AAOS Announces Strategic Transition of Fracture & Trauma Registry

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) Fracture & Trauma Registry (FTR) will soon undergo a change in order to modernize and streamline data capture. Beginning Jan. 1, 2026, key fracture data will be integrated into the American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR) and the Shoulder & Elbow Registry (SER), allowing for broader clinical impact and improved participation.

“This transition represents a thoughtful evolution of how we collect and use fracture data to support orthopaedic care,” said Michael J. Gardner, M.D., FTR Steering Committee chair. “By integrating high-value fracture modules into established AAOS registries, we’re building a more sustainable, efficient, and accessible system for the future. Our goal has always been to reduce barriers to participation while preserving the insights that matter most to clinicians, patients, and institutions. This new model helps us do exactly that.”

Current FTR participating sites will benefit from streamlined onboarding processes and enhanced long-term sustainability through integration with the AJRR and the SER, which have demonstrated strong infrastructure and scalability.

Key benefits of the transition:

• Enhanced Efficiency: Streamlined data submission reduces administrative burden on participating sites, particularly for Level 1 trauma centers 
• Proven Technology: Integration with established platforms that have demonstrated reliability and clinical value
• Broader Impact: Access to larger participant networks and more robust datasets
• Sustained Insights: Continuation of evidence-based practice tracking for the most clinically significant fracture types

Under the new model, hip fracture data will transition to the AJRR, and proximal humerus fracture data will be incorporated into the SER. Distal femur, distal radius, and ankle fracture data will be securely archived. Participating sites will continue to have access to historical FTR reports and data through the end of 2025. 

The AAOS Registry Program’s mission is to improve orthopedic care by collecting, analyzing, and reporting actionable data. The American Joint Replacement Registry (AJRR), the Academy’s hip and knee replacement registry, is the cornerstone of the AAOS’s Registry Program, and the world’s largest national registry of hip and knee joint replacement data by annual procedural count, with more than 4 million procedures contained within its database. Additional registries include the Fracture & Trauma Registry (FTR), the Musculoskeletal Tumor Registry (MsTR), the Shoulder & Elbow Registry (SER), and the American Spine Registry (ASR), a collaborative effort between the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) and the AAOS.

With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS advances musculoskeletal health, providing comprehensive education to help orthopedic surgeons and allied health professionals best treat patients. The AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments, and related musculoskeletal healthcare issues; and it leads the healthcare discussion on advancing quality.