AANA Advanced Procedure-Specific Knee and Shoulder Course Offers Paradigm-Shift in Surgical Skills Acquisition

Premier lab course for arthroscopists sets new standard with unparalleled educational impact.

ROSEMONT, IL – NOVEMBER 2023 – The Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) recently concluded their groundbreaking skills training course. The Advanced Procedure-Specific Knee and Shoulder Course not only lived up to its high expectations but far exceeded them, marking a historic milestone in orthopaedic skills acquisition training. This unique educational offering set a new standard for surgical training, reinforcing AANA’s position as the world-wide leader in arthroscopic education.

The three day course provided an unrivaled opportunity for practicing orthopaedic surgeons to master complex procedures such as Scope-Assisted Lower Trapezius Transfer, the Bridge-Enhanced ACL Repair, Trochleopasty, Arthroscopically-Assisted Reconstruction of the Glenoid with Distal Tibial Allograft, Open and Arthroscopic Latarjet, State-of-the-Art Re-surfacing with Auto and Allografts, All-Inside Quadriceps ACL Reconstruction, Reverse Total Shoulder to name but a few of the greater than 60 procedures from which the participants could select.

In advance of the course, participants selected the procedures that they wanted to master, and over three lab sessions, each lasting 4.5 hours. The attendees were matched with world-class faculty, many of whom were Past Presidents of AANA, who helped them master their selected operations in an individualized, highly interactive environment at the Orthopaedic Learning Center. The attendees could choose to learn only knee or shoulder procedures or any combination in an effort to help them fill in any surgical skills gaps that may have left them under-prepared to meet the needs of their patient population.

On the Friday preceding the actual hands-on skill course, a thoughtfully curated agenda featured case-based panel discussions led by master surgeons who shared their invaluable insights and strategies for success. Healthy debates and vigorous interactive discussions encompassed critical topics such as shoulder instability, optimal treatment for the patella, meniscal preservation, complex knee instability strategies as well as shoulder and knee arthroplasty, culminating in a dedicated session entitled “Knee and Shoulder Cases of the Year” presented by the faculty.

Ten highlighted industry surgical demos focusing on the latest materials, techniques and implants contributed to this special event that saw a sold-out attendance with a growing waitlist and participants attending from 17 different countries. Attendees were able to take their surgical skills to new heights as they learned from the "best of the best” in an individualized and one-on one collaboration.

“This course reflected the expertise of so many giants in arthroscopy. It fostered detailed, systematic transfer of knowledge and great enthusiasm for the participants,” shared attendee Georgios D. Tsikouris, M.D. “The very high level of expertise of the faculty and all the AANA and OLC staff gave us the best experience for gaining practical knowledge. I am in my 60s, and compared to other courses all over the world this is the most valuable I’ve attended.”

“This course was all about teaching and a new way of doing things; a more dynamic, interactive way of teaching,” expressed faculty member Oke Anakwenze, M.D. “We also had the best shoulder and knee surgeons in the country who were all there to dedicate themselves to showing their craft and also learning from each other. So, for me on a personal level, I was there to teach, but I was also there to learn. We had some of the greatest surgeons in the world there.”

The highly personalized effort to place the attendees’ needs first rather than adhering to a formulaic approach to education was a transformative journey that left every participant invigorated, inspired and equipped with the knowledge and skills to better help their patients and to enhance their practices.

“The course was indicative of AANA’s constant search to improve the acquisition of arthroscopic surgical skills. Our goals were to target a unique and different approach to AANA surgical skills education by recruiting the very best expert master faculty, crafting an advanced and focused curriculum and offering a procedure specific directed approach to learning,” shared Course Co-Chairs, Rick Ryu, M.D. and Nick Sgaglione, M.D. “This was successfully accomplished and may serve as a future template for improved learning and educational events for AANA. The advanced procedure-specific course was intense and demanding, but those who attended were well rewarded with a notable increase in their surgical skills complemented by enhanced prowess in the state-of-the-art decision making. “

AANA is an international professional organization of more than 5,500 Orthopaedic Surgeons and other medical professionals who are committed to advancing the field of minimally invasive orthopaedic surgery to improve patient outcomes through education, research and advancement.

Media Contact:

Christine Nogal, MBA, CAE

Chief Operations and Business Development Officer, Arthroscopy Association of North America

847-993-2063

christinen@aana.org