About us

Mission

Our mission is to provide a forum for the eight Nordic national orthopaedic associations to exchange common issues such as evidence-based medicine, education and research. We want to exert influence by developing NOF policy statements on relevant societal topics, publishing the Acta Orthopaedica, organizing conferences, facilitating educational initiatives and developing new registries, e.g. complication registry.

NOF Member Countries

  • Denmark
  • The Netherlands

    Netherlands Orthopaedic Association or Nederlandse Orthopaedische Vereniging (NOV)

    Mission statement
    The Netherlands Orthopaedic Association (NOV) has a clear mission statement: “The NOV keeps the Netherlands active and exercising”.

    In particular the goals are the following:

    1. To guarantee the quality and efficiency of orthopaedic care in The Netherlands
    2. To stress and publish the impact of orthopaedic care for the individual patient but also for the society as a whole. To maintain a good level of contact with the relevant scientific, political and social stakeholders essential to the field of orthopaedics.
    3. Developing (by research) orthopaedics and related disciplines.
    4. Registration, monitoring and evaluation of orthopaedic care to ensure the quality.

    Structure 
    The NOV was founded in 1898 and has 1500 members i.e. 760 active orthopaedic surgeons, 150 retired surgeons, 260 residents and also extra-ordinary members (non-orthopaedic surgeons). Each year three general assemblies are organized, in January, May and October.
    Committees and workgroups advise the board on her policy and activities. The goals, objectives and the action programmes are all subordinate to the mission statement of the association. That is the test framework for all present and future policy resolutions. 

    Journal
    The NOV publishes its own online journal ‘Wetenschap in Beweging’ and  participates in the Acta Orthopaedica.

    Executive Board
    Jan Willem Louwerens, MD, PhD, vice president
    Jacob Caron, MD, vice president
    Kirsten Veenstra, MD, secretary general
    Jeroen Nieuwenhuis, MD, PhD, treasurer
    Sebastiaan van de Groes, MD, PhD, scientific secretary
    Joost Colaris, MD, PhD
    Sjoerd Stufkens, MD, PhD

    Office address
    Nederlandse Orthopaedische Vereniging (NOV)
    Chris (R.) van der Togt, MSc, managing director 
    Bruistensingel 216
    5232 AD 's Hertogenbosch
    Netherlands
    +31 (73) 700 3410 
    +31 (73) 700 3419
    nov@orthopeden.org

    < Visit the website of the Nederlandse Orthopaedische Vereniging >

  • Estonia

    Mission of Estonian Orthopaedic Society (EOS) or Eesti Traumatoloogide Ortopeedide Selts (ETOS)

    The mission of members of EOS is to provide the highest quality of musculoskeletal patient care, teaching and research, with a dedication to service. In order to achieve this the following is undertaken:

    • To organise annual meetings, three annual congresses of Estonia and international meetings for better musculosceletal teaching and research.
    • To be active member of NOF.
    • The goal is to harmonize service ultimately with EU standards.
    • Organizing NOF 56. Congress in Tallinn, Estonia.

    The Estonian Orthopaedic Society has 138 members, (5 honorary members).
    Important dates:

    • 26.02.1970 section of traumatology and orthopaedics near Estonian Surgical Society
    • 10.12.1975 founding the Estonian Traumatology and Orthopaedic Society
    • 26.11.1993 new statutes of the Estonian Orthopaedic Society of independent Estonian Republic
    • 11.06.2008 full member of the Nordic Orthopaedic Federation

    The Board consists of 7 EOS members: president Aare Märtson, vice president Andres Kööp, secretary Armin Heiman, treasurer Katre Maasalu, members at large: Toomas Tein, Madis Rahu, Maksim Lugovskoi.

    The EOS is a flexible and smoothly functioning organisation and collaborates with four daugthter societies: The Estonian Arthroscopy and Sport Medicine Society, the AO Alumni Association Estonian Chapter, Estonian Arthroplasty Society and the Estonian Society of Hand Surgeons. We also cooperate with the Estonian Osteoporosis Society and the Estonian Orthopaedic Nurses Society.

    < Visit the website of the Estonian Orthopaedic Society >

  • Finland

    Finnish Orthopaedic Association (FOA) or Suomen Ortopediyhdistys (SOY)

    The Finnish Orthopedic Association was founded 17.3.1951. 562 members. 

    Mission

    1.   Uniting the doctors interested in orthopaedics and traumatology and encourage them to constant discussion for the best of the patient
    2.   Promoting the clinical knowledge in orthopaedics, especially the treatment of the patient, in co-operation with all the actors of the healthcare
    3.   Promoting the education and the research by publishing and organizing congresses
    4.   Functioning as the authority, as the partner in co-operation, and as the responsible organization in solving the administrative and juridical problems of the field.

    Objectives

    1.   Balancing the supply and demand of/in orthopaedic services – fluent and secure operation
    2.   Ensuring the quality of education and practising a profession - continuance
    3.   Improving the scientific research - regeneration
     
    Methods
    1.   The ground for the developement of orthopaedics and traumatology in Finland is promoting and maintaining the fascination of the field   among the young and specializing doctors – critical and constant evaluation of function.
    2.   Securing the employment of orthopaedic surgeons with the public sector and regarding private sector as a balancing factor.
    3.   Evaluation of the quality of education and continuous renewal – Developing the co-operation with the Nordic and European partners (NOF, EFORT) without forgetting the global contacts (SICOT).
    4.   Through orthopaedic and traumatologic research the creating of new knowledge (prospective-random) and evaluation of the quality of work (retrospective) is possible. The growing importance of economical facts have to be takeing into account in the scientific work without forgetting the improvement of patients care.
    5.   The active participation in   public discussion is for a great importance in permitting the conspicuousness and goals of the field.
    6.   Two annual meetings
    7.   Publishing of own Finnish Orthopedic Journal (Vol 34). 4-5 issues annually
    8.   Umbrella organization for subspeciality societies (trauma, hand, children, total joint, foot, shoulder and knee)

    < Visit the website of the Finnish Orthopaedic Association >

  • Iceland

    Icelandic Orthopaedic Society (IOS) or Íslenskra Baeklunarlaeknafélagio (IBF)

    The Icelandic Orthopaedic Society was founded in 1972. The board is elected biannually which include a president, a general secretary and a cashier. The society had 41 members in the year 2010. The main mission of the society is to stimulate the cooperation and professional coworking between its members and to encourage that orthopaedics in Iceland are in accordance with best evidence based and cost benefit standards. The society participates in education of its own members and other health care workers.

    The Icelandic Orthopaedic Society has on its agenda to educate and inform on various orthopaedic issues, ie   new developments in orthopaedic surgery, waiting lists status and other issues that are of common interest to orthopaedic surgeons, other health care workers and the public.

    < Visit the website of the Icelandic Orthopaedic Society >

  • Lithuania
  • Norway
  • Sweden