AO Trauma Online Course—

Basic Principles of Fracture

Management Essentials

August, 1–31, 2023 Online—self study course PROGRAM

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Welcome
Dear AO Trauma course participant,
We are honored to welcome you to the AO Trauma Online Course—Basic Principles of Fracture Management
Essentials. We hope you will enjoy your online course and the entire experience.

What is AO Trauma? We are a "clinical division"—a community for trauma and orthopedics within the AO
Foundation. As a clinical division we aim to integrate and align applied and clinical research, education, and
community development functions into one direction—AO Trauma for the benefit of our members, stakeholders,
and patients.

How can AO Trauma benefit you? By working as a single team, we focus and leverage our resources, expertise,
and skills to create and deliver new and greater value to our members.

Why join AO Trauma? Joining AO Trauma means you are part of the trauma and orthopedic community within the
AO. AO Trauma will help you develop lifelong friendships and relationships. We will help you access our
“knowledge network” and take part in new opportunities that advance trauma care.

Yours sincerely,

Mark Reilly Mike Baumgaertner

Chairperson AO Trauma Chairperson AO Trauma
Education Commission International Board

If you enjoy the experience during your course and would like to stay in touch with the organization and its
international network of surgeons, we invite you to become a member of AO Trauma. The benefits of membership,
including options to get involved in new opportunities that advance trauma care are described at
www.aotrauma.org.

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Course description and structure
This course provides participants with the knowledge component of the AO Trauma Basic
Principles of Fracture Management course. This activity does not replace the face-to-face or
blended Basic Principles courses, as it provides mainly the knowledge component of the
curriculum. Participants are encouraged to attend a face-to-face course as a follow up event to
refresh their knowledge and add the attitude and skills component to their competencies.
This self-study course is organized into seven online modules which you need to complete
sequentially. Each module consists of lectures, readings and resources, and some practical
exercise videos and simulations. Each module ends with a short quiz, to test knowledge gained
in the module. To obtain a certificate of completion, you must complete 80% of the coursework.
The course can be completed at your own pace over four weeks.

Goal of the course

The goal of this course is to provide participants with the knowledge component of the AO Trauma Basic Principles
course.

Target participants
Doctors in surgical training and those who are interested in furthering or refreshing their knowledge in operative
fracture management.

Learning objectives
At the end of this course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the concepts of stability and their influence on bone healing

• Describe how to apply implants to achieve appropriate stability
• Describe how to plan a treatment based on assessment, imaging, classification, and decision-making
• Describe how to apply reduction techniques in fracture management, with attention to the importance of soft
tissues
• Evaluate and recognize special problems related to fractures in the immature skeleton, pelvic injuries,
osteoporotic fractures, postoperative infection, and delayed union and/or nonunion
• Explain the initial treatment of the polytraumatized patient Explain the concepts of stability and their influence
on bone healing

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Faculty

Achdiat Mustapa Mariano Codesido

Thomson Hospital, Hospital Universitario,
Kota Damansara, Malaysia Pilar, Argentina

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Module overview
Module 1: General principles

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Describe how patient-related factors affect the management of fractures
• Describe the importance of soft-tissue in fracture healing
• Use the AO/OTA Fracture and Dislocation Classification to describe a fracture

Module 2: Stability and biomechanics of bone healing

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Explain the biology of fracture healing and how it is affected by fracture treatment
• Define absolute and relative stability and describe their effects on fracture healing
• Describe the biomechanics of locking compression plates (LCP) and how to achieve different types of
stability
• Explain the principles and steps of the lag screw technique

Module 3: Treatment of diaphyseal fractures

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Describe the treatment goals for diaphyseal fractures
• Describe the treatment principle for diaphyseal fractures in the upper and lower extremities
• Determine the type of reduction and stability needed for diaphyseal fractures

Module 4: Treatment of articular fractures

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Describe the treatment goals for articular fractures
• Define the key surgical principles of the management of articular fractures
• Determine the type of reduction and stability needed for articular fractures
• Outline the function and clinical indications for the tension band technique

Module 5: Preoperative planning and forearm fractures

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Explain the rationale behind preoperative planning and the importance of careful decision making with
regard to reduction technique, implant requirements, and fixation techniques
• Comprehend the treatment principles for forearm fractures

Module 6: Emergency management and minimally invasive surgery

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Identify indications for minimally invasive osteosynthesis (MIO) and when to use it
• Understand the danger of radiation in the operating room and how to avoid it
• Outline the algorithm for polytrauma management and discuss the roles of the team members
• Recognize the pathology of severe pelvic trauma and identify the reasoning behind emergency pelvic
stabilization

Module 7: Special situations and problems

Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:

• Outline the treatment plan and priorities for open fractures
• List the causes and factors that lead to postoperative infection
• Name factors leading to delayed union and/or malunion
• Outline differences of fracture treatment in children and the elderly compared to those in adults

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Event information
Organization
Karin Franke
Clavadelerstrasse 8
7270 Davos Platz, Switzerland
Phone +41 79 772 69 97
E-mail karin.franke@aofoundation.org

Participant relations and general requests

Phone +41 79 702 90 92
E-Mail aoges.emea@aofoundation.org

Registration fee
Standard registration: CHF 25.00

Online registration
Link to event page

Language
English

Event organization compliance

In certain countries where AO has no office but offers educational events, the AO cooperates with third party
companies to conduct local organization and logistics, as well as to communicate with participants in the local
language. In these cases, the AO has put rules and guidelines in place to ensure that this cooperation has no
impact on the curricula, scientific program, or faculty selection.

AO funding sources

Unrestricted educational grants from different sources are collected and pooled together centrally by the AO.
All events are planned and scheduled by local and regional AO surgeon groups based on local needs
assessments. We rely on industrial/commercial partners for in-kind support to run simulations/skills training if
educationally needed.

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General information
Evaluation guidelines

All AO Trauma events apply the same evaluation process, which includes pre- and post-event online
evaluation. These evaluation tools help ensure that AO Trauma continues to meet your training needs.

Intellectual property

Event materials, presentations, and case studies are the intellectual property of the event faculty.

All rights are reserved. For more information, please see: www.aofoundation.org/legal.

Recording, photographing, or copying of lectures, practical exercises, case discussions, or any course
materials is absolutely forbidden.

The AO Foundation reserves the right to film, photograph, and audio record during their events. Participants
must understand that in this context they may appear in these recorded materials. The AO Foundation
assumes participants agree that these recorded materials may be used for AO marketing and other
purposes, and made available to the public.

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