What we do

AO Spine, the leading global academic spine community that creates, disseminates, and exchanges knowledge to promote excellence in patient care and outcomes.

Our key activities at a glance

Education

AO Spine offers over 200 educational opportunities to over 13,000 spine surgeons and specialists every year worldwide.

Research

AO Spine is the premier knowledge provider in the field of spine surgery and at the forefront of preclinical and clinical research.

Community development

AO Spine advances careers through the exchange of knowledge and professional networking.

AO Spine Knowledge Forums are the engines of our clinical studies. They develop AO Spine classifications, staging of the disease, treatment guidelines, and outcome measures.

Lifelong learning and professional development

AO Spine is focused on lifelong learning, offering inspiring and innovative education programs that can help you at every step of your career development. New techniques and knowledge from research are translated into improved clinical practices and patient care, year after year. 

Our curriculum provides a structured educational plan for three levels of experience: principles, advanced, and masters. We combine expert face-to-face educational events with distance learning and self-directed study resources, creating a framework for the best teaching methods and techniques based on skills, learning outcomes, and surgeons’ needs.

Global Spine Congress

The only international Spine Congress of its kind

AO Spine's annual meeting, the Global Spine Congress, is the leading world class spine congress bringing together thousands of spine surgeons worldwide.

GSC 2023

Quick access

Fellowship opportunities

AO Spine invests heavily in fellowship programs and observation opportunities.

AO Surgery Reference

Over 7,000 pages of step-by-step surgical procedures and clinical reports at the tip of your finger.

Clinical tools

Start using clinical tools from AO Spine studies in your daily practice.