This webinar is an AAOS member benefit: Members attend for free!

Article Description 

Introduction:
The effect of social drivers of health (SDOH) on readmissions and costs after total hip arthroplasty (THA) and total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is poorly understood. Policies such as the Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program have targeted overall readmission reduction, using value-based strategies to improve healthcare quality. However, the implications of SDOH on these outcomes are not yet understood. We hypothesized that the area deprivation index (ADI) as a surrogate for SDOH would markedly influence readmission rates and healthcare costs in the 90-day postprocedural period for THA and TKA.

Methods:
We used the 100% US fee-for-service Medicare claims data from 2019 to 2021. Patients were identified using diagnosis-related groups. Our primary outcomes included 90-day unplanned readmission after hospital discharge and cost of care, treated as “high cost” if > 1 standard deviation above the mean. The relationships between ADI and primary outcomes were estimated with logistic regression models.

Results:
A total of 628,399 patients were included in this study. The mean age of patients was 75.6, 64% were female, and 7.8% were dually eligible for Medicaid. After full covariate adjustment, readmission was higher for patients in more deprived areas (high Area Deprivation Index (ADI)) (low socioeconomic status (SES) group OR: 1.30 [95% confidence intervals 1.23, 1.38]). ADI was associated with high cost before adjustment (low SES group odds ratio 1.08 [95% confidence intervals 1.04, 1.11], P < 0.001), although, after adjustment, this association was lost.

Learning Objectives

1. Identify key social drivers of health (SDOH) and describe how the Area Deprivation Index (ADI) is used to assess socioeconomic disadvantage in patients undergoing total hip and total knee arthroplasty.
2. Examine the relationship between socioeconomic disadvantage and 90-day unplanned readmission rates following primary total hip and total knee arthroplasty.
3. Evaluate the impact of social drivers of health on postoperative healthcare costs, including the influence of patient characteristics and other contributing factors.
4. Discuss the implications of socioeconomic disparities for patient risk assessment, postoperative care planning, and efforts to reduce readmissions following total joint arthroplasty.

Director

Joshua Rozell, MD, FAAOS

Co-Authors

Christian Pean, MD, Lulla Kiwinda, BS, Mikhail Bethell, MD, MS, Amy Clark, PhD, Bradley Hammill, DrPH, Thorsten Seyler, MD, PhD, FAAOS

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, you may still register to be notified upon the availability of the recorded session. Access to the recording will be granted for a duration of 2 years.

This webinar is an AAOS member benefit: Members attend for free!

Description

Preparing for the ABOS Part II Oral Examination begins well before the exam itself. This webinar is designed for orthopaedic surgeons entering the 2028 ABOS Part II examination cycle and will provide practical guidance to help candidates understand the certification process, prepare for case collection, and establish strong documentation practices from the start.

Faculty will review key milestones in the Part II process, discuss case collection and selection considerations, and share strategies for maintaining clear, complete, and organized case records. Attendees will also gain practical insights into common challenges and how to approach preparation efficiently and confidently throughout the examination cycle.

Learning Objectives

• Describe the major requirements, milestones, and timeline associated with the 2028 ABOS Part II examination cycle.
• Apply effective strategies for case collection, documentation, and organization in preparation for the Part II Oral Examination.
• Identify common challenges and potential pitfalls encountered during the case collection and examination preparation process.
• Develop a proactive preparation plan to support efficient case management and readiness for the ABOS Part II Oral Examination.

Co-Directors

Dr. Salil Upsani and Dr. Youssra Marjoua

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, you may still register to be notified upon the availability of the recorded session. Access to the recording will be granted for a duration of 2 years.

Your Part II preparation starts with the cases you collect today. Learn how to get it right from the beginning!

This webinar is an AAOS member benefit: Members attend for free!

Description

Orthopedic Surgery is evolving fast. While technology plays a major role, a lot of the transformation is happening in where and how we perform surgery. This program reviews the most recent advances in awake surgery of both extremities, hand, and spine, and establishes what can be done in the office setting, ambulatory surgery setting, and the hospital main operating room.

Learning Objectives

Objective 1: Learning about the spectrum of awake surgery in upper and lower extremity and spine
Objective 2: Exploring what can be done in various surgical settings: Hospital main OR; ASC; and in-off
Objective 3: Looking at the future of Orthopedic Surgery and the transformation in anesthesia and surgical venue choices

Director

Shafic Sraj, MD, MBA, FAAOS

Faculty

Kevin Plancher, MD, MPH, FAAOS, Asif Ilyas, MD, FAAOS, Alok Sharan, MD, FAAOS, Arianna Gianakos, DO, FAAOS

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, you may still register to be notified upon the availability of the recorded session. Access to the recording will be granted for a duration of 2 years.

This webinar is an AAOS member benefit: Members attend for free!

Description

The direct anterior approach (DAA) to total hip arthroplasty presents a learning curve at every stage of experience—from initial adoption to increasingly complex primary and revision cases. This webinar will explore practical tips, techniques, and strategies to help surgeons optimize their current approach and continue advancing their skills.

Through expert insights, case examples, and discussion, faculty will address common challenges encountered throughout the DAA learning curve and share strategies for improving technique, efficiency, and decision-making. Whether new to the approach or an experienced DAA surgeon looking to expand indications and refine advanced techniques, attendees will gain practical takeaways to confidently progress to the next level of their practice.

Learning Objectives

• Identify common challenges and complications associated with the learning curve for direct anterior approach (DAA) total hip arthroplasty and strategies to overcome them.
• Apply practical techniques, technologies, and efficiency strategies to safely expand the use of DAA THA across increasingly complex cases.
• Evaluate when DAA THA is appropriate for their practice and identify opportunities to improve surgical skills and decision-making regardless of preferred approach.

Director

Alexander Sah, MD, FAAOS

Faculty

Joel Matta, MD, Charles DeCook, MD, Jonathan Yerasimides, MD 

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, you may still register to be notified upon the availability of the recorded session. Access to the recording will be granted for a duration of 2 years.

This webinar is an AAOS member benefit: Members attend for free! 

Description

Even routine primary total knee arthroplasty can quickly become complex when unexpected intraoperative challenges arise. This webinar will provide practical bailout strategies for navigating these high-stakes situations, with an emphasis on real-time decision-making, salvage techniques, and technical pearls.

Through expert discussion and case-based examples, faculty will address challenges related to alignment, stability, fracture management, and other scenarios in which the original operative plan may no longer apply. Designed to be relevant for surgeons across experience levels, this webinar will provide high-yield strategies and practical takeaways that can be applied immediately in practice.

Learning Objectives

Objective 1: Recognize common intraoperative complications encountered during primary TKA and identify early warning signs that require deviation
Objective 2: Apply practical bailout strategies for managing unexpected technical failures to restore fixation, stability, and alignment intraoperatively.
Objective 3: Develop systematic decision-making algorithms for implant selection, salvage reconstruction, and complication avoidance when routine primary arthroplasty goes off script.

Director

Joshua Rozell, MD, FAAOS

Faculty 

Elizabeth Gausden, MD, Cameron Ledford, MD, Jesse Wolfstadt, MD 

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
 

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, you may still register to be notified upon the availability of the recorded session. Access to the recording will be granted for a duration of 2 years.

This webinar is an AAOS member benefit - members join for free!

Description

The webinar will feature an update on the presentation, diagnose, and management of meniscal root tears. Current approaches including fixation methods, addressing extrusion, concomitant pathologies, and rehabilitation will be discussed. A case – based format will be included.

Learning Objectives

1. Learn diagnostic and arthroscopic recognition of various types of meniscal root pathologies in different patients.
2. Discuss current methodologies of stabilization and fixation options including suture and anchor techniques and meniscal centralization.
3. Share tips, pearls and pitfalls in a case – based presentation interactive discussion.

Director

Nicholas Sgaglione, MD, FAAOS

Faculty

Jorge Chahla, MD, David Flanigan, MD, FAAOS, Aaron Krych, MD, FAAOS

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, you may still register to be notified upon the availability of the recorded session. Access to the recording will be granted for a duration of 2 years.

This webinar is an AAOS member benefit - members join for free!

Description

Orthopaedic surgeons of all subspecialties take call and can face a predictable constellation of high-stakes fractures that demand confident decision-making and technical skill—often without subspecialty backup. Subtrochanteric femur fractures, arthroplasty for hip fractures, lower extremity fractures that need temporization and fasciotomy, a comminuted proximal humerus fracture each carry unique technical pitfalls that generate avoidable complications when poorly managed. Despite the frequency of these injuries, there can be a gap between current best-evidence practice and surgeon expertise. This interactive session closes that gap with high-yield cases, structured table-based discussion, and evidence-anchored solutions that translate directly to optimizing results in the OR.

Learning Objectives 

Objective 1: Discuss reduction techniques for hip fractures and definitive stabilization.
Objective 2:  Identify techniques for temporization of high stakes fractures, including completing a fasciotomy.
Objective 3: Describe treatment principles for a comminuted proximal humerus fracture

Director

Lisa Cannada, MD, FAAOS

Faculty

Jana Davis, MD, Carol Lin, MD, Brian Millis, MD, Brianna Fram, MD 

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education (CME) for physicians. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons designates this live activity for a maximum of 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

If you are unable to attend the live webinar, you may still register to be notified upon the availability of the recorded session. Access to the recording will be granted for a duration of 2 years.