The German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma

As an association, the DGOU combines the goals and tasks of its two supporting associations, the German Society for Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery (DGOOC) and the German Trauma Society (DGU), and their members.

As such, the DGOU represents the overarching and common interests of orthopaedics and trauma surgery in the field of research and teaching, further education and training, in clinics and practice as well as in the field of health policy; all with a view to formulating the framework conditions for the subject of orthopaedics.

The DGOU represents the interests of its members in the fields of science, health care and professional policy. With its various committees operating in close collaboration, it is a professional society that performs efficient work for all its members.

Promotion of science
The DGOU promotes scientific research in the field of orthopaedics and trauma surgery. Among other things, it provides networks and platforms for scientific exchange and informs its members via its media offerings about the latest findings in the field, for example by means of its members’ magazine "OUMN" or at the annual German Congress for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery (DKOU).

Quality and safety
The DGOU also publishes guidelines for trauma and orthopaedic diagnostics and treatment. These recommendations support doctors in making decisions aimed at providing patients with optimal medical care and thereby ensuring greater medical quality and safety.

Education and promotion of young people
The DGOU also promotes education, training and further education in the field of orthopaedics and trauma surgery: For example, the association has developed special course formats for continuing education and training and supports study and research activities with prizes and scholarships. The Young Forum O&U represents the interests of young medical professionals in orthopaedics and trauma surgery. As a network, it provides information and advice on, for example, clinical, scientific and didactic aspects of further education.

• Orthopaedics and trauma surgery covers prevention and detection, conservative and surgical treatment as well as the follow-up care and rehabilitation of injuries of all kinds and their consequences as well as congenital and acquired changes in form, malformations, functional disorders and diseases of the supporting and locomotor organs.
• This is also undertaken with the inclusion of interdisciplinary competence and applies to all age groups.
• Specialisations of the specialists take into account the changing requirements in fulfilling these tasks in the best possible way for the benefit of our patients. We ensure competence from a single source.
• As orthopaedic and trauma surgeons, we are committed to the well-being and lives of our patients and provide treatments that respect the individual needs of each individual while respecting human dignity and patient rights.
• When choosing our treatment methods, we take equal account of findings from scientific studies, good clinical practice and available resources within the framework of responsible economic action.
• We are committed to goal-oriented education, further education and training.
• We promote research and teaching as well as the implementation of the results in practice at the highest level.
• We engage with colleagues from other disciplines in a sense partnership and strive for constructive interdisciplinary discussions in order to ensure and further develop competent interdisciplinary collaboration.
• The patients entrusted to us are always at the heart of all our efforts.

Mission statement for orthopaedics and trauma surgery for download

Status: November 2022

•  2008 foundation as a non-profit association based in Berlin
•  10,400 members
•  www.dgou.de
•  Medical-scientific society
•  Association: Bringing together of the goals and tasks of their sponsoring associations and their members
•  German Society for Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery (DGOOC)
•  German Trauma Society (DGU)
•  Representing interests in the fields of orthopaedics in the areas of
•  Science and Research
•  Healthcare in hospitals and in practice
•  Vocational policy, continuing education and training
•  Teaching
•  Health policy
•  German Congress for Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery (DKOU)

 Committees

•  26 Sections for the further development of the departments of orthopaedics
•  8 working groups on special scientific issues of the subject orthopaedics
•  3 committees advising the Board of Directors on special matters of the DGOU
• International Affairs division (RIA)
• German-Chinese Society of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery (DCGOU)
•  German-Japanese Society of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery (DJGOU)
•  German-Latin American Society of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery (DLGOU)
• Mid-level Forum O&U: Representation of the interests of non-self-employed and partially      self-employed doctors
• Young Forum O&U:  joint junior doctors' organisation of DGOU and BVOU

 Promotion of science: Prizes and scholarships

•  Prize for the promotion of basic research, 20,000 Euro
•  Rehabilitation Research Award DGOU, 5,000 Euro
•  Healthcare Research Award DGOU, 5,000 Euro
•  Prize for evidence-based medicine, 5,000 Euro
•  Research Prize for digitisation in O and U, 2,500 Euro
•  "Quality and Safety in Endoprosthetics” scholarship, 10,000 Euro
•  Fellowships on intra-operative imaging and computer-navigated procedures

 Quality and safety in care: Guidelines, certifications, registers

•  White Paper on conservative orthopaedics and trauma surgery
•  White Paper on research in orthopaedics and trauma surgery
•  White Paper on age trauma orthogeriatrics
•  Recommendations for post-treatment of trauma patients

 Further education and training: Courses

•  IC – Interpersonal Competence for Healthcare Professionals
•  Evidence-based medicine in orthopaedics and trauma surgery

 
Status: November 2022
Promotion of young talents

•  Pre-clinical day
•  Summer School
•  Students’ day

The DGOU collaborates on a national and international level with many cooperation partners from the field of orthopaedics and trauma surgery in both an interdisciplinary and a multi-professional manner.

The German Society for Orthopaedics and Trauma (DGOU) was founded in Berlin on 8th July 2008 as a non-profit association. It was initiated by long-standing sponsors of a union of professional societies in the field of orthopaedics and trauma surgery, as well as representatives of the executive boards of the German Society for Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery (DGOOC) and the German Trauma Society (DGU); the two sponsoring associations of the DGOU.

As early as the 1990s, the first initiatives took place to bring the separate subjects of orthopaedics and trauma surgery closer together. At the beginning of the new millennium, the development from a loose confederation of interests to a strong association gained momentum once again, especially in the area of regulating common continuing education.

With the creation of the specialist in orthopaedics and trauma surgery in 2003, the subject of orthopaedics became the mainstay of surgery. Orthopaedics and trauma surgery still account for the largest share of surgical care in Germany. The subject is therefore of great importance at the level of health policy. By merging its two sponsoring associations, the DGOOC and the DGU, in 2008 the DGOU finally became the largest specialist society within the surgical disciplines.