What it Means to be a Member of AAHKS

AAHKS member surgeons advance total joint replacement surgery.

Many fellowship-trained joint replacement surgeons (see sidebar) are members of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS). There are over 4,000 members of AAHKS, and the number grows each year. The aim of this medical specialty society is to promote the advancement of hip and knee care through education, advocacy and research.

AAHKS fellow members must be board certified and perform at least 50 hip and/or knee replacement surgeries each year.

The organization provides a network for joint surgeons from the United States and around the world to communicate and share ideas. The AAHKS Annual Meeting and the AAHKS Spring Meeting enable members to discuss emerging trends, compare research and discover new techniques – all aimed at promoting the advancement of joint replacement surgery.

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What does AAHKS do?

AAHKS publishes two professional journals – the Journal of Arthroplasty and Arthroplasty Today – both aimed at enhancing the practice of joint replacement surgery.
AAHKS promotes “Operation Walk” – mission trips to medically underserved areas.
AAHKS members advocate on behalf of their patients with US regulatory and legislative bodies to ensure the best possible access and quality care is available.
Each year international symposia are organized by AAHKS members in conjunction with major orthopaedic meetings around the world. This enables its members to teach and learn from educators and researchers from other countries.
AAHKS researches, develops and publishes policy position statements, clinical practice guidelines and other authoritative papers on aspects of hip and knee surgical care.
AAHKS commits resources to assist young orthopaedic surgeons entering the field of hip and knee surgery.

Today, AAHKS provides patient education materials that undergo a rigorous peer-reviewed process before the information is made public. Videos, articles and frequently asked questions are addressed in this website and are free for visitors to access any time. Articles are reviewed every year to be sure they reflect the latest standards of practice.

Being a member of AAHKS means sharing in this commitment to quality medical care and to our patients. If you are suffering from a hip or knee condition, we strongly encourage you to seek out a local AAHKS member surgeon for high quality care you can count on.

What is a Fellowship-Trained Surgeon?

A fellowship-trained adult reconstruction surgeon is a joint (hip and knee) replacement surgeon who spends at least one year of training beyond the required five years of an orthopaedic residency. This includes approximately four years of college, four years of medical school and a five-year residency—a total of 13 years of post-high school education.

During the fellowship year, the surgeon has the unique opportunity to focus on difficult aspects of joint replacement including patients with complex medical issues, infections, periprosthetic fractures (broken bones around a replacement part) and failed joint replacement cases.

In addition to performing first time around (primary) joint replacement surgeries, the specialist acquires the critical thinking and surgical skills to address atypical deformities, dysplasia and joint replacement after trauma. The fellowship-trained surgeon has completed the highest level of training for joint replacement surgery. Most fellowship-trained surgeons will focus on their subspecialty, which often occupies more than 50% of their time practicing orthopaedics.

Rev. 2017

This article has been written and peer reviewed by the AAHKS Patient and Public Relations Committee and the AAHKS Evidence Based Medicine Committee. Links to these pages or content used from the articles must be given proper citation to the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons.