2003 Public Service Campaign

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons launched its multimedia national public service announcement (PSA) campaign today at the opening ceremony of its 70th Annual Meeting at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. In partnership with the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) and the National Association for Sport & Physical Education (NASPE), the new campaign will provide valuable information on improving and maintaining good bone health throughout a lifetime.

The comprehensive PSA campaign includes three print ads, a television spot with :60, :30 and :15 second versions, and two radio announcements in both :60 and :30 second lengths.

The theme of this year's television spot, Midlife Matador, depicts a middle-aged woman who is drawn to her passion of learning how to become a matador, despite the physically demanding challenges this activity presents. In fact, fewer than 10 percent of Americans participate in regular exercise, and the most sedentary group is over age 50. Although the spot is humorous, the message is serious: it is important to exercise common sense while engaging in any type of physical activity, particularly when beginning a new physical regimen. Condensing all the activity into one weekend (weekend warrior syndrome) does not increase fitness levels and in fact may boost the chances of injury. Just 30 minutes of moderate activity, incorporated into your daily routine, can provide health benefits.

"Develop a balanced fitness program that incorporates warm up, stretching, cardiovascular exercise, weight bearing activity, strength training and flexibility," advises Stuart Hirsch, MD, chair of the Academy's Council on Communications. "A balanced program will keep you from getting bored and lessen your chance of injury."

The first of the three print public service announcements, Get up, Get Out, Get Moving features two children jumping through a sprinkler. The Academy, in partnership with the National Association for Sport & Physical Education, stresses how essential it is that children participate in regular physical activity. Normal childhood activities like running and jumping are great ways for kids to build strong healthy bones, develop a lifetime habit of exercise, and prevent musculoskeletal conditions later in life.

The second print ad, Patient Safety is No Accident, shows a physician writing his initials on the shoulder of a patient where surgery will take place. The Academy advocates this simple and effective procedure called "Sign Your Site" to help increase patient safety in the operating room.

Many of the changes in our musculoskeletal system result more from disuse than from simple aging. The third print ad, It All Begins with Research, features a woman dancing on top of a table at a lively celebration, and illustrates that aging doesn't necessarily have to slow you down thanks to scientific advances in musculoskeletal prevention and treatment options. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF) are working together to promote the need for continued strides in vital orthopaedic research.

The Academy's first radio spot entitled, "Promising New Procedure" informs listeners of the Academy's "Sign Your Site" patient safety initiative, also the subject of one of the print ads. The second radio spot, Ole! revisits the TV ad's "midlife matador" theme and highlights the importance of exercising common sense when it comes to planning your physical activities to avoid the weekend warrior syndrome.

This year's campaign will be distributed to 1,100 broadcast TV stations and 500 cable TV stations; 5,000 radio stations; and 6,000 print outlets consisting of 2,000 magazines, 3,000 weekly newspapers and 1,000 daily newspapers. In addition, these public service messages will be featured on display ads in hundreds of airports

The campaign components were created by the Academy and its advertising agency August, Lang and Husak Advertising Inc., of Bethesda, Maryland.

The 26,047-member American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) or (http://orthoinfo.aaos.org ) is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public. An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy is participating in the Bone and Joint Decade (http://www.usbjd.org ), the global initiative in the years 2002-2011 to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people's quality of life. President Bush has declared the years 2002-2011 National Bone and Joint Decade in support of these objectives. The Academy's Annual Meeting is being held February 5-9, 2003, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, La.