What Is Orthopaedics and What Does the AAOS Provide?

Orthopaedics is the branch of medicine that treats the musculoskeletal system — bones, joints, muscles, ligaments, tendons, and spine. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) is the professional organization for orthopaedic surgeons in the United States, and its website (aaos.org) serves two distinct audiences: surgeons and other clinicians who use it for education, guidelines, and practice resources, and patients who use its OrthoInfo section to understand bone and joint conditions and treatments. If you are a patient looking for plain-language explanations, go to OrthoInfo; if you are a clinician looking for CME, journals, or clinical practice guidelines, use the professional sections of the site.

What orthopaedics covers

Orthopaedic care addresses conditions across the whole musculoskeletal system, not just surgery. Common categories include:

• Joint disease — osteoarthritis and other forms of arthritis, joint pain, and joint replacement
• Fractures and trauma — broken bones and injuries from accidents or falls
• Sports injuries — ligament tears, tendon injuries, and overuse conditions
• Spine disorders — back and neck pain, disc problems, and spinal deformity
• Pediatric orthopaedics — conditions such as scoliosis and developmental issues in children
• Hand, foot, and shoulder conditions — including carpal tunnel, foot and ankle problems, and rotator cuff injuries

The AAOS frames orthopaedic care as broader than surgery: its "Orthopaedic Care Is Bigger Than Surgery" feature describes the musculoskeletal continuum as bringing clinical, economic, workforce, and market intelligence together.

What the AAOS provides for clinicians

The site is built primarily as a professional resource. From the homepage's Quick Access and Featured areas, the main offerings are:

The site also publishes news and updates, such as the October 2026 JAAOS review of fluoroscopy in direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty and AAOS Now coverage of topics like musculoskeletal occupational injuries in orthopaedic surgeons. Some learning content is tied to a paid offering: the site lists "AAOS Access Plus: One Subscription. Limitless Learning. Unlock 200+ orthopaedic" resources, so access to parts of the education catalog may require a subscription.

What the AAOS provides for patients

Patient-facing information lives under OrthoInfo, linked from the site's Quick Access section. This is where you find explanations of conditions and treatments written for the public rather than for surgeons. If your question is "what is this injury" or "what are my treatment options," OrthoInfo is the right entry point. The professional resources — guidelines, journals, CME — are written for clinicians and assume clinical background.

How to choose the right section

• Patient or family member: start with OrthoInfo for condition and treatment explanations.
• Orthopaedic surgeon or trainee: use CME courses, JAAOS, the Examination Center, and clinical practice guidelines; check whether the specific course requires an Access Plus subscription.
• Looking for a surgeon or job: the Career Center and membership resources are the relevant areas.
• Preparing for exams: the Examination Center, ResStudy, and ROCK are the designated tools.

The key distinction is audience: the AAOS is a professional society whose site doubles as a public education source through OrthoInfo. Matching your question to the correct section saves time and gives you material written at the right level.