In May 2012, in airports across the globe, seven orthopaedic surgeons bravely said goodbye to their loved ones, and slowly turned towards their respective aircraft. Filled with expectation and mild trepidation they stepped into the unknown… the ABC fellowship of 2012.

This paper offers a summary of the ethical guide for the European orthopaedic community; the full report will be published in the EFORT Journal.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2014;96-B:1130–2.