The mission of the Canadian Orthopaedic Association is to unite the national orthopaedic community through advocacy, education, research and practice standards. We do this by upholding our four strategic priorities and values derived from the membership we represent.
The Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA) is the national professional association representing the interests of orthopaedic surgeons and trainees across Canada. As a not-for-profit organization founded in 1945, we are united by a shared commitment to advancing musculoskeletal health through excellence in education, research, advocacy, and practice standards.
We provide our members with medical education at every stage, leadership development, and collaboration opportunities across subspecialty societies and allied health associations. From professional growth, to national advocacy platforms, the COA fosters innovation, connection, and continuous improvement in orthopaedic care.
The COA serves as the national voice of orthopaedics in Canada — engaging with government, media, and health-care stakeholders on issues that shape the profession. We maintain strong partnerships with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and all 17 orthopaedic training programs nationwide, helping to guide the education, qualification, and advancement of future orthopaedic leaders.
Born from the Montreal Orthopaedic Society in 1943 and officially established in 1945, the COA has a proud history of leadership. Our members continue to represent Canadian orthopaedics on the global stage, building bridges with international institutions and championing excellence at home and abroad.
The Gender Diversity Strategic Plan has provided a basis for COA’s 2025 statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, as seen in the 2025-2028 Strategic Plan.
Orthopaedic surgery has the lowest percentage of female surgeons among surgical disciplines in Canada. In 1968, the percentage of practicing female orthopaedic surgeons was a mere 0.9%. By 2018 this percentage grew to 11.2%. Considering that at least half of medical school graduates are female, this remains far below the expected number of women entering orthopaedics. Many barriers have been identified that account for the difficulty in attracting women into orthopaedics as well as in advancing women into leadership roles. Implicit bias negatively affects all aspects of women’s orthopaedic surgery careers and has been implicated in the challenge of attracting women to orthopaedic surgery, optimizing career development for women, gender pay inequities, and the lack of leadership opportunities.
To address this challenge, the COA requires a comprehensive and cohesive plan to eliminate the systemic gender-based inequities that exist within the profession. Understanding that there is strength in diversity, the COA seeks to promote a culture of equity, not equality, where all individuals are afforded impartial access to the same opportunities. The COA Gender-Diversity Strategic Plan provides key strategies and practical actions to promote and advance gender equity within Canadian orthopaedics in order to maximize the talent, skill and diversity within specialty.
Click here to view the COA’s Gender Diversity Strategic Plan
(French version available upon request)
The Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Committee will develop, maintain, and improve the competence, skills, and professional performance of orthopaedic surgeons and orthopaedic healthcare professionals by providing high quality, relevant, accessible, and effective educational experiences that address gaps in professional practice. The COA CPD program strives to meet the educational needs of orthopaedic surgeons and orthopaedic healthcare professionals and support their lifelong learning with a goal of improving care for orthopaedic patients.
The CPD committee will pursue its vision through:
The COA’s Code of Ethics has specific applications to Canadian culture, society, and the Canadian health-care system.
While the COA’s Code of Ethics provides guidance, it cannot offer definitive resolution to all ethical questions and situations that might arise. In such situations, it is the duty of each member to act in an ethically responsible manner, and members are encouraged to seek additional advice or consultation when necessary.
The COA’s Code of Ethics outlines the ethical principles governing our membership’s conduct focusing primarily on ethics issues rather than what could otherwise be termed professionalism or professional conduct. Such issues as being honest and lawful are assumed to apply to all members of society. Similarly, issues that are basic and more in the realm of human rights or law such as discrimination (age, gender, ethnic origin, religion, sexual preference, race, etc…) have been included only where necessary. The fundamental principle of primacy of patient welfare overrides all others.
Learn more about the bylaws that govern the COA.
