AO Technical Commission Meet the Experts

This popular format offers the opportunity to learn about the AO Technical Commission's most recently approved medical devices and to explore hot topics in trauma and orthopedic surgery. The sessions showcase clinical benefits of innovative devices and surgical techniques which are so new that they have not yet been included in AO course programs.

In an engaging series of stage shows featuring practical demonstrations, expert surgeons who are directly involved in the development of new implants and instruments present clinical cases and explain the benefits of new solutions for patient care. The sessions are streamed live and available thereafter on our website.

Meet the Experts 2021

Offering the opportunity to learn about the latest innovations and explore current topics in orthopedic surgery.

Symphony—Occipito-Cervico-Thoracic System

Occipital-Cervical-Thoracic (OCT) Systems have been developed to provide posterior correction and stabilization of spinal segments as an adjunct to fusion from the occiput to the thoracic spine. The current generation of OCT systems address the clinical needs for open posterior approach for numerous pathologies to include degenerative conditions, trauma, tumors, deformities, and infections. The SYMPHONY™ OCT System is an enhanced set of instruments and implants for posterior fixation of the occipital-cervical junction, subaxial spine, and cervico-thoracic junction. SYMPHONY Compartment 1 has recently been supplemented by Enhanced and Innovative elements (Compartment 2) to further address surgical needs and avoid pitfalls in a complex cervical surgery. In this Meet the Experts video, Rick Bransford and Maarten Spruit demonstrate the new features of the Symphony OCT System on an artificial bone model by instrumenting the spine according to the FATE principle (fixation-alignment-targeting-extension).

Clinical Application of the 1.3 Locking System

The 1.3 Locking System is intended for the treatment of fracture and arthrodesis in canines and felines. This recently approved system, developed by our industrial partner in collaboration with the Small Animal Expert Group (SAEG) is a solution for fracture management in the smaller breed canine and feline population for which the 1.5 LCP System is too large. The 1.3 Locking System consists of stainless steel 1.3 mm screws, locking plates, instruments, and an implant module set. The set contains an extensive range of implant options to accommodate various fracture types and locations. In this Meet the Experts video, Mike Kowaleski and Erik Asimus introduce the veterinary community to this new system.

Innovations in Treatment of Periprosthetic Proximal Femur Fractures

The number of periprosthetic femoral fractures (PFFs) is expected to rise. PFFs are challenging to treat because patients often have diminished bone quality and the physical presence of the THA, and possibly a cement mantle, obstruct adequate proximal fixation. A new modular periprosthetic plating system with locking technology (3.5/4.5 Variable Angle LCP Periprosthetic Proximal Femur Plating System) was developed to address deficiencies in the treatment of Vancouver types A and B fractures. The versatility of the system allows the surgeon to connect the plate components in various configurations in response to different fracture patterns. The number of plate holes and their location were chosen to facilitate high fixation density around an intramedullary implant. In this Meet the Experts video, Karl Stoffel and Christopher Finkemeier present the clinical benefits of this plating system and demonstrate its use in a bone model.

Patella fracture treatment: Variable Angle Locking Patella Plating

Despite the low incidence of patella fractures, the consequences of inadequate fracture treatment are potentially disabling. Tension band wiring with K-wires is regarded as the gold standard treatment although high rates of symptomatic hardware and loss of fixation have been reported. The Variable Angle Locking Patella Plating System was developed to reduce these complication rates. The plates of this system leverage a smooth, low-profile mesh design to minimize soft tissue irritations, preserve blood supply and facilitate plate adaptation to the bone. Six plate types in stainless steel and titanium facilitate the fixation of a large variety of fractures in large and small patellae. The repeatable surgical technique minimizes the user variation which is observed for tension band wiring. In this Meet the Experts video, Eladio Saura-Sanchez and Christoph Sommer explain the design features of the 2.7 mm Variable Angle Locking Anterior Patella Plate and the functionality of the instruments. Furthermore, the presenters show the use of this plate in a cadaveric specimen with a comminuted patella fracture model. In addition, the two experts share their first clinical case experiences and provide valuable recommendations for the usage of this innovative plating system.

Innovations in clavicle fracture management: VA Clavicle System 2.7 mm - Segmental and hook plates

The Variable Angle LCP Clavicle Plate 2.7 System is the next generation of internal fixation for the clavicle designed to treat medial, lateral, and shaft fractures. As an addition to the VA-LCP Clavicle Plate 2.7 System, the VA-LCP Clavicle Hook Plate System 2.7 provides a solution for both lateral clavicular fractures with associated acromioclavicular ligament and coracoclavicular ligament injuries and ligamentous injuries of the acromioclavicular joint. The system was created in response to clinical challenges in the current treatment of fractures of the clavicle and is available in both stainless steel and titanium alloy. In this Meet the Experts video, Martin Jaeger and Simon Lambert present the new plates and instruments and the philosophy behind this new system.

Innovations in retrograde femoral nailing - Retrograde Femoral Nail Advanced

Retrograde nailing of native and periprosthetic distal femoral fractures can be challenging due to limited implant anchorage in far distal femur fractures and in presence of prostheses. Insufficient implant fixation may result in complications requiring revision surgery. The new RFN-Advanced (RFN-A) Retrograde Femoral Nailing System was developed to address this issue. It offers an anatomically shaped 6-hole plate (the locking attachment washer) which can be placed at the lateral femoral epicondyle to connect it to the retrograde nail in an angular stable manner. The enhanced fixation options of the RFN-A (including also a nut and washer system for interlocking screws) are intended to expand the retrograde nailing indications and to support early patient mobilization. In this Meet the Experts video, Karl Stoffel and Martin Hessmann present the clinical benefits of this innovative nailing system and demonstrate its use in a bone model.

Innovations in nailing of tibial fractures - Tibia Nail Advanced

Intramedullary nailing is becoming increasingly popular for proximal and especially distal tibial fracture fixation. However, expanding the nailing indications toward metaphyseal tibial fractures results in the challenge to fix short bone fragments with adequate stability. The new TN-Advanced (TN-A) Tibial Nailing System was specifically designed to address this issue. The new nail has preassembled inlays in the proximal and distal parts of the nail to provide angular stability when interlocking screws are inserted. Furthermore, the new nail system provides instruments for the infrapatellar, intraarticular suprapatellar, and extraarticular parapatellar approaches. The suprapatellar instrumentation features a compressible suprapatellar sleeve that is designed to reduce the pressure on the patellofemoral joint. In this Meet the Experts video, Karl Stoffel and Martin Hessmann explain the advantages of this innovative nailing system and show the instruments for the suprapatellar approach in a bone model.

Meet the Experts 2020

Delivering expert's knowledge across the world despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

New 3.5 LCP plate for distal femoral fractures and osteotomies in medium and large dogs

Patellar luxation is a common cause of pelvic limb lameness in dogs. Although patella luxation can occur because of trauma, most canine cases of patellar luxation occur because of abnormal femoral and tibial modeling during skeletal development. Michael Kowaleski and Erik Asimus, from the AO Technical Commission Small Animal Expert Group, present the newly developed pre-contoured locking plate. This plate has been designed to accommodate the femoral procurvatum and addresses the condylar morphology. Additionally, The trajectories of the three distal locking screws were designed to avoid the intercondylar notch, maximize screw purchase in the caudal portion of the femoral condyle, while also avoiding cranial screw placement so as to preserve bone for concurrent sulcoplasty.

Find all Meet the Experts sessions here.

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