AO North America

What AO North America does

AO North America is the regional North American chapter of the AO Foundation, a Swiss non-profit medical education organization founded in 1958 that pioneered the development of osteosynthesis (fracture treatment) techniques and education. AO North America delivers continuing medical education (CME), fellowships, research grants, and surgical reference resources to practicing surgeons across eight specialty divisions: orthopaedic trauma, spine, craniomaxillofacial (CMF), veterinary (VET), hand, reconstructive, sports medicine, and podiatric (DPM) surgery, serving the United States and Canada.

Its core product portfolio is anchored by the AO Surgery Reference (a comprehensive online index of fracture management procedures), the myAO 2.0 global community platform, the AO Milestones training-assessment framework, and the AO NA Learning Management System (now accessible via iOS and Android mobile apps). These are complemented by the OneAO umbrella initiative that unifies specialty divisions, structured fellowship programs (Long-Term Fellowship, Named Fellowships, Basic Fracture Management and Trauma and Fracture Care Preceptorships), and named research grants (Fellows Research Grant, Kathryn Cramer Early Career Research Development Award, Young Investigator Research Development Award, and the AO Spine NA Young Investigator Research Grant Award). Distribution is conducted through direct website enrollment, mobile apps, in-person courses and an annual OneAO conference, webinars and online case consultations, podcasts, and active social channels.

The business model is a non-profit membership and professional services construct. Revenue is generated through three documented streams: recurring membership subscriptions across specialty divisions, course and event fees (in-person and online), and donations and philanthropy. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and appears to be quote-based for memberships and fellowships. Headcount is reported at 11-50 employees and the organization is governed by a board of surgeon representatives, currently including Dr. Mark Lee as President and Dr. Michelle Clarke as the AO Spine NA Board Representative. The organization operates under a 2025-2028 Strategic Plan and, in 2025, signed a strategic partnership with the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) to co-deliver the AO PEER Level 2 Course at ACVS 2025.

Name

AO North America

Legal name

AO Foundation

Website

https://aona.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AO North America is a non-profit regional division of the AO Foundation providing continuing medical education, fellowships, research grants, and surgical reference resources to orthopaedic trauma, spine, CMF, veterinary, hand, reconstructive, sports, and podiatric surgeons across the United States and Canada.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Continuing Medical Education for Orthopaedic Surgery

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Medical Centers & Teaching Hospitals (University-Affiliated) (EDAHAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Allied Health & Rehabilitation Sciences Schools (PT/OT/SLP, etc.) (EDAHAGAH)

Keywords

• Orthopaedic surgery education
• Continuing medical education
• Surgical fellowship programs
• Trauma surgery training
• Veterinary orthopaedic courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Wayne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: AO North America generates revenue through membership subscriptions for its specialty divisions (AO Trauma NA, AO Spine NA, AO CMF NA, AO VET NA). Members receive access to courses, events, fellowships, research grants, newsletters, and the AO Surgery Reference platform.
2. Course and Event Fees: Revenue generated from in-person and online courses, educational events, and webinars. Courses include Advanced Principles of Fracture Management, Basic Principles of Fracture Management, specialty courses, and preceptorships.
3. Donations and Philanthropy: AO North America accepts donations to support surgical education, innovation advancement, and patient care. The organization maintains a donor recognition program highlighting generous supporters.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

AO North America is a non-profit regional chapter of the AO Foundation providing continuing medical education, surgical training courses, fellowship programs, research grants, and digital learning resources for orthopaedic surgeons and related specialists across trauma, spine, craniomaxillofacial, veterinary, hand, reconstructive, sports medicine, and podiatric disciplines in the United States and Canada. The organization delivers content through in-person courses, online platforms (AO Surgery Reference, myAO 2.0, AO NA LMS), fellowships, and a unified OneAO membership pathway.

Product overview

AO North America is a medical education organization providing a unified platform for surgical training across multiple orthopedic specialties. The core product portfolio includes the AO Surgery Reference (a comprehensive surgical procedure database), myAO 2.0 (a global community networking platform), AO Milestones (a surgical training assessment framework), and the AO NA LMS (Learning Management System). These are complemented by OneAO, which serves as an umbrella initiative connecting specialty divisions. The organization operates through distinct sub-brands covering Trauma, Spine, CMF, VET, Recon, Sports, and DPM specialties, each offering tailored courses, fellowships, and research programs. Additional offerings include online events, webinars, podcasts, and mobile learning capabilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OneAO: A unified education platform bringing together all AO North America specialties and programs
• AO Trauma NA
• AO Spine NA
• AO CMF NA
• AO VET NA
• AO Trauma Hand NA
• AO Recon NA
• AO Sports NA
• AO DPM North America
• AO Surgery Reference
• AO Milestones
• myAO 2.0
• AO PEER

Products and services

• AO Surgery Reference A comprehensive online index of fracture management procedures and surgical techniques, serving as a reference tool for orthopaedic and trauma surgeons.
• myAO 2.0

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 June 2025AO VET NA partners with ACVS to deliver the AO PEER Level 2 Course at the ACVS 2025 event. This collaboration provides veterinary surgeons with specialized education in orthopaedic principles.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH): ASSH is the leading North American specialty society for hand and upper extremity surgery, offering CME and fellowship programming. It is the most direct comparator to AONA's AO Trauma Hand NA division.
• American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons (AAOMS): AAOMS is the U.S. professional society for oral and maxillofacial surgeons, providing CME and specialty education. It overlaps directly with AONA's AO CMF NA division in craniomaxillofacial surgical training.
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS): AAOS is the largest U.S. professional society for orthopaedic surgeons, providing continuing medical education, courses, and practice resources. It is the most direct comparator to AONA's orthopaedic trauma and broader orthopaedic surgery educational mission.
• American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS): AANS provides neurosurgical education, CME, and fellowships across North America. It is adjacent to AONA's spine and CMF education portfolio and serves a comparable specialist surgeon audience.
• American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS): ACVS is the leading veterinary surgical specialty college in North America and is already a strategic partner delivering AONA's AO PEER Level 2 course at ACVS 2025. It is the closest comparator in veterinary orthopaedic education.
• North American Spine Society (NASS): NASS is the leading North American multidisciplinary spine society offering CME, courses, and research. It is the most direct comparator to AONA's AO Spine NA division in spine surgery education and fellowships.
• Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF): OREF funds orthopaedic research and education through grants to investigators. It is a direct peer in the research-grant component of AONA's portfolio, including named awards like the Young Investigator Research Development Award.
• Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA): OTA is a North American specialty society focused on musculoskeletal trauma education, research, and fellowship. It overlaps directly with AONA's AO Trauma NA division in trauma-specific surgical education and research grants.

Emerging players

• Scoliosis Research Society (SRS): SRS is a focused international society for spine deformity research and education. It is a more narrowly specialized spine education peer that partially overlaps with AONA's AO Spine NA fellowship and research programming.

Broad incumbents

• American College of Surgeons (ACS): ACS is the largest U.S. surgical professional society with broad CME, courses, and chapter-based education across all surgical disciplines. It is a broader incumbent whose orthopaedic-adjacent content overlaps with AONA's portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/AONorth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/AONorthAmerica/channels
• Facebookfacebook.com/aonorth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aonorthamerica
• Instagraminstagram.com/aonorthamerica

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 AO North America