Arthroscopy Association of North America

What Arthroscopy Association of North America does

The Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), founded in 1981 and headquartered in Rosemont, Illinois, is a nonprofit professional medical membership association dedicated to advancing arthroscopy and minimally invasive orthopaedic surgery through education, research, and professional development. It serves a network of more than 5,000 arthroscopy-focused orthopaedic surgeons, residents, fellows, allied health professionals, and international members across the full career continuum from medical students through Senior/Emeritus practitioners. Since the first Foundations in Arthroscopy course in 2001, AANA has trained nearly 2,000 residents, with the Orthopaedic Learning Center (OLC) in Rosemont serving as the primary venue for hands-on cadaver lab instruction.

AANA's core products include the E.L.I.T.E. Skills Training course series (Knee, Hip, Shoulder, Small Joints), Foundations in Arthroscopy for PGY1-4 residents and fellows, the +CME Subscription providing unlimited access to the AANA Learning Center with 300+ CME credits and 100+ learning activities, Virtual APEX on-demand courses, the FAST training program, and publications including the peer-reviewed Arthroscopy journal and Arthroscopy Techniques video companion. The underlying technology is a standard association-platform stack: the iMIS-based rise.aana.org member portal, the AANA Learning Center for online CME delivery, and a mobile app available on Android, iOS, and Amazon Kindle for course schedules and materials.

Revenue is generated through a diversified set of streams: recurring membership dues across multiple tiers (Active, Associate, Resident/Fellow, International, Affiliate Allied Health, Senior/Emeritus), the $350/year member and $600/year non-member +CME subscription, one-time lab course registration fees of approximately $2,399-$3,199, Annual Meeting and Specialty Day registration, and individual course sales such as Scope Essentials 2024 at $125-$150. The go-to-market is sales-led membership acquisition combined with event-driven engagement through the Annual Meeting, hands-on lab courses, and targeted international collaborations with AMECRA, SLARD, AOSSM, and SOMOS.

Name

Arthroscopy Association of North America

Legal name

Arthroscopy Association of North America

Website

https://aana.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1981

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AANA is a nonprofit professional medical association serving 5,000+ arthroscopy-focused orthopaedic surgeons and trainees, providing hands-on cadaver lab courses, an online CME subscription, peer-reviewed publications, and career-stage programming from residency through emeritus status.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Medical Professional Education & Training

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Healthcare & Clinical Professional Development (CME/CE) (EDAGANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

Keywords

• Arthroscopic surgery education
• Orthopaedic continuing education
• Hands-on surgical training
• Medical membership association
• Orthopaedic surgeon training

Headquarters

HQ city

Park Ridge

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from Active, Associate, Resident/Fellow, International, Affiliate Allied Health, and Senior/Emeritus members provide recurring revenue. Active membership offers benefits including discounted CME, lab courses, journal subscriptions, and networking.
2. +CME Subscription: Annual subscription providing unlimited access to the AANA Learning Center with 100+ online learning activities, 300+ CME credits, and 40+ SAE credits. Offered at $350 for members and $600 for non-members annually.
3. Lab Course Registration: Fees for hands-on cadaver lab courses including E.L.I.T.E. Skills Training courses (Knee, Hip, Shoulder, Small Joints), Foundations in Arthroscopy for Residents/Fellows, and specialized courses. General registration typically $2,399-$3,199 depending on course and membership status.
4. Annual Meeting & Specialty Day: Registration fees for the AANA Annual Meeting and Specialty Day conferences, with discounted rates for members.
5. Scope Essentials: Individual course sales for virtual education offerings such as Scope Essentials 2024 at $150 (non-member) or $125 (member discounted price), offering up to 6 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Arthroscopy Association of North America is a non-profit professional medical membership organization that delivers continuing medical education, hands-on cadaver lab training, peer-reviewed publications, and professional development resources exclusively for orthopaedic surgeons specializing in arthroscopy and minimally invasive surgery. Revenue is generated through annual membership dues across multiple tiers, an annual +CME subscription, paid lab course registrations, annual meeting fees, and donations through the Education Foundation.

Product overview

AANA is a professional medical association offering a comprehensive portfolio of arthroscopy education products and services. The organization provides a multi-modal educational ecosystem centered around hands-on lab courses (E.L.I.T.E. Skills Training for advanced surgeons and Foundations in Arthroscopy for residents/fellows), an online learning platform (+CME Subscription providing unlimited access to the AANA Learning Center), Virtual APEX on-demand courses, the FAST training program, and various publications including the Arthroscopy Journal. Additional offerings include the Industry Learning Vault, Catalyst Mentorship Program, Fellowship Directory, Research Awards/Grants, and patient education resources through OrthoPedia collaboration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• E.L.I.T.E. Skills Training: Advanced, individualized instruction courses for orthopaedic surgeons at various career stages, offering customizable educational experiences in various surgical procedures.
• Foundations in Arthroscopy
• APEX
• FAST Program
• +CME Subscription

Products and services

• E.L.I.T.E. Skills Training Courses

Quantifiable outcome

• Trained nearly 2,000 residents since 2001 through the Foundations in Arthroscopy program
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Collaboration on the Catalyst Program, a unique mentorship program designed to cultivate the next generation of clinician scholars in sports medicine. The 18-month longitudinal experience combines self-paced online curriculum (LearnORS) with personalized mentorship from senior research leaders, bimonthly virtual sessions and in-person collaboration. Applications due July 1.
• Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons (SOMOS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 June 2026Collaboration on the Catalyst Program alongside AOSSM. Also partners on the AANA/SOMOS Shoulder Course, an intensive two-day shoulder course (by invite only) providing cutting edge, hands-on experience with the latest arthroscopic surgical techniques and treatment algorithms. Course held August 7-9, 2026 at the Orthopaedic Learning Center.
• OrthoPedia PatientcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026AANA is collaborating with OrthoPedia Patient to provide members with convenient access to patient education videos. The collaboration brings easy-to-understand videos directly to member practices, helping patients feel more informed, prepared and confident. The video library covers a comprehensive range of orthopedic conditions including Overview, Treatment Options, Surgical Animations, and Surgical Demonstration content.
• AMECRA (Asociación Mexicana de Cirujanos Artroscópicos)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the AANA/AMECRA/SLARD Knee and Shoulder Course held February 12-13, 2027 at Arthrex Medical Education Center in Naples, FL. The course is given predominantly in Spanish and features a world-class faculty of renowned arthroscopic knee and shoulder surgeons. Participants can select from various educational tracks to customize their experience.
• SLARD (Sociedad Latinoamericana de Artroscopia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the AANA/AMECRA/SLARD Knee and Shoulder Course alongside AMECRA. Participants receive a Certificate of Completion backed by AANA, AMECRA, and SLARD recognizing hands-on proficiency alongside surgeons from across the Americas.
• ArthrexminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorArthrex Medical Education Center in Naples, FL serves as the venue for the AANA/AMECRA/SLARD Knee and Shoulder Course. Arthrex provides facility access for international collaboration courses.
• Gant TravelminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial travel management company for AANA. Registrants identify themselves as AANA Course participants and receive full mileage credit for frequent flyers. Contact: Toll-Free 877-924-0305.
• Hampton Inn & Suites Rosemont Chicago O'HareminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPreferred hotel partner with reserved room blocks for course attendees. Located at 9480 W. Higgins Road, Rosemont, IL 60018, directly adjacent to the Orthopaedic Learning Center. Provides complimentary shuttle service from O'Hare International Airport.
• Hilton Garden Inn Chicago O'Hare AirportminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAlternate hotel partner for E.L.I.T.E. Knee Course attendees. Located at 2930 South River Road, Des Plaines, IL 60018. Room rate $142.00 per night plus tax.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• European Society for Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA): ESSKA is the leading European arthroscopy and sports medicine society — directly comparable to AANA in scope and offerings but serving primarily the European market. It is a regional peer because arthroscopy is a global specialty and ESSKA competes for international members and global arthroscopy thought leadership.
• Sociedad Latinoamericana de Artroscopia, Rodilla y Deporte (SLARD): SLARD is the Latin American arthroscopy society and a current AANA partner on the AANA/AMECRA/SLARD Knee and Shoulder Course 2027. It is a regional peer covering Latin America with a comparable arthroscopy education mission, providing AANA a partner-channel for international course delivery.
• Asociación Mexicana de Cirujanos Artroscópicos (AMECRA): AMECRA is the Mexican arthroscopy association and an existing AANA partner on the AANA/AMECRA/SLARD international course. It is a regional peer serving Mexico and Latin America, comparable to AANA in mission but operating at a smaller national scale.

Direct peers

• International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS): ISAKOS is the international counterpart to AANA in arthroscopy education, research, and global congresses. It directly competes for international members and serves the same arthroscopic surgeon population across global markets, making it AANA's closest international peer.
• American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM): AOSSM is the leading U.S. orthopaedic sports medicine society and a direct peer of AANA — it runs overlapping CME, fellowships, and lab courses in sports medicine, and is already an AANA partner on the Catalyst Program. Both organizations compete for the same orthopaedic surgeon members' CME dollars and conference attendance.
• Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons (SOMOS): SOMOS is a peer specialty society focused on military orthopaedic surgeons that runs hands-on shoulder and other surgical courses and is a current AANA partner on both the Catalyst Program and the AANA/SOMOS Shoulder Course. The membership base differs (military vs. civilian) but the educational mission and course delivery model are highly comparable.

Broad incumbents

• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS): AAOS is the dominant broad-incumbent orthopaedic society in the U.S., offering overlapping CME, OLC-style courses (via OLC at OLC Chicago), board review, and member education across all orthopaedic subspecialties. It competes with AANA for general CME spending and member mindshare but lacks AANA's depth in arthroscopy.
• American College of Surgeons (ACS): ACS is the broad-incumbent professional society for surgeons across all surgical specialties. While not focused on orthopaedic subspecialty education, it competes for general surgeon CME engagement and is a comparable model for member-driven surgical associations at scale.
• American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS): ABOS is the U.S. orthopaedic certification body whose Maintenance of Certification framework underpins AANA's CME value proposition. Although not a direct course competitor, ABOS shapes the regulatory environment and CME credit recognition that AANA relies on for member value.

Emerging players

• American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS): AAHKS focuses on hip and knee arthroplasty — adjacent to AANA's arthroscopy scope — and runs educational programs and annual meetings serving an overlapping orthopaedic surgeon audience. It is an adjacent specialty peer whose members frequently overlap with AANA's sports medicine segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aanaorg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arthroscopy-association-of-north-america
• Facebookfacebook.com/aanaorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arthroscopy Association of North America