AANA25 Shoulder Access Pass-GENERAL SESSION: SOMOS (Main Stage)

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Video Summary

The session, led by Dr. Jennifer Smith and Dr. J.T. Tokish, provided a comprehensive overview of military orthopedic sports medicine, emphasizing the unique challenges and evolving collaborations between military surgeons and civilian organizations like SOMOS and ANNA. Dr. Tokish highlighted the dramatic changes post-9/11, with increased deployments demanding expertise in blast injuries and sports medicine to maintain warfighter readiness, noting that common injuries like ACL tears and shoulder instability significantly impact military effectiveness.<br /><br />A pivotal focus was the development of the SOMOS-ANNA course, initiated in 2009 to enhance arthroscopic training for military surgeons, combining civilian expertise and military experience. This program evolved into the MAST (Military Athletes Surgical Training) initiative, securing substantial funding for sustained education, fellowships, research, and advanced techniques, with remarkable inclusivity and high training feedback.<br /><br />Clinical discussions included complex cases such as bilateral shoulder instability in a collegiate wrestler, emphasizing imaging choices, surgical options (e.g., open Bankart vs. Latergé procedures), and shared decision-making balancing athlete goals and long-term outcomes. Knee injuries were examined through ACL partial tears in wrestlers, highlighting serial exams, functional assessments, and individualized treatment plans. The debate over meniscal allograft transplantation versus medical discharge highlighted considerations of knee stability, activity levels, surgical outcomes, and return to duty probabilities within military contexts.<br /><br />Lower extremity tendon repairs showed no superiority between transosseous tunnels and suture anchors, with a moderate return-to-duty rate after quadriceps repair. The final panel addressed management of shoulder arthritis in younger active patients, exploring surgical options like hemiarthroplasty and total shoulder arthroplasty, perioperative planning with imaging, and indications for newer techniques such as CAM procedures, aiming to optimize function for military duties and quality of life.<br /><br />Overall, the session underscored the critical intersection of advanced surgical techniques, rigorous training, military readiness, and patient-centered care in orthopedics serving the armed forces.

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Keywords

military orthopedic sports medicine

Dr. Jennifer Smith

Dr. J.T. Tokish

SOMOS-ANNA course

MAST initiative

blast injuries

ACL tears

shoulder instability

arthroscopic training

military surgeon education

meniscal allograft transplantation

quadriceps tendon repair

shoulder arthroplasty