Course Co-Directors Drs. Theodore Miclau and Amir Matityahu, MD
On April 16-18, 2026, the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Annual International San Francisco Orthopaedic Trauma continuing medical education (CME) conference celebrated its 20th year as an essential educational resource for orthopedic trauma physicians worldwide. Over the last two decades, the conference, taught by leading experts in the field, has brought together nearly 6,000 attendees to share best practices and improve patient care across varied settings, from major hospitals to rural areas.
The course content changes annually to reflect clinical advances and evolving educational practices. Each year, nearly half of the attendees have attended a previous conference, with many attending regularly. Beyond surgeons who manage orthopaedic trauma, the course attracts physicians from various specialties treating musculoskeletal injuries in their practices, allied health professionals attending specialized course sessions, and a host of different learners seeking to learn more about the field. As the largest of its kind in the United States, the conference provides global visibility for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and its Orthopaedic Trauma Institute (OTI), which recently celebrated its 18th Anniversary.
Team Jeopardy Left to Right: Team USA v. Team Canada v. Team OTI.
Hosted by Drs. Kudret Usmani and Theodore Miclau
Drs. Theodore Miclau and Amir Matityahu, MD, the course directors, invite over 40 nationally and internationally recognized faculty, including those from UCSF, who are thought leaders in the field. “We started the course to promote the growing trauma program at UCSF and the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG) and found ourselves continuing the course as an international resource to educate surgeons in orthopaedic trauma,” said Theodore Miclau, MD, who has organized and directed the conference since its inception. Amir Matityahu, the course co-director, added, “the course quickly became so popular, peaking at over 500 attendees from over 40 states and 12 countries, that we expanded the course focus to include international topics.”
Hands-on workshop utilizing sawbones.
Photo by Edward Otto, Jr.
In addition to didactic lectures, the course includes hands-on workshops, case-based discussions, and keynote lectures from world-renowned experts. Recently, the course added a specimen-based workshop at the OTI’s nine-station Surgical Training Institute at Pride Hall, the newest UCSF building on the ZSFG campus. “The Department is proud to have offered this course that has helped so many healthcare professionals and their patients over the years; I am excited to see the conference continue to improve the care of injured patients for years to come,” commented Dr. Benjamin Ma, the Chairman of the UCSF Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. This year’s course promises to continue building on its 20-year legacy to highlight the latest advances in musculoskeletal care.
