American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons

American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons
Name	American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons
Abbreviation	ASES
Formation	1982
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Region served	United States
Membership	Orthopaedic surgeons, clinicians, researchers

American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons is a professional medical society focused on disorders of the shoulder and elbow, uniting specialists in orthopaedic surgery, sports medicine, and musculoskeletal research. The organization functions as a forum for clinical practice, research dissemination, education, and guideline development, engaging surgeons, academic centers, and hospitals across North America and internationally. It interacts with surgical societies, academic departments, and orthopedic industry partners to advance subspecialty care and outcomes.

History

Founded in 1982 amid evolving subspecialization in orthopaedic surgery, the society emerged when leaders from institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Massachusetts General Hospital sought a focused forum. Early figures affiliated with University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, University of California, San Francisco, University of Pittsburgh, and Washington University in St. Louis helped shape the group's agenda. Over decades the organization cultivated ties with international centers like Oxford University Hospitals, Paris Hospitals, Karolinska Institutet, University of Toronto, and Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. Major meetings coincided with broader orthopedic events including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and Elbow, and specialty conferences at venues like Madison Square Garden and Moscone Center. The society's growth paralleled innovations from companies headquartered near Palo Alto, Boston, and Minneapolis that developed implants and instrumentation.

Mission and Objectives

The society's mission emphasizes improving patient care for disorders treated by specialists linked to Cleveland Clinic, University of California, Los Angeles, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, Duke University Medical Center, and Yale New Haven Hospital. Objectives include developing evidence-based guidance in collaboration with entities such as National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and foundations linked to Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigators. The organization promotes standards that intersect with regulatory bodies like the Food and Drug Administration and accreditation organizations such as the Joint Commission. It seeks partnerships with professional groups including American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Council of Academic Societies, and public health programs affiliated with Harvard Medical School.

Membership and Governance

Membership draws from faculty at institutions like University of Michigan, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Emory University Hospital, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Governance structures mirror nonprofit boards found at American Orthopaedic Association chapters and include committees with representatives from centers such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Baylor College of Medicine. Election processes reference standards used by organizations like Association of American Medical Colleges and operate within nonprofit statutes of states such as Illinois and California. The society collaborates with subspecialty registries maintained by groups like American Joint Replacement Registry and engages with payers and policy stakeholders linked to Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

Clinical Practice and Guidelines

The society produces guidelines and consensus statements informed by clinical investigators from University of Colorado Hospital, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto), and Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. Clinical pathways reference evidence levels similar to those used by Cochrane Collaboration, GRADE Working Group, and guideline panels convened by National Guideline Clearinghouse contributors. Topics include management strategies developed in collaboration with rehabilitation programs at Mayo Clinic Rehabilitation Hospital, outcomes measured with tools validated at UCLA Medical Center, and perioperative protocols aligned with American Society of Anesthesiologists recommendations. The society’s guidance addresses implant selection, fixation techniques, arthroplasty innovations from firms in Indiana and Vermont, and complication management strategies taught in fellowships at Kaiser Permanente facilities.

Education, Training, and Meetings

Educational activities include annual meetings often co-located with sessions from American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, visiting professorships involving faculty from University of Edinburgh, University of Sydney, University of Melbourne, and symposia featuring lecturers from Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. The society accredits fellowships and courses similar to programs at Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and offers hands-on surgical technique labs using simulation resources comparable to Smithsonian Institution-affiliated training centers. Meeting venues have included conference centers in Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, and international locations like Zurich and Barcelona.

Research and Publications

Research initiatives connect investigators from Brown University, University of Washington, Weill Cornell Medicine, Tulane University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with multicenter registries and randomized trials. The society partners with journals and editorial boards at publications such as The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, and international outlets indexed alongside The Lancet and The New England Journal of Medicine when reporting high-impact findings. Collaborative grants have involved funders like National Science Foundation-affiliated programs, philanthropic entities such as Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-supported initiatives, and industry-sponsored registries from manufacturers operating near Chicago and Minneapolis.

Awards and Recognition

Awards recognize clinical excellence and research from members affiliated with Scoliosis Research Society-linked programs, honors paralleling those from American Orthopaedic Association and Orthopaedic Research Society. Named lectures and prizes cite contributions from surgeons associated with Mayo Clinic, Hospital for Special Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Stanford Health Care, and UCLA Health. Recipients often serve in leadership roles at institutions such as University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and receive acknowledgments from regional bodies including North American Spine Society and specialty committees within American College of Surgeons.

Category:Orthopedic organizations