AO Trauma Latin America Research Challenge 2026

AO Trauma is pleased to announce the launch of the second edition of the AO Trauma Latin America Research Challenge.
This initiative is designed to support and advance the research careers of early-career researchers in Latin America.

The competition will take place in October 2026 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Five candidates from across the region will be selected and invited to present their research in person.

Don’t miss this opportunity to showcase your work to leading international and regional experts in trauma care.
Submissuib deadline is April 20, 2026. See below for more details.

We look forward to your submission!

Submit your paper

Paper template

Requirements

FOR CANDIDATES

Hold an active AO Trauma membership.

Be 40 years of age or younger at the time of application.

Be an orthopedic surgeon or be enrolled at least at the residency level.

Be a clinician and fluent in English.

Be a resident of a Latin American country.

FOR STUDIES

Must be original clinical research, unpublished or previously presented (or published within the last 6 months at the time of application).

Must be written in English.

Exclude all author names or affiliations to ensure blind review.

Must not have been submitted to any previous edition of the Research Olympiad or Research Challenge.

Not exceed 4,000 words (excluding title, figures, graphics, tables and references).

Must be submitted as a PDF file.

Selection process

1. REVIEW AND SCORING

Each paper will undergo evaluation by three experts from Latin America, who will score the submissions based on established criteria.

2. PRE-SELECTION

The highest-scoring papers will be pre-selected for online oral presentations to a regional jury composed of members from the AO Trauma Latin America Research Support Group.

3. FINAL DECISION

The judges will make the final selection based on a comprehensive evaluation of both the written paper and the online presentation.

Presentation of papers

1. ONLINE PRESENTATION

Pre-selected candidates must attend a synchronous online meeting, date and time to be announced, to present their studies to the regional judges. Candidates who fail to attend this session will be automatically disqualified from the competition.

2. FINAL PRESENTATION IN BUENOS AIRES

The top five candidates will present their studies during an in-person session in Buenos Aires, in October 2026.

3. TEMPLATE

Presentations must follow the templates provided for each stage (online and final presentations).

Papers awards

The five selected candidates from the region will attend the in-person event in Buenos Aires, Argentina, with flights and accommodation covered by AO Trauma.

As part of the program, candidates will have the opportunity to:

Present their studies at the AO Trauma Latin America Research Challenge competition.
Network with renowned international and regional experts in trauma care.
Attend the AO Trauma Research Symposium.
Participate in social activities.

Important deadlines

Submit your paper

Paper template

For paper submission support, please contact:

[email protected]

WhatsApp +55 41 98789 4748