In order to promote transparency and confidence in the educational programs and in the decisions of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (hereinafter collectively referred to as “AAOS”), the AAOS Board of Directors has adopted this mandatory disclosure policy.

The actions and expressions of Fellows or Members providing education of the highest quality or in shaping AAOS policy must be as free of outside influence as possible and any relevant potentially conflicting interests or commercial relationships must be disclosed. Because the AAOS depends upon voluntary service by Fellows and Members to conduct its educational programs and achieve its organizational goals, this disclosure policy has been designed to be realistic and workable.

The AAOS does not view the existence of these interests or relationships as necessarily implying bias or decreasing the value of your participation in the AAOS.

Obligation to Disclose

Each participant in the AAOS CME program or member of the AAOS Board of Directors, Board of Councilors, Board of Specialty Societies, Councils, Cabinets, Committees, Project Teams or other official AAOS groups (collectively “AAOS governance groups”) has the obligation to disclose all potentially conflicting interests. Each participant in the AAOS CME program or in AAOS governance groups must disclose relevant activities or relationships through the AAOS mandatory disclosure program.

Using a uniform form approved by the AAOS Board of Directors, participants are responsible for providing information to the AAOS disclosure database regarding the nature of their relationships with commercial entities relating to orthopaedics. Participants are responsible for the accuracy and completeness of their information. In addition, participants have an obligation to review and update their personal information in the AAOS disclosure database at least once annually. It is recommended that participants note any changes to the AAOS disclosure database as soon as possible after they occur.

A failure of a participant to participate in the AAOS mandatory disclosure program will result in the participant being asked not to participate in the AAOS CME program or in the AAOS governance group.

Informed Consent

Unpublished photographs of patients, if they portray any part of the body that might identify the patient, can be used only if the patient or the patient's guardian(s) consent to their use. If the patient or any other person is identifiable, the art will be cropped and the faces will be obscured unless permission to use the photograph is given by the patient shown in the photograph or by the patient’s guardian if a minor is shown.