AO Technical Commission

The AO Technical Commission sits at the heart of the AO Innovation Translation Center (AO ITC) covering Innovation Clearing and Clinical Expertise for our four specialties: trauma, spine, craniomaxillofacial, and veterinary surgery.

Medical-technical committees are responsible for the development and clinical testing of new devices and for supporting their educational concepts. Around 120 outstanding surgeons across the world work together with engineers to solve the most pressing clinical problems.

How we work

The AO Technical Commission consists of three specialty AO technical commissions (Trauma, Spine, and CMF), various Global Expert Committees, Expert Groups, and Task Forces which are convened to provide expert opinion in their respective specialist areas. In a collaborative approach, these committees include representation from the AO's trusted partner DePuy Synthes, a Johnson&Johnson Group Company, or other industrial partners, and may involve colleagues from other AO institutes when needed. The AO Technical Commission plays a crucial role in quality control and product development, forming an essential link between the AO's clinical divisions, clinical units, other institutes, initiatives, and the AO's global network.
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Governance

Prev
  • AO TCEB
  • AO TC Trauma
  • AO TC Spine
  • AO TC CMF
  • Interdisciplinary groups
Next

The AO Technical Commission Executive Board (AO TCEB) supervises and steers activities within the AO Technical Commission and ensures that the priorities are in line with the AO’s mission.



Chair Maarten Spruit, NL (Chair AO TC Spine) 
Members Nils-Claudius Gellrich, DE (Chair AO TC CMF) 
Theodore Miclau, US (Chair AO ITC Clinical Scientific Advisory Commission)  
Michael J Raschke, DE (Chair AO TC Trauma) 

The AO Technical Commission Trauma defines and prioritizes the projects of its Global Expert Committees (GECs), Expert Groups (EGs) and Task Forces (TFs). Furthermore, it supervises the work of its groups, appoints or dissolves groups, and is the body empowered to approve a device or method indicated for the area of Trauma. It comprises the following GECs which themselves oversee the listed EGs, TFs and/or PTs within their anatomical region or specialty:


Chair Michael J Raschke, DE 
Members Keith A Mayo, US 
Carlos F Sancineto, AR 
Andrew K Sands, US 
Merng K Wong, SG 
Mark Reilly, US (Chair AO Trauma EC)  
Member without vote Michael P Kowaleski, US (Chair VEGEC) 
  • Lower Extremity GEC (LEGEC)
    Chair Christoph Sommer, CH 
    Members Christopher G Finkemeier, US 
    Martin H Hessmann, DE 
    Cong-Feng Luo, CN 
    Unni G Narayanan, CA 
    Matías F Sepúlveda Oviedo, CL 
    John Shank, US
    Karl K Stoffel, CH 
    Michael P Swords, US 

     

    Foot and Ankle EG (FAEG)


    Chair Michael P Swords, US 
    Members Matthieu Assal, CH
    Tim Schepers, NL 
    John Shank, US
    Matthew Tomlinson, NZ
     

     

    Intramedullary Nailing EG (INEG)


    Chair Christopher G Finkemeier, US 
    Members

    Martin H Hessmann, DE 
    Mark Lee, US 
    Andrew JR Oppy, AU
    Matías F Sepúlveda Oviedo, CL 

     

    Distal Femur Plating TF (DFPTF)


    Chair Karl K Stoffel, CH 
    Members Theerachai Apivatthakakul, TH 
    Eben Carroll, US 
    Mark Lee, US 
    Andrew JR Oppy, AU 
    Klaus-Dieter Schaser, DE 

     

    Proximal Tibia Plating TF (PTPTF)


    Chair Christoph Sommer, CH 
    Members Adam P Breceda, US 
    Elmar Herbst, DE 
    Matthias Krause, DE 
    Cong-Feng Luo, CN 
    Jong-Keon Oh, KR 
  • Pelvic and Joint Preservation GEC (PJPGEC)
    Chair Michael D Stover, US 
    Members Ye S Huang, CN 
    Mauricio Kfuri, US 
    Philipp Lobenhoffer, DE 
    Rodrigo F Pesantez, CO 
    J Spence Reid, US 
    Takeshi Sawaguchi, JP 
    Steffen Schroeter, DE 
    Elvire Servien, FR 

     

    Pelvic EG (PEEG)


    Chair Michael D Stover, US 
    Members Jorge D Barla, AR 
    Robin E Peter, CH 
    Ramesh K Sen, IN 
    David Stephen, CA 

     

    Next Tomofix TF (NTTF)


    Chair Kenichi Goshima, JP 
    Members Ye S Huang, CN 
    Kang-Il Kim, KR 
    Hidetomo Saito, JP 
    Hui Zhang, CN 

     

    Deformity Correction Planning TF (DCPTF)*


    Chair Steffen Schroeter, DE 
    Members Julian Fuermetz, DE 
    Joerg Harrer, DE 

    *Collaboration with mediCAD Hectec GmbH, Germany

  • Upper Extremity GEC (UEGEC)
    Chair Simon M Lambert, GB 
    Members Thomas J Fischer, US 
    Mario Gasparri, US 
    Harry Hoyen, US 
    Martin Jaeger, DE 
    Chunyan Jiang, CN 
    John Mukhopadhaya, IN 
    Stefaan Nijs, BE 
    Stefan Schulz-Drost, DE 

     

    Hand EG (HAEG)


    Chair Thomas J Fischer, US 
    Members Martin Langer, DE 
    Alejandro Lluch Bergada, ES 
    Stephen Tham, AU 
    Sudhir S Warrier, IN 

     

    Thoracic EG (THEG)


    Chair Stefan Schulz-Drost, DE 
    Member Michael Bemelman, NL 
    Mario Gasparri, US 

     

    Shoulder and Elbow TF (SETF)


    Chair Simon M Lambert, GB 
    Member Frank Beeres, CH 
    Harry A Hoyen, US 
    Martin Jaeger, DE 
    Chunyan Jiang, CN 
    Joyce S B Koh, SG 
    Stefaan Nijs, NL 
  • Veterinary GEC (VEGEC)
    Chair Michael P Kowaleski, US 
    Members Alexis Bilmont,UK 
    Loïc M Déjardin, US 
    Janik C Gasiorowski, US 
    Kati Glass,US 
    Fabrice Rossignol, FR 
    W Brian Saunders, US 

     

    Large Animal EG (LAEG)


    Chair Fabrice Rossignol, FR 
    Members Janik C Gasiorowski, US 
    Kati Glass, US 

     

    Small Animal EG (SAEG)


    Chair Michael P Kowaleski, US 
    Members Alexis Bilmont, UK 
    Loïc M Déjardin, US 
    W Brian Saunders, US 
  • Additional EGs and TFs

    Growth Modulation TF (GMTF)


    Chair Chang-Wug Oh, KR 
    Members Mitchell Bernstein, CA
    Austin Fragomen, US 
    Unni Narayanan, CA 
    J Spence Reid, US 
    Steffen Rosslenbroich, DE 
    Kevin Tetsworth, AU 
    Stephen Quinnan, US 

     

    Next Generation Plating TF (NGPTF)


    Chair Christoph Sommer, CH 
    Members Jonathan Dwyer, GB 
    Thomas J Fischer, US 
    Harry Hoyen, US 
    Mauricio Kfuri, US 
    Mark Lee, US 
    Cong-Feng Luo, CN 
    W Brian Saunders, US 
    Takeshi Sawaguchi, JP 
    Ulrich Stoeckle, DE 
    Karl Stoffel, CH 
    Michael P Swords, US 
     

The AO Technical Commission Spine defines and prioritizes the projects of its Expert Groups (EGs) and Task Forces (TFs) (see below). Furthermore, it supervises the work of its groups, appoints or dissolves groups, and is the body empowered to approve a device or method indicated for the area of Spine.


Chair Maarten Spruit, NL 
Members Richard Bransford, US (Chair AO Spine EC) 
Peter Derman, US 
Richard Bransford, US 
Christian Mazel, FR 
Jean A Ouellet, CA 
Kota Watanabe, JP 
Chung Check Wong, MY 
Jack Zigler, US 
  • Cervical Spine EG (CEEG)
    Chair Chung Chek Wong, MY 
    Members

    Richard Bransford, US
    Nicolas Bronsard, FR 
    Kazu Kitamura, JP 
    Timothy Moore, US 
    Juan Zamorano, CL 
  • Fracture, Tumor and Deformity EG (FTDEG)
    Chair Christian Mazel, FR 
    Members Brandon Carlson, US 
    Naresh Kumar, SG 
    Firoz Miyanji, CA 
    Yu-Mi Ryang, DE 
    Kevin Seex, AU 
  • Lumbar Degenerative EG (LDEG)
    Chair Peter Derman, US 
    Members

    Ali Baaj, US
    Avelino Parajon, ES
    Matti Scholz, DE
    So Kato, JP 
  • Cervico-Thoracic Instrumentation TF (CTITF) *
    Chair Christian Mazel, FR 
    Members Lorin Benneker, CH 
    Richard Bransford, US
    Michelle Clarke, US 
    Naresh Kumar, SG 
    Firoz Miyanji, CA 
    Yu-Mi Ryang, DE 
    Maarten Spruit, NL 
    Jean-Paul Wolinsky, US 

    * Collaboration with icotec AG, Switzerland

  • Osteoporotic Spine Instrumentation TF (OSITF) *
    Chair Maarten Spruit, NL 
    Members

    Lorin M Benneker, CH 
    Richard Bransford, US 
    Naresh Kumar, SG 
    Isador H. Lieberman, US 
    Christian Mazel, FR 
    Yu-Mi Ryang, DE 
    Kota Watanabe, JP 

    * Collaboration with icotec AG, Switzerland


The AO Technical Commission CMF defines and prioritizes the projects of its Task Forces (TFs) (see below). Furthermore, it supervises the work of its groups, appoints or dissolves groups, and is the body empowered to approve a device or method indicated for the area of CMF.


Chair Nils-Claudius Gellrich, DE 
Members

Michael P Grant, US 
Gerson Mast, DE 
Alberto Rocha Pereira, PT 
Gregorio Sanchez Aniceto, ES (Chair AO CMF IB) 
Morio Tonogi, JP
Permanent guests

Daniel Buchbinder, US (Past Chair TC CMF)
Thomas Dodson, US (Chair AO CMF R&D) 
  • Patient Specific Solutions TF (PSSTF)
    Chair Michael P Grant, US 
    Members Thomas Kofod, DK 
    Majeed Rana, DE 
    Patricia M Stoor, FI 

Some topics require attention across the specialties. The AO TC Executive Board appoints or dissolves Global Expert Committees (GECs), Expert Groups (EGs) or Task Forces (TFs) working on such topics and the groups may include medical members from different specialties. The groups are either supervised by the AO TC Executive Board or a dedicated specialty AO TC.


  • Anti-Infection GEC (AIGEC)
    Chair Michiel Verhofstad, NL 
    Members Kirsten Kortram, NL 
    Willem-Jan Metsemakers, BE 
    William T Obremskey, US 
    Gregory Schroeder, US 
    Andrej Trampuz, DE 
    Peter Vajkoczy, DE 
    Zhao Xie, CN 
  • Computer Assisted and Image Guided Surgery GEC (CIGEC)
    Chair Paul A Gruetzner, DE 
    Members Andrew T Bucknill, AU  
    Meir Liebergall, IL  
    Amir Matityahu, US 
    Marc Metzger, DE 
    Greg M Osgood, US 
    Avelino Parajon, ES 
    Alexander Schramm, DE 
    Edward B Strong, US 
    Seth R Yarboro, US 

     

    Smart Digital Solutions TF (SDSTF)


    Chair Benedikt J Braun, DE
    Members Bernd Grimm, LU 
    Meir Marmor, US 
    Peter Richter, DE 
    Sureshan Sivananthan, MY
org chart may 2023
AO Technical Commission structure as of May, 2023

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“The AO Technical Commission is unique because it is a place where you have very innovative people coming together and trying to come up with solutions to very complex problems.”

Daniel Buchbinder, former AO Technical Commission Executive Board Chair