alliance trained over 8,000 healthcare workers during 336 educational events. This brings our cumulative total since 2015 to over 59,000 healthcare workers trained in fracture management through 2,000+ educational events. These educational initiatives are critical to building local capacity and ensuring sustainable improvements in care of the injured.

Read it here: https://ow.ly/kNxq50Z040h

06/05/2026

L’objectif principal de cet atelier est d’améliorer les compétences et la confiance des
participants dans la prévention, le diagnostic et la prise en charge des infections liées
aux fractures. À l’issue de l’atelier, les participants seront capables de :

✅ Appliquer les définitions de consensus et les critères diagnostiques actuels de la FRI.

✅ Interpréter les données microbiologiques, histopathologiques et d’imagerie pertinentes dans le cadre d’une FRI.

✅ Élaborer des stratégies chirurgicales adaptées aux contextes locaux des FRI aiguës et chroniques.

✅ Choisir une antibiothérapie systémique et locale appropriée en collaboration avec les spécialistes des maladies infectieuses.

✅ Mettre en oeuvre une prise en charge multidisciplinaire (MDT) et des parcours de soins structurés.

Inscrivez-vous ici: https://ow.ly/FXRO50YVg9f

16/02/2026

"Expanding Access to Orthopedic Trauma Care: Evaluation of a Task‐Sharing Model With a Remote Quality Assessment Tool for Open Tibia Shaft Fractures in Malawi", has been published! Read it here: https://ow.ly/v3yH50Yfa17

30/01/2026

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Ruth Gremminger to the AO Alliance Board of Directors, starting from January 2026. Gremminger is a senior consultant at the Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology at the Kantonsspital in Winterthur, Switzerland, where she also serves as deputy team lead for pediatric orthopedics and deformities.

Abdoulie Janneh and Nikolaus Renner, who have served on the Board since 2016 and 2018 respectively, have bid us farewell as their terms have come to an end. Janneh had previously served as UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA). Renner first joined the Board as a delegate of the AO Foundation Board, and then was appointed as Vice-Chair in 2020.

We extend our gratitude to Abdoulie Janneh and Nikolaus Renner for their dedication to supporting care of the injured in Africa and Asia and their strategic guidance.

29/01/2026

As part of its ongoing mission to strengthen the global surgical workforce, SURGhub has launched a new Learning Needs Assessment to better understand the priorities of surgical teams around the world. This short, ten-minute survey aims to gather valuable insights into the learning needs, preferences, and suggestions of those delivering care on the frontlines.

The findings will directly shape the future development of SURGhub, ensuring the platform meets real-world needs and continues to strengthen surgical systems globally.

The survey is open until 28 February 2026 -> https://ow.ly/V9lJ50Y5ifp

05/01/2026

As part of the AO Alliance Ethiopia Country Initiative, the AO Alliance is supporting efforts to strengthen fracture care through locally developed education and training resources. The Bone Setting Associated Disability (BOSAD) Study team, led by Mengistu G. Mengesha, developed and released a new series of instructional videos on nonoperative fracture care to assist traditional bonesetters and other frontline healthcare workers in Ethiopia. -> https://ow.ly/HOYx50XQ7PO

BOSAD produced the 10 instructional videos in Amharic, with English subtitles, focusing on commonly used nonoperative fracture management techniques. The videos cover the following procedures: Radial Gutter Application, U-Shaped Slab Application, Ulnar Gutter Application, Long Arm Posterior Gutter Application, Short Arm Cast Application, Short Leg Posterior Gutter Application, Short Leg Cast Application, Long Leg Posterior Gutter Application, Hawassa (POP) Traction Application, and Patellar Tendon Bearing (PTB) Cast Application. The content is designed for the consistent, safe application of fracture care techniques in settings where surgical resources may be limited.

The BOSAD Study is a research and advocacy initiative focused on reducing disability associated with inappropriate fracture care, including complications related to traditional bone-setting practices. BOSAD works through a multicenter hospital network in collaboration with clinical teams, public health partners, and national stakeholders to collect data, inform policy, and develop targeted educational interventions.

The development of these training videos aligns with the objectives of the AO Alliance Ethiopia Country Initiative, which emphasizes capacity building, education, and system strengthening to improve patient outcomes. By providing practical training materials in Amharic, the initiative facilitates wider dissemination of standardized nonoperative care practices.

Through its partnership with BOSAD, the AO Alliance promotes locally led initiatives that address identified gaps in fracture care and contribute to sustainable improvements in musculoskeletal health services in Ethiopia.

The Bone Setting Associated Disability (BOSAD) Study is a national research and advocacy initiative in Ethiopia dedicated to reducing disability and complica...