Global Leaders Recognized for Contributions to Foot and Ankle Orthopaedics
Schaumburg, Ill. (October 9, 2026) — More than 1,260 foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons, advanced health practitioners, orthopaedic residents, and medical students across the globe attended the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society® (AOFAS) Annual Meeting and the International Federation of Foot & Ankle Societies (IFFAS) 9th Biennial Meeting on September 16-19, 2026. The meeting was held in-person in Seattle, Washington, as well as virtually.
The meeting was a special collaboration between AOFAS and IFFAS. IFFAS is an international federation of regional foot and ankle organizations: the Asian Federation of Foot & Ankle Surgeons, the European Foot & Ankle Society, the Latin American Federation of Medicine and Surgery of the Foot and Leg, the North American Federation of Foot & Ankle Societies, and the Southern Federation of Foot and Ankle Societies.
The AOFAS & IFFAS 2026 meeting offered attendees 316 live presentations, 300 poster and e-poster presentations, and the opportunity to connect with 98 exhibiting companies. During the meeting, the Society and the IFFAS presented its most prestigious awards for outstanding global research in foot and ankle orthopaedics:
2026 Roger A. Mann Award, recognizing the outstanding clinical paper: "Implant Design Matters Only in Non-Concentric Ankles Undergoing Total Ankle Arthroplasty,” authored by Antoine Acker, MD; Julia Lenz, MD; Halah Kutaish, PhD, Victor Dubois-Ferriere, MD; Xavier Crevoisier, MD; and Mathieu Assal, MD.
2026 J. Leonard Goldner Award, recognizing the outstanding basic science paper: "Combined Interosseus Talocalcaneal and Spring Ligament Repair for Progressive Collapsing Foot Deformity (PCFD): A Cadaveric Study Assessing Alignment and Hindfoot Kinematics During Simulated Walking," authored by Cesar de Cesar Netto, MD, PhD; Ricardo Villar, MD; Jeffrey W. Hoffman, MS; Francois Lintz, MD, PhD; Wolfram Grun, MD, MA; Scott J. Ellis, MD; Jonathan T. Deland, MD; and Brett D. Steineman, PhD.
IFFAS Award for Excellence, recognizing the outstanding international paper: "Umbilical Cord-Derived Allogeneic Mesenchymal Stem Cells Augmentation of Microfracture for Osteochondral Lesion of Talus: Early Functional Recovery Including Large Lesion: A Double-blind, Randomized, Controlled Trial,” authored by Nicolas Protasowicki, MD; Aaron Cortes, PhD; Emilio Muse, MD; Mario Escudero, MD; Ana Butteri, MD; Cristian Ortiz, MD; Felipe Chaparro, MD; Giovanni Carcuro, MD; and Manuel Pellegrini, MD.
Robert B. Anderson Award, recognizing the outstanding sports paper: “Apparent Syndesmotic Widening Is an Unreliable Indicator of True Fibular Instability A Cadaveric Biomechanical Study Using Six-Degrees-of-Freedom Analysis and Three-Dimensional Distance Mapping,” authored by Kareem Omran, MD, MPhil; Cesar de Cesar Netto, MD, PhD; Nacime Salomao Barbachan Mansur, MD, PhD; Kepler Carvalho, MD, PhD; Smitha Mathew, MBBS; Justin Siebler, MD; Alexander Sawatzke, MD; Sara Putnam, MD; and Kevin Dibbern, PhD.
IFFAS President’s Award, recognizing the outstanding research paper: "Non-operative versus Operative Treatment of Suprasyndesmotic Ankle Fractures: A Multicentre, Randomized Controlled, Non-inferiority Trial," authored by Ola Saatvedt, MD; Marius Molund, MD, PhD; Silje Karlsen, PT, MSc; Anders Refsum, MD; Frede Frihagen, MD, PhD; Peter Franz Schubert, MD; Are Hugo Pripp, PhD; Jan Erik Madsen, MD, PhD; and Havard Furunes, MD, PhD.
IFFAS President’s Award: recognizing the outstanding research paper: "Effects of Mecobalamin on the Prevention of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Type 1 Following Foot & Ankle Surgery: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Pacebo-Controlled Trial," authored by Marut Arunakul, MD.
2026 IFFAS Takakura Award: recognizing the outstanding clinical paper: “Is Deltoid Ligament Repair Necessary in Weber Type C Pronation-External Rotation Ankle Fractures? A Randomized Controlled Trial,” authored by Jun Young Choi, MD; Young Ho Jung, MD; and Seung Myung Choi, MD.
To learn more about the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, visit aofas.org. To learn more about the International Federation of Foot & Ankle Societies, visit iffas.org.
About Foot and Ankle Orthopaedic Surgeons
Foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons are medical doctors (MD and DO) who specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal disorders and injuries of the foot and ankle. Their education and training consist of four years of medical school, five years of postgraduate residency, and a fellowship year of specialized surgical training. These specialists care for patients of all ages, performing reconstructive surgery for deformities and arthritis, treating sports injuries, and managing foot and ankle trauma.
About AOFAS
The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) mobilizes our dynamic community of foot and ankle orthopaedic surgeons to improve patient care through education, research, and advocacy. As the premier global organization for foot and ankle care, AOFAS delivers exceptional events and resources for continuous education, funds and promotes innovative research, and broadens patient understanding of foot and ankle conditions and treatments. By emphasizing collaboration and excellence, AOFAS inspires ever-increasing levels of professional performance leading to improved patient outcomes. For more information visit the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society online at aofas.org.
About IFFAS
The International Federation of Foot & Ankle Societies (IFFAS) is an organization that grew out of increased collaboration among orthopaedic foot and ankle societies around the world. It is a federation of regional federations of foot and ankle organizations, whose members are orthopaedic surgeons specializing in the medical and surgical care of the foot and ankle.