Xi’an, China

World Forum for Spine Research in China a success

 

Held from May 15–17, 2014 in Xi’an, China, this year's Forum focused on the current understanding of various aspects of the Intervertebral Disc—from Degeneration to Therapeutic Motion Preservation. Delegates were treated to first-class multidisciplinary sessions on a wide range of topics.

 

Xi’an, one of the four great ancient capitals of China, was the backdrop to the 2014 World Forum for Spine Research. Attended by 243 delegates and faculty from over 35 countries the event was a great success and focused on Intervertebral Disc.

 

Organized by AOSpine, and co-Chaired by Kenneth Cheung (Hong Kong), Keita Ito (Netherlands), and Zhuojing Luo (China), the Forum was anchored by a stimulating and relevant scientific program that provided participants the opportunity to maximize their exchange and learning.

Capitalizing on the power of shared experience was paramount when setting the event schedule. All delegates were able to attend all sessions and talks, without having to pick and choose or prioritize between concurrent topics.

 

The information presented during the Forum was energizing and both presenters and participants expanded their networks and gained new ideas about the intervertebral disc.

 

The Forum concluded with the presentation of awards to individuals who were voted by judges (members of the faculty) as exceptional within their respective categories.

 

Best oral presentation: Emerson Krock, Canada

Best short talk: Yan Li, Hongkong

Best poster presentation: Juhani Määttä, Finland

Most active participation: Fengjuan Lv, Hong Kong & Yue Wang, China

 

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Members gathered together to plan for the future at one of the two annual meetings for the AOSpine Education Commission (AOSEC) in Zürich, Switzerland April 5 and 6.

 

Led by AOSEC chairperson Germán Ochoa, discussions primarily centered on strategic plans, the future of AOSpine education, as well as our organization’s funding and principles of negotiation.

 

“We are continuing to support faculty development, curriculum maintenance, research and education, assessment and evaluation, implementation of disclosure and adaptation to delivering compliance and regulation in our different regions and countries,” said Ochoa.

 

Eyes on the future

Productive discussions were held about the potential changes to industrial partnerships and the impact this would have on AOSpine. “All institutions face change—this is a fact of life and is something that should be embraced and prepared for,” Ochoa said. “It is important that members know AOSpine is actively investigating options that would allow for the continued evolution of our organization.”

 

Members also talked about increasing the value of AOSpine’s educational offerings and where to focus educational efforts to increase our competitiveness.

 

Programs update

After the strategic discussions took place, an administrative/program update was held. For example, the Continuing Education Program (CEP) initiative, which offers new possibilities in education to our members, was presented.

 

Members heard about the CEP developed in Latin America and discussed the different alternatives to adapting the CEP in different regions. At the end of the meeting, all representatives agreed to take this decision back to their regional board meetings for further discussion.

Zürich, Switzerland

Education commission meets to discuss AOSpine's educational strategies