This issue of the AOSpine Newsletter brings you relevant and timely spine content covering true innovation in practice, the latest technologies, educational highlights, and awards. It also shares information about the AOSpine Knowledge Forums, and a number of other topics including mentorship, 3-D printing, and what surgeons can learn from pilots.

 

The latest teaching technologies and a blended learning approach have always been key to AOSpine’s education. At our educational flagship, the Davos Courses, participants will be able to experience true innovation in practice at two Bioskills Course sessions, which will be held for the first time from December 11–14, 2016 in a completely new format. See the course program for more information, and register soon to save your space!

 

In this edition, Risto Kontio, Senior Maxillofacial Surgeon and Chair of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Helsinki University Hospital, shares his views on the potential of 3-D printing.

 

AOSpine newsletter editor Regula Bleuler describes her experience at the Advanced Level Live Tissue training, which was staged for the 10th time this past June. She shares what makes this training such a unique and valuable educational experience for surgeons.

 

We are delighted to also share that the AOSpine Knowledge Forum Deformity Scoli-Risk-1 Study, which was sponsored by AOSpine-SRS, won the Whitecloud Award for the second year in a row top at the IMAST conference. Congratulations to Amit Jain, and senior author of the study, Khaled Kebaish, and everybody else involved in this successful study!

 

We also provide an update on AOSpine Knowledge Forum SCI activities and their multicenter trial: “Riluzole in Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study: RISCIS.”

 

We strongly believe that mentoring young surgeons is important. AOSpine launched its Mentorship Education Scheme in New York City this past August. In this issue's feature story, Ferran Pellisé, Director of the Spine Unit at the Hospital Quiron in Barcelona, with more than 20 years’ experience mentoring young surgeons, shares his perspective on the benefits of mentoring and why it matters.

 

In this issue of the newsletter, you will also learn about the winners of the European Young Researcher Award, and the topics of their papers.

 

During this year's Global Spine Congress in Dubai, 100 AOSpine members had the chance to attend the members-only session "What Surgeons Can Learn from Pilots." Learn in this newsletter how you can transfer the learnings and practices from the aviation industry to your OR to increase safety.

 

Also, following a successful meeting at the Global Spine Congress, AOSpine is pleased to announce future opportunities for our Past Fellows during the Global Spine Congress in Milan 2017.

 

Last but not least, I would like to make you aware of some changes in our membership program. After conducting a survey amongst members, and in line with AOSpine’s Go Green Strategy, we will now introduce downloadable membership certificates. We also ask AOSpine members to kindly mark in their membership profiles if they would like to continue to receive the Global Spine Journal as hard copy after Dec 31, 2016. All members who do not opt-in will receive the Global Spine Journal electronically only starting Jan, 1, 2017. These changes offer our members more flexible options, and help reduce paper waste and lower our carbon footprint.

 

I hope that you find this issue interesting and informative, and I look forward to our continuous exchange of ideas.

 

Best wishes,

Dan Riew

Chairperson,

AOSpine International