Orthopaedic resident education is an evolving and continuously changing paradigm. Recently, the issue of resident work hours and, more specifically, work hour limits has received increased attention in orthopaedic residents education. Differences exist in work hour limits between orthopaedic residency programs in Europe and in the United States of America. Consequently, internet-based learning has gained a valued place in the knowledge armamentarium of the orthopaedic resident. Alternative methods to train orthopaedic residents are: surgical skills laboratories using synthetic or cadaver bones, PC-based training using software, and computerized simulators. Our purpose was to review existing differences in orthopaedic residency programs between the United States and the European Union, and to look at the available resources for education of orthopaedic residents on the internet with a special focus on orthopaedic resident preparation for board exams.