AO NA Executive Council

Dr. Amy Kapatkin is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and she specializes in small animal orthopedic surgery. Dr. Kapatkin graduated from the Gregorio Araneta University Foundation in the Philippines in 1981. After graduation from veterinary school, she entered private practice in general small animal medicine for four years. Dr. Kapatkin then completed a rotating internship and small animal surgical residency at the Animal Medical Center in New York City from 1986 - 1990. After her specialty training, she stayed on as a staff member at the Animal Medical Center. In 1996, Dr. Kapatkin accepted a faculty position at the University of Pennsylvania. In 2004, she came to the University of California - Davis as an Associate Professor with tenure, and during that time, completed a Master’s degree in Clinical Research. She is now a Full Professor. Her clinical orthopedic research is done in the Veterinary Orthopedic Research Laboratory. Dr. Kapatkin is an AO Faculty member, a Past-Chair of the AO VET North America Education Committee, served on the AO VET NA Board, AO VET Education International Board, AO NA Educational Advisory Committee, Faculty Alignment Committee, AO ACCESS, and the President of AO NA. Dr. Kapatkin is presently the Chair of the AO NA BOD. Dr. Kapatkin teaches AO VET courses both nationally and internationally.

After having spent over 20 years in education at two different teaching centers, Dr. Cunningham recently entered private practice in Waco, TX. Dr. Cunningham is a past president of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and is an AOCMF Educational Board member. His clinical interests include orthognathic surgery, facial trauma and reconstruction, and temporomandibular joint surgery. Dr. Cunningham is a Fellow of the American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons and is a Diplomat of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.

Dr. Klineberg is a board-certified Orthopaedic surgeon and Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the UTHealth Houston. He has a busy clinical practice which is focused on spinal surgery with cases that range from minimally invasive discectomies and fusions to complex spinal oncology and deformity reconstructions. Dr. Klineberg has specific expertise in deformity surgery and spinal trauma and has published multiple papers on deformity correction, outcomes research and complications as well as the biomechanics of spinal correction. His basic science research interests currently focus on the biomechanics of spinal fusion and fixation.

After obtaining a bachelor's degree from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, Dr. Crist earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, and a fellowship in orthopaedic trauma at the University of California-Davis. Dr. Crist is the Director of the Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship, and the Vice Chairman for Business Development. He specializes in orthopaedic trauma/fracture care, limb deformity/nonunion/malunion, hip and pelvis reconstruction including total hip arthroplasty, and young adult hip disorders/hip preservation. Dr. Crist is a Tenured Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and is the Stannard Family Endowed Professor. He has research interests in fracture care, nonunions, deformity, infections, anterior total hip arthroplasty, patient-centered outcomes and hip preservation procedures. From the beginning of his career, he’s been involved with AO and continues to enjoy teaching at AO events, participating in committee and leadership roles, and being a part of the AO Family.

Dr. Rizzo obtained his medical degree at Temple University in Philadelphia. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina and his hand/microvascular surgery fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. After being on staff at Duke University from 2002-5, he joined the faculty at Mayo, where he has since remained. He is a professor of orthopedic surgery and has served as chair of the hand surgery division from 2015 to 2024. He is also Director of the Program for Professionalism and Values and Chair of the Mayo Clinic Values Council for the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Rizzo currently serves as the AONA Education Advisory Board Chair. He has previously served on the AONA ethics, validation and content subcommittee (ECVSC) and was chair of the AONA Hand Education Committee from 2022-2025. He has also completed the Faculty Education Program (FEP), the Chair Education Program (CEP) and the Leadership Education Program (LEP).