Established in 1991, the mission of the  American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) is to provide leadership in advocacy, education and research to achieve excellence in hip and knee patient care. The AAHKS Annual Meeting (held in the fall) addresses a broad array of scientific topics, such as implant design, results, surgical techniques and complications of primary and revision TJA, as well as the latest information available on socioeconomic issues affecting your specialty.

Also, the AAHKS has expanded the Associate membership category to allow non-surgeons to join. Individuals who are not eligible for Active membership but are intimately involved with hip and knee surgeons (such as researchers, engineers, scientists or industry leaders who have an interest in hip and knee arthroplasty) can now join the AAHKS. Persons admitted to this
category would share all the same privileges and responsibilities of all Associate members.

In addition to its educational endeavors, the AAHKS provides a variety of other benefits and programs of great value to its over 1,100 members. These include:

• An annual subscription to the Journal of Arthroplasty ~ the official peer-reviewed and clinically relevant Journal of the Association.
• A presence on the Internet through the AAHKS Web page at www.aahks.org. Features include association functions and background, membership criteria, a Doctor Locator for patients, a members’-only directory, news and information, on-line abstract submissions, on-line registration, links to other Orthopaedic sites, and much more.
• An active Committee structure which addresses issues of importance to hip and knee surgeons, such as: Research, Industry and Technology, Evidence-Based Medicine, and Health Policy and Practice. Ad Hoc committees monitor issues such as malpractice insurance, Medicare reimbursement, PAC activities, emerging clinical research and other topic that impacts the practice of joint arthroplasty.
• A National Legal Advisory Team protocol to assist members in the confidential peer-evaluation of malpractice suits for merit, with potential legal information support and provision of expert witnesses.
• Support and promotion of hip and knee research initiatives through the OREF grant-funding process.
• A national public education campaign to increase the awareness on the quality and value of joint replacement, and to raise the profile of TJR in the minds of legislators and the public.

Purpose of Organization—

1. To increase knowledge of the hip and knee joint in health and disease.
2. To provide educational opportunities which promote the highest level of professional standards in patient care of disorders of the hip and knee.
3. To create an optimum environment to enhance education, research, and treatment of arthritis of the hip and knee joint.
4. To promote and maintain professional standards to provide the best care of patients with arthritic disorders of the hip and knee joint.
5. To determine optimal standards for education of fellows in surgery of the arthritic hip and knee.