"AO" fixation stands for "Alternative Orthopedic" fixation and involves a very controversial set of principles regarding internal fixation for trauma. While there are a few rogue residency programs that subscribe to this fringe philosophy, most mainstream programs teach more conventional and accepted techniques. I am no expert on so-called "AO" technique, but rumor has it that it involves a lot of Krazyglue, chicken wire, and bubble gum. It is thought to have been first pioneered by a guy with the last name of "MacGyver". Personally, I would stay away from any program that subscribes to the "AO" technique for fracture care. Just my two cents....

"Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen"

but i liked the previous answer much better.....

"AO" fixation stands for "Alternative Orthopedic" fixation and involves a very controversial set of principles regarding internal fixation for trauma. While there are a few rogue residency programs that subscribe to this fringe philosophy, most mainstream programs teach more conventional and accepted techniques. I am no expert on so-called "AO" technique, but rumor has it that it involves a lot of Krazyglue, chicken wire, and bubble gum. It is thought to have been first pioneered by a guy with the last name of "MacGyver". Personally, I would stay away from any program that subscribes to the "AO" technique for fracture care. Just my two cents....

Serious sarcasm in case you couldn't tell. At least in my training years, most programs sent their early residents to one or two AO fracture courses to learn the basic science behind fracture healing and how to take advantage of that in your fixation.

Sorry, couldn't resist the opportunity. Seriously, there is a good wiki page to get you started if you want some history on the topic. As Orthodoc comment, I would say most, if not all, residents have been to an AO conference at some point in their training to learn the basics of fracture fixation.

"AO" fixation stands for "Alternative Orthopedic" fixation and involves a very controversial set of principles regarding internal fixation for trauma. While there are a few rogue residency programs that subscribe to this fringe philosophy, most mainstream programs teach more conventional and accepted techniques. I am no expert on so-called "AO" technique, but rumor has it that it involves a lot of Krazyglue, chicken wire, and bubble gum. It is thought to have been first pioneered by a guy with the last name of "MacGyver". Personally, I would stay away from any program that subscribes to the "AO" technique for fracture care. Just my two cents....

That actually made my day.