Introduction: The AO

Abstract

Having traversed the zone of deciduous trees, the narrow-gauge railway made its adventurous ascent into the high mountains, winding past charming villages and through forests of firs intersected by spectacular high alpine vistas. Finally Davos lay ahead of me, a small Swiss holiday resort, radiant in the late afternoon sun, 4800 feet above sea level, complete with a lake and a Grand Hotel — but also with a high-tech modern research centre for bone surgery. The centre was my reason for visiting Davos. It is the headquarters of an organisation called AO/ASIF (Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen/Association for the Study of Internal Fixation and Fractures) which is credited throughout the world for having revolutionised the treatment of bone fractures. The AO was also the subject of my newest historical research project.