From hands-on demos to conversations with sports medicine surgeons, AOSSM 2026 in Seattle was a strong week of collaboration and innovation in orthopedic sports medicine.
The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) Annual Meeting brought sports medicine physicians, orthopaedic surgeons, researchers, and industry leaders together from across disciplines and around the world to explore the latest advancements in the care of the athletic patient.
Held July 8–11, 2026 at the Seattle Convention Center in Seattle, Washington, AOSSM 2026 offered a full program of research presentations, hands-on instruction, and networking—anchored this year by a full-day pre-meeting workshop, "OrthoBiologics and the Modern Athlete: Optimizing Evidence, Recovery, and Return to Play." As one of the field's most important annual gatherings, AOSSM is where the clinicians who treat athletes at every level come to exchange ideas, review the newest evidence, and evaluate the technologies shaping the future of sports medicine.
For Novarad, AOSSM 2026 was an opportunity to show how augmented reality is moving from concept to clinical reality—and how immersive visualization can support the precision that sports medicine procedures demand.
Hands-On VisAR Demonstrations
One of the highlights of the week was the opportunity for surgeons and clinical teams to try VisAR themselves.
Using the headset, attendees were able to visualize patient-specific anatomy in 3D holographic form, allowing them to explore trajectories, anatomical relationships, and surgical approaches in a fully immersive environment. Rather than looking away to an external monitor, physicians could see imaging overlaid directly within their field of view, aligned to the patient.
Many surgeons commented on how intuitive the system felt and how quickly they were able to understand spatial relationships compared to traditional 2D imaging. Conversations frequently turned to the procedures sports medicine specialists perform every day—from ligament reconstruction and arthroscopic joint access to complex fracture and pelvic work—and how real-time, patient-aligned guidance could support decision-making and surgical confidence in those cases.
Connecting With the Sports Medicine Community
AOSSM continues to be one of the most important gatherings for orthopedic sports medicine, offering a space where clinicians, researchers, and innovators can exchange ideas and explore new technologies.
Throughout the event, the Novarad team had the opportunity to meet with surgeons, hospital leaders, and partners interested in the future of image-guided surgery and augmented reality navigation. These conversations are critical in helping shape the future development of VisAR and ensuring that the technology continues to address real clinical needs.
About VisAR
VisAR is Novarad's augmented reality surgical navigation platform. Worn as a lightweight optical headset, VisAR displays a patient's imaging as 2D and 3D holographic overlays directly in the surgeon's field of view, using patented optical registration technology to maintain continuous, sub-millimeter alignment with the patient's anatomy throughout a procedure. Surgeons can retrieve a case in seconds via an encrypted QR code, and the system supports multiple imaging modalities including CT, ultrasound, and X-ray.
Designed to be portable and to fit into existing operating-room workflows, VisAR is intended to democratize access to advanced surgical navigation. The system is FDA 510(k) cleared for intraoperative spinal procedures, where validated pedicle screw placement has demonstrated greater than 96% accuracy for both open and minimally invasive approaches, and Novarad continues to explore its application across orthopedics, neurosurgery, and interventional specialties.
Looking Ahead
Events like AOSSM provide an important opportunity to collaborate with the sports medicine community and demonstrate how emerging technologies can improve surgical workflows and patient outcomes.
We're grateful to everyone who stopped by to experience VisAR and connect with the Novarad team in Seattle. If you weren't able to attend AOSSM but would like to learn more about VisAR, we invite you to explore the platform or request a demonstration.
Learn more about VisAR →
