The Orthopaedic Trauma Association Annual Meeting
The Orthopaedic Trauma Association Annual Meeting
The Orthopaedic Trauma Association Annual Meeting, held in Nashville in September 2026, was once again a fantastic opportunity to hear some of the latest developments in orthopaedic trauma, while catching up with friends and colleagues from across the UK, the US, Canada and further afield.
There was a strong UK contingent at this year’s meeting, with consultant colleagues, registrars and SHOs attending from a number of centres, including King’s College Hospital, the Royal London Hospital, Bristol, Queen’s Medical Centre Nottingham, Brighton and Edinburgh. It was particularly encouraging to see UK hospitals well represented within both the oral and poster presentations.
Scientifically, the meeting covered a broad range of topics relevant to contemporary trauma practice. The team from King’s had the opportunity to present work evaluating a paediatric information booklet designed to provide accessible information and support for children affected by major trauma.
Another particularly interesting presentation was the SOLARIO trial, presented by Martin McNally, looking at antibiotic duration in the management of fracture-related infection. The study suggested that, where appropriate surgical principles were followed and local antibiotics were used, a short course of systemic antibiotics of seven days or less was non-inferior to prolonged systemic antibiotic treatment. Importantly, debridement-and-implant-retention cases were excluded, which is an important consideration when thinking about applying the findings.
In the Chair’s Choice session, a major US study on dual-mobility hip arthroplasty was also presented, highlighting its role in hip fracture management and its positive impact on stability.
Xavier Griffin also gave a fascinating presentation on the FAME study. With the full results awaiting publication, we will resist the temptation to give away the ending here, but it was certainly thought-provoking and we very much look forward to seeing the published paper.
There was also plenty happening outside the academic programme. One of the highlights was the OTA bike ride, which provided a rather different way of touring Nashville, seeing the city and learning some of its history along the way. Numerous receptions organised by the OTA and industry provided further opportunities to catch up with friends and colleagues, meet new people and continue many of the conversations started during the scientific sessions.
Nashville itself proved to be a superb host city: vibrant, welcoming and with seemingly endless live music. The combination of excellent science, a strong UK presence, great company, and a memorable city made this a particularly enjoyable OTA meeting — and hopefully we will see an equally strong OTS contingent again next year in New Orleans.
Written by:
Ash Vasireddy
Consultant Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeon
King’s College Hospital, London, UK