The Association’s mission is to advance, for the public benefit, the science, art and practice of orthopaedic surgery with the aim of bringing relief to patients of all ages suffering from the effects of injury or disorders of the musculoskeletal system. The BOA President and Chief Executive Officer have prepared a Strategy Summary presentation which is available here.

 

We provide good practice guides across all areas of trauma and orthopaedic surgery, many of which have a global reputation for excellence.  By engaging proactively with the Government, our advice on musculoskeletal services and the future trauma and orthopaedic workforce carries weight.  It influences developments on the ground, notwithstanding the recent dilution of policy expertise in the Department of Health.  This effect is further multiplied by our membership of the Arthritis & Musculoskeletal Alliance (ARMA), the fact that we work closely with orthopaedic Clinical Directors across the NHS, our relationship with the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, together with our European and international contacts.  We are also most fortunate to benefit from the support and challenge of a highly motivated Patient Liaison Group.  Lastly, we engage extensively with the medico-legal community in this important area of orthopaedic practice.

 

We design the surgical training curriculum for trauma and orthopaedics, together with the syllabus of education that sits beneath it.  To do that effectively we focus on standards and delivery, working in close collaboration with Training Programme Directors in each area of the NHS and our own Trainees’ Association.  We advise on standards of revalidation for surgeons, run instructional courses for Consultants, Staff and Associate Specialist Grades and Trainees alike.  We also mount an annual scientific congress with a comprehensive programme synchronised to the future five year revalidation cycle.  Our fellowship programme is comprehensive and benefits from trust and generous industry sponsorship.

 

For a long time, the Cinderella of medical research, trauma and orthopaedics is now seeing a renaissance as the focus shifts to Osteoarthritis.  We work closely with Arthritis Research UK, the National Joint Registry, the National Hip Fracture Data Base and the London Implant Retrieval Centre, as well as having a wide presence across academia.  Joint Action, our research fundraising arm, awards grants for pump priming projects to inform subsequent major trial applications to the National Institute of Health Research.  It also provides the Orthocard for patients and awards smaller grants to orthopaedic trainees in order to promote clinical and basic science research.  The BOA is a member of the Association of Medical Research Charities.

 

We work with numerous groups and bodies to ensure the accuracy of information covering orthopaedic procedures:  we set great store by the fidelity of such information, particularly when it is aimed at patients faced with decisions that can transform their quality of life.