In late 2025, AO CMF North America Case-Based Dinners were held in San Diego, CA, Durham, NC, and Kansas City, MO. The format of these events combined peer-to-peer networking opportunities with the chance for residents to engage with AO NA leaders in a close setting. Together, these three events attracted over 40 participating residents.
The evenings featured AO CMF North America faculty hosts moderating interactive clinical case presentations. With topics including “Digital Workflow in CMF Reconstruction” and “Focus on Nasal Reconstruction,” participants gained a deeper understanding of recent advances, tips, tricks and techniques in fracture care as well as approaches for handling difficult fracture problems. The discussions also centered on complications and characteristics of complex fractures and the considerations necessary for quality patient outcomes.
Many AO CMF NA faculty contributed to making these events a success, including Dr. Michael Grant, Dr. Daniel Hammer, Dr. Alan Herford, Dr. Clint Humphrey, Dr. Kerry Latham, Dr. David Kriet, and Dr. David Powers. Dr. Humphrey, who co-hosted dinners in both Durham and Kansas City, remarked that the experience was a clear gateway to AO involvement for those in attendance. He expects that going forward, these surgeons will be eager to engage in AO CMF NA courses and to pursue faculty roles.
AO CMF NA Faculty gathered with local residents and other surgeons at the Case-Based Dinner in Kansas City, MO.
Sharing other takeaways from the event held in Kansas City, Dr. Humphrey said, “We thoroughly enjoyed sitting down by a warm fire, dining on barbeque, and tackling complex mandibular trauma and reconstruction cases together on a cold December night. This was my first opportunity to get to know several OMFS and plastic surgeons that work at other hospitals in my own metropolitan area whom I had previously only shared patients with or spoken to over the phone.” He continued, “I have had these newly familiar faces approach and comment to me for weeks about how thoroughly they enjoyed the exchange of ideas and the opportunity to connect with colleagues from other specialties at this event.”
These events attest to AO NA’s commitment to engaging surgeons at every stage of their career and exemplify pathways for learning and collaboration beyond traditional course offerings. Dr. Humphrey echoed this by sharing that the Case-Based Dinners “gave every attendee that had not previously interacted with AO CMF NA a true sampling of what our organization is all about: bringing surgeons together to learn from one another.”
Plans are underway to offer more Case-Based Dinners across the region in 2026.
Interested in hosting an AO CMF NA Case-Based dinner? Contact Kaitlynd O’Doherty, Project Manager: Engagement at [email protected] for more information.
