This course includes the recording of a live Instructional Course from the 2026 AOSSM Annual Meeting.
Save 25% when you buy the bundle instead of purchasing each IC individually.
Please Note: The Q&A QR code in the Recordings is currently inactive. Any questions submitted through it will not be monitored or answered.
ICs Bundle Agenda
IC 01-2026 – Leveling the Playing Field in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Closing the Gap in Outcomes and Care for the Female Athlete
This instructional course will review why female athletes sustain anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries at disproportionately high rates compared to males, with risk amplified by complex interactions among anatomical, hormonal, biomechanical, and psychosocial factors. Furthermore, there has been a rapid increase in the number of female athletes over the last decade. It is, therefore, incumbent upon all orthopaedic sports medicine surgeons to advance the level of care we provide to the female athlete. This course explores sex-specific considerations in ACL reconstruction (ACLR), emphasizing biological underpinnings, operative decision-making, psychological factors, and long-term outcomes. Large prospective cohorts have demonstrated that female patients do not face higher graft failure or contralateral ACL tear risk, yet consistently report lower Marx activity levels, inferior return-to-sport rates, and modestly worse IKDC scores compared with males up to 10 years postoperatively. These disparities are not explained by graft choice or sport alone, underscoring the influence of psychological readiness, resilience, and tailored rehabilitation. Through integration of cutting-edge evidence and clinical experience, this session will provide surgeons with strategies to optimize outcomes in female ACLR. Attendees will gain a framework for applying sex-specific insights to surgical planning, perioperative care, and long-term athlete support, advancing equity and performance in women's sports medicine.
IC 02 – The Dark Side of the Glenoid: A Case-Based Approach to Biceps, Labral and Shoulder Dysfunction in the Overhead Athlete
This instructional course will review why biceps and labral dysfunction remain enigmas of sports medicine. The treatment of biceps pathology remains widely contested. The root cause remains a mystery, and recent studies indicate the posterior labrum may be the site of most of the clinically significant pathoanatomy. The purpose of this case-based instructional lecture is to provide insight and discussion into the controversies surrounding biceps and labral pathology in the athlete and active individual. This course will explore normal and pathologic appearances of the glenoid labrum and the biceps-labral complex while developing a foundational understanding of the pathomechanics that lead to pathoanatomy.
IC 03 – Hip Pain: What to Do When It's Not the Labrum?
This instructional course will review muscle and soft tissue injuries around the hip and pelvis, which are among the most common and challenging conditions encountered in athletes, requiring accurate diagnosis and evidence-based management to optimize recovery and return to play. This session will review the evaluation and treatment of key sports-related injuries, including hip subluxation versus dislocation, rectus femoris injuries, hamstring injuries, physeal injuries in the growing athlete, and athletic pubalgia. Faculty will discuss current treatment strategies, rehabilitation considerations, and return-to-sport decision-making while highlighting practical approaches for caring for athletes across all levels of competition. An interactive question-and-answer discussion will conclude the session, allowing participants to apply concepts to real-world clinical scenarios.
IC 04-2026 – Artificial Intelligence in Orthopaedics 2026: Leveraging AI to Transform Orthopaedic Workflow and Care Delivery
This instructional course will review how artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming orthopaedic practice, offering new opportunities to improve clinical efficiency, enhance decision-making, and optimize patient care. This course provides a practical overview of how AI is being integrated into sports medicine, from streamlining clinical workflows and improving imaging interpretation to supporting literature synthesis, preoperative planning, and surgeon education. Faculty will discuss current applications, emerging technologies, implementation strategies, and important considerations for the responsible use of AI in clinical practice. The session will conclude with an interactive discussion, allowing participants to explore real-world use cases, challenges, and future directions for AI in orthopaedics.
IC 05-2026 – Save the Meniscus: A Case-Based Discussion on the Management of Complex Meniscal Pathology
This instructional course will involve brief case presentations and dedicated time to discuss important factors related to the management of complex meniscal pathology and the impact on outcomes and return to play. Attendees will be actively engaged with the faculty to share personal experiences and bring questions from their own cases. Those in attendance will leave with key take-home points and techniques that they can implement into their practice immediately to help optimize outcomes following meniscus repair in their patients.
IC 06-2026 – Practice Surgical Augmentation Rotator Cuff Repair Using Biologics
This instructional course will review current strategies to improve rotator cuff repair healing. Despite significant advances in surgical technique, rotator cuff repair healing rates have remained stubbornly inconsistent. Persistent non-healing continues to challenge even the most experienced shoulder surgeons, prompting exploration of biologic, mechanical, and perioperative strategies to optimize outcomes. This instructional course provides a practical, evidence-based framework for improving rotator cuff healing. The session begins with perioperative optimization and modifiable risk factors before transitioning to a series of focused lectures on biologic and mechanical augmentation strategies. Faculty will present data and real-world experience with bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC), platelet-rich plasma (PRP), enthesis and patch augmentation, microfragmented lipoaspirate tissue, and subacromial bursa reimplantation. The course concludes with a moderated interactive discussion to synthesize lessons learned and help attendees identify which strategies can be realistically integrated into their clinical practice today.
IC 07-2026 – In-Season Management of Contact Athletes: A Case-Based Approach
This instructional course will review the management of injuries sustained by contact athletes during the competitive season. Contact sports like football, hockey, rugby, and lacrosse can result in significant and unusual injuries that can be challenging to manage for any team physician. This case-based instructional course will focus on the contact sport athlete and examine injury patterns, treatment strategies, and return-to-play decisions. A variety of cases, from simple to complex, will be presented and discussed in a collaborative fashion.
IC 08-2026 – Ulnar Collateral Ligament Injuries: What Are the Experts Doing in 2026?
This instructional course will cover the breadth of UCL injuries in baseball players, including diagnosis, current imaging strategies (FEVER MRI, stress US, etc.), and treatment options. We will discuss UCL repair as well as the emerging hybrid technique. We will review the most up-to-date outcomes, accelerated and standard return-to-throwing programs, and the Pitch Smart guidelines, including anticipated modifications.
IC 09-2026 – Tools and Techniques of Osteotomies Around the Knee: A Practical How-To Guide
This instructional course will present a case-based approach to understanding the basic techniques and tools used to perform osteotomies around the knee joint. Osteotomies are increasingly used to augment joint restorative procedures, from simple angular corrections to reduction in contact forces and major alignment correction in the patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joints. This course will address the more common high tibial osteotomy, as well as distal femoral osteotomies, tibial tubercle osteotomies, and slope-correcting osteotomies around the knee.
IC 10-2026 – Innovations in the Treatment of Bone Loss in Anterior Shoulder Instability
This instructional course will present the most recent innovations in the treatment of bone loss in anterior shoulder instability. Our panel will deliver a truthful account as to why certain procedures fail, especially in the contact athlete. We will elaborate on creative means by which anterior instability may be addressed arthroscopically. Thought leaders and innovators in the arthroscopic Latarjet will describe the latest iteration of the technique as well as convey surgical pearls. Tips on developing mastery of the open Latarjet will also be provided. Finally, "remplissage plus," including the arthroscopic bridge technique, will be explained in detail.
IC 11-2026 – Managing and Avoiding Complications During Patellar Stabilization Surgery
This instructional course will review how MPFL reconstruction continues to become increasingly popular in the treatment of patellar instability. Reported complication rates are up to 25%, with nearly half attributed to technical error. We will review the common complications encountered during and after MPFL reconstruction, TTO, and other patellofemoral procedures. Cases demonstrating these principles will be presented to highlight techniques for recognizing, addressing, and preventing complications.
IC 12 – My Worst Case and What I Learned: A Panel Discussion of Challenging Cases and Practice Advice for Early Career Members
This instructional course will review a series of challenging sports medicine cases and experiences encountered by each panelist during early practice. Each presenter will review a surgical case or practice management topic, describe the specific challenges faced, and share lessons learned, including strategies now used to avoid similar issues. Cases will span shoulder, elbow, and knee sports surgery, with discussion of intraoperative technical challenges, surgical indications, and management of difficult postoperative patients. Moderators will facilitate discussion, ask probing questions, and encourage audience participation. The intended audience includes trainees (residents and fellows) and early career surgeons, although surgeons at all career stages will benefit from the content. This course aims to deliver valuable educational content, promote networking among early career members, and should be offered as a free instructional course to encourage attendance at the AOSSM Annual Meeting.