The rate of publication of new materials and research exceeds the capacity of any individual to keep fully abreast. So how are we to keep up-to-date and sufficiently informed to practice evidence-based medicine? One way is to rely on authoritative yet unbiased reviews of important questions written by authors dedicated to education of the reader; that is the purpose of this book. It has been a formidable challenge, therefore, for our internationally-based contributors to wade through the sea of evidence and pick out significant advances that represent a true step forward in our knowledge. Whether the reader is an established practitioner wishing to update their knowledge or a trainee wanting to brush up on current opinion before exams, this book should fit the bill. The size of the task would be prohibitive if every aspect of trauma and orthopaedics was to be considered. For this reason we have selected key areas where rapid expansion in knowledge is occurring or where there is topical interest. We hope, therefore, that we have summarised a sufficiently broad range of topics to make this essential reading for orthopaedic surgeons of all grades.