Behind the scenes, AO Spine continuously works hard to improve the membership privileges and add value to its membership program.

 

For the Membership program, we have added the following open access journals to the existing journal collection in order to make the search for articles more easy and convenient for you: Asian Spine Journal, JOR Spine, Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, Spine Surgery and Related Research, World Neurosurgery X, Coluna/Columna, and Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery.

 

For the Membership Plus option, we have introduced a new benefit for our readers: the Curated Articles. We have asked surgeons from around the world to share with us their latest favorite spine reads. In the first selection, our colleagues Matthew L Goodwin, Jeremy D Shaw, and Brandon D Lawrence share what they were reading in the fourth quarter 2019. We hope that you enjoy these articles and hope that you can take advantage of the benefits of your AO Spine Membership Plus entails. Please keep an eye out for the next edition of curated articles in the second quarter of 2020!

 

 Peer support: Mohammad El-SharkawiAlso in this issue of the newsletter, we are featuring Professor Mohammad El-Sharkawi of Assiut University in Egypt. He has been a leading light in AO Spine, and has blazed a trail in teaching and research methodologies, supporting the next generation of spine surgeons as they make their mark.

 

   Battling burnoutThis newsletter also shines a light on topic that many do not dare to speak openly about: burnout. The Global Spine Congress 2019 Best Paper Award winner highlighted the need for interventional programs for spine surgeons, 30 percent of whom report experiencing burnout. Ultimately, such measures to address surgeon burnout stand to shape healthier health care providers while leading to improved patient outcomes, fewer errors, and a more efficient health care sector.

 

 The AO Spine BOnE ClassificationIn this issue, we also share the latest update on the AO Spine Bone Osteobiologics and Evidence (BOnE) classification, a path to evidence on bone grafts to improve outcomes. The AO Spine Knowledge Forum (KF) Degenerative is developing a much needed osteobiologics classification, the BOnE classification for short. With this classification, the KF will make it easier for all stakeholders—surgeons, patients, hospitals, insurance providers, and governments—to assess the level of evidence of a particular osteobiologic material to support its use.

 

  AO Spine RECODE-DCMAnother important project of AO Spine research is the AO Spine RECODE-DCM. It sets research priorities and spearheads AO Spine Knowledge Translation. The Priority Setting Partnership arm of the AO Spine RECODE-DCM project recently held its final consensus meeting and agreed on the top ten research priorities for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy.

 

The Global Spine Congress (GSC) 2020 preliminary programWith the Global Spine Congress in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, only a few months away, we would like to share the preliminary program with you. The GSC will be the venue for a number of exciting events and I hope to see you there from May 20–23, 2020!

 

AO Spine Mexico and Colombia elect new council membersLast but not least, AO Spine Latin America has a lot of exciting news and initiatives, including the 2020 AO Spine International Observership Program, the Chairperson Education Program, and the results of their newly elected council members in Mexico and Colombia.

 

I hope you find this issue interesting and informative, and hope to see you in Rio de Janeiro in May!

 

 

Yours sincerely,

 

Norman Chutkan

Community Development Chairperson