Enabling participants to acquire competence in fracture reduction is one of the key goals of the AO Trauma basic and advanced principles courses. The novel learning activity developed by Rodrigo Pesantez (Colombia) and Emad Saweeres (Egypt) aims to increase the educational impact of small group discussions on reduction techniques in the principles courses.

 

“I have always thought that the art of fracture reduction was getting lost due to the focus on newer implants,” Pesantez said. “Participants in the advanced principles course mainly focused on putting an implant on an artificial bone and almost always destroyed the foam models, not respecting soft tissues.

I also noticed that the discussion group on reduction techniques in the advanced principles course usually ended up focusing on the fixation and the final result but not on how to get to this result.”

 

In order to make participants aware of the importance of reduction in fracture care and increase engagement, he developed the idea of combining the discussion of real cases with practical exercises.

 

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He made first attempts at augmenting the small group discussion on reduction techniques with hands-on elements in the advanced principles courses in 2017 in Medellin and in 2018 in Egypt. “Emad Saweeres saw the concept there and further developed the idea to its current format,” said Pesantez.

 

Saweeres and Pesantez have developed a comprehensive documentation with cases, video clips and images for running such hands-on group discussions on reduction techniques in principles courses.

 

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The Reduction Techniques Practical Group Discussion concept was praised as very innovative by the Innovation in Education Award jury. The jury recognized the potential of this new format to increase the educational impact of teaching fracture reduction techniques in the principles courses and expects that the discussion of cases in combination with immediate hands-on experience will help participants to better retain the related knowledge and skills.

 

Since this activity is needs-based and highly relevant for the advanced principles course, the Residents Education Taskforce is considering making it a core component of this course.

 

The winning team will be awarded AO Trauma’s second Innovation in Education Award at the AO Davos Courses 2019 in Davos, Switzerland.

 

 

Enhancing the AO Trauma educational experience

 

The AO Trauma Innovation in Education Award, initiated in 2018, recognizes innovative approaches to educational content, education delivery, and curriculum design. Award recipients advance the following aspirations:

 

• Teaching effectiveness

• Educational impact

• Stimulating learners’ motivation

• Engaging learners in the learning process

• Interaction

 

The jury, consisting of members of the AO Trauma Education Commission, the AO Education Advisory Board and the AO Trauma Community Development Commission, made its decision in September.

 

 

The runner-up

 

Gregory Lewis (US), with his FracSim software to interactively visualize fracture fixation biomechanics, was runner-up for the award.

 

While the runner-up will not receive a prize, the project is a great achievement nonetheless; both the jury and the AO Trauma International Board were very impressed by its design

 

 

 

 

Introduction to FracSim software:

 

​ watch youtube video

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For further information about the

Reduction Techniques Practical Group Discussion,

please contact:

 

​ templates@aotrauma.org