Several hot topics relating to ortho-biologics were discussed at the 2011 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS) in San Diego this February. Injecting a patient's own platelet-rich plasma (PRP) prior to orthopedic surgery was an important topic, and had its own forum devoted to debating its uses and merit. PRP use has been promoted by equipment companies such as MTF Sports Medicine, Biomet, and Arteriocyte, but others are likely to take advantage of the trend of increasing PRP use by developing a proprietary injectable that mixes PRP with certain growth factors. One possible addition would be a recombinant platelet-derived growth factor (rhPDGF-BB, becaplermin) being developed by BioMimetic Therapeutics for its bone graft product. On the topic of viscosupplementation, the US's only single-injection product, Genzyme's SynviscOne®, was noticeably missing from the exhibit hall at AAOS, but an abstract comparing the single- and multiple-injection viscosupplementation techniques demonstrated that single-injection acts faster and is longer lasting. New bone morphogenetic protein formulations may improve healing of bone fractures. Molecular diagnostics may be used to predict periprosthetic joint infection, allowing orthopedic medicine to be more personalized. A diagnostic that can be used on a large scale has not yet been identified. † Adapted and reproduced from Hoggatt J. Hot Ortho-Biologic Topics at AAOS 2011: Platelet-Rich Plasma and Related Growth Factors Generate Excitement. inThought Research, 2011 Feb 28.