# AO Surgery Reference vs AAOS Annual Meeting

AO Surgery Reference and AAOS Annual Meeting both sit at 4.4 stars, but that hides the real split: 86% of AO Surgery Reference's written reviews are positive against 23% of AAOS Annual Meeting's. AO Surgery Reference also leads on iOS requirement (13.0 vs 17.0). AAOS Annual Meeting's advantage is ratings volume (658 vs 14). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.4 for AO Surgery Reference against 4.5 for AAOS Annual Meeting. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: AAOS Annual Meeting has 658 ratings behind it against 14, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 86% of AO Surgery Reference's written reviews are positive against 23% of AAOS Annual Meeting's.

AO Surgery Reference ships an update every 6 months, AAOS Annual Meeting every 7 months. Both last shipped on October 23, 2026.

## The numbers

| Metric | AO Surgery Reference | AAOS Annual Meeting |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | [4.4 (14 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ao-surgery-reference/id403961165/reviews) | **[4.5 (658 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aaos-annual-meeting/id1489996709/reviews)** |
| Number of ratings | 14 | **658** |
| Positive reviews | **85.8% of reviews** | 23.1% of reviews |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Ads | No | No |
| Update frequency | **Every 6 months** | Every 7 months |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Size | 1 MB | 134 MB |
| Requires iOS | **13.0** | 17.0 |
| Devices | **iPhone, iPad, iPod** | iPhone, iPad |
| Age rating | 17+ | 12+ |
| Developer | [AO Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/399757056) | [American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Mobile](https://appshunter.io/developer/549697931) |

## What reviewers say

### AO Surgery Reference

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/ao-surgery-reference/id403961165)

Access a comprehensive online repository of surgical knowledge for fracture management. It provides detailed guidance on diagnosis, treatment, and aftercare for numerous fracture types, supported by extensive illustrations and expert review.

**Highlights:** 353 fracture types covered, 172 surgical approaches, 1222 surgical procedures, Over 30,000 illustrations, Feline, canine, and equine fracture care, Powerful search function

**Features:** macOS Compatibility, Vision Pro support

**In-app purchases:** none


### AAOS Annual Meeting

[App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/aaos-annual-meeting/id1489996709)

This app serves as a comprehensive resource for the AAOS Annual Meeting. Users can personalize their experience by creating a custom agenda with educational programs, exhibit hall activities, and featured exhibitors.

**Highlights:** Custom agenda builder, Add education programs, Exhibit Hall activities, Must-see exhibitors, Personalized learning path

**In-app purchases:** none

**What reviewers like**

- 👍 Learned a lot of useful information
- 👍 Stimulating meeting
- 👍 Great for catching up with friends

**What reviewers complain about**

- 😞 No education on apps
- 😞 Meeting filters didn't work
- 😞 Cannot see 'my meetings' on desktop
- 😞 Cannot edit schedule on desktop
- 😞 Thoroughly disappointing interface

**Reported bugs**

- Meeting filters didn't work properly
- Unable to find classes signed up for
- Log-in to access My Meeting not intuitive

**Requested features**

- Include hotel already chosen on personal profile
- QR code scan for login/access
- Populate paid courses/schedule automatically via scan


## Frequently asked questions

### Is AO Surgery Reference free?

AO Surgery Reference is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Is AAOS Annual Meeting free?

AAOS Annual Meeting is free to download, with no in-app purchases.

### Which has better reviews, AO Surgery Reference or AAOS Annual Meeting?

AAOS Annual Meeting is rated higher. AO Surgery Reference averages 4.4 out of 5 from 14 ratings, while AAOS Annual Meeting averages 4.5 from 658 ratings.

### Do AO Surgery Reference or AAOS Annual Meeting have ads?

Neither AO Surgery Reference nor AAOS Annual Meeting shows ads.

### Which is updated more often, AO Surgery Reference or AAOS Annual Meeting?

AO Surgery Reference ships an update every 6 months, and AAOS Annual Meeting every 7 months. Most recently, AO Surgery Reference was updated on October 23, 2026 and AAOS Annual Meeting on October 23, 2026.

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*Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*