Discover the leading global community of spine surgeons
Advancing spine care worldwide
Welcome to AOSpine! As the chairperson of AOSpine International, the leading global community of spine surgeons, I encourage you to get involved in our community and to be part of the advancement of spine care worldwide. By doing so, you will join an organisation which represents the world’s greatest talent in spine care both locally and internationally. Join now by visiting www.aospine.org/ membership. Our community continues to grow with over 30,000 members and associates spread across the world. AOSpine members share their expertise as faculty and enhance their knowledge as participants in the principles and techniques of spine care by attending our state-of-the-art educational courses. In addition, the AOSpine mentoring and fellowship programs ensure that the next generation of spine surgeons receive the best support in their careers from renowned surgeons, and that knowledge and expertise is being shared across cultures and countries. The AOSpine Knowledge Forums, where working groups led by world-renowned key opinion leaders generate knowledge by conducting clinical studies and publishing evidence-based recommendations, continue to develop with the help of top surgeons and researchers. If you are a top researcher and would like to get involved in doing research with our Knowledge Forums, please contact research@aospine.org. AOSpine also continues to invest in basic and translational research. It is a strategic priority for AOSpine to adopt a T.E.A.M. (Transparent, Egalitarian, Accountable, Metric-driven) approach in everything we do. We have already established a productivity score in Research which assesses the research output across AOSpine in a standardized and egalitarian way. For all Knowledge Forums and regions, we evaluate the metrics of quality and quantity of the research conducted and compare it to the financial resources spent. As the current AOSpine International Chairperson, I wish to expand this type of systematic scoring to all our activities over the next few years.
K. Daniel Riew Chairperson, AOSpine International
The extent of AOSpine’s reach is showcased every year at the Global Spine Congress, which will run concurrently with the World Forum for Spine Research in Dubai in April 2016. Global Spine Congress had its inaugural meeting in San Francisco and previously was held every other year, alternating with the World Forum for Spine Research. The 2015 meeting in Buenos Aires was a resounding success with 1,200 attendees, including the top key-opinion leaders from every continent presenting their latest research. Due to the popularity and high attendance of these meetings, starting next year, the two meetings will be combined into the annual meeting for AOSpine International. This is a must-attend event for all those in the spine surgery profession throughout the world! The success of AOSpine’s educational, research and community development programs are a result of the expertise and enthusiasm of our members. We are fortunate to have the support of surgeons from various backgrounds and across continents who are committed to improving the future of spine surgery. It is thanks to their commitment and support that AOSpine can maintain its reputation as the leading academic spine surgeon community in the world. I look forward to having you on board to work together to continue the advancement of spine care. Sincerely, K. Daniel Riew Chairperson, AOSpine International
About us AOSpine is the leading global academic community of spine surgeons dedicated to generating, distributing and sharing knowledge through research, education and community development.
Abdulaziz Al-Mutair AOSME Chairperson
Roberto Chapa AOSLA Chairperson
Established in June 2003, the organization is led by the AOSpine International Board. The Board guides and supports the AOSpine regions, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, Middle East, and North America. Each region
Michael Fehlings AOSNA Chairperson
drives local activities within the AOSpine international network. Today AOSpine fosters a global Community of 30000 members and associates from all corners of the world.
Claudio Lamartina AOSEU Chairperson
Paul Thng AOSAP Chairperson
AOSpine Research
Advance with our latest research discoveries
AOSpine Education
Benefit from lifelong learning opportunities
AOSpine Community DevelopmentÂ
Join the leading global community of spine surgeons
AOSpine Research AOSpine drives and transforms spine care through a variety of pioneering research programs. Members exchange evidence-based knowledge by participating in translational and clinical studies.
Shanmuganathan Rajasekaran International Research Commission Chairperson
Teams of experts gather in intra- and inter-regional research programs and create valuable synergies between science and practical surgery. AOSpine continuously innovates spine surgery, offering its members the chance to be involved in the scientific advancement of spine care worldwide. Members also benefit from our research mentoring program enabling them to conduct their own projects.
«Be at the forefront of global spine care research.» AOSpine Education AOSpine fosters lifelong learning for spine surgeons worldwide. We offer educational activities that are developed and delivered by expert faculty, providing specific pathology courses based on a comprehensive competencybased Curriculum. The new spine module of the AO Surgery Reference offers a practical reference tool for surgeons working with patients suffering from a type 1–6 Lenke Deformity, complements our online offering.
Michael Grevitt International Education Commission Chairperson
Highly interactive educational programs involve the learners. By encouraging them to develop mentoring skills, AOSpine ensures the dissemination of know-how to the next generation of spine surgeons.
«Learn which surgical strategies provide best results.» AOSpine Community Development AOSpine’s strong academic credibility translates into attractive membership benefits designed to keep you connected to the latest advances in spine surgery. AOSpine encourages its members to generate, distribute and exchange knowledge while also allowing them to build professional relationships both locally and globally. The AOSpine website provides a platform for users to stay connected with the community and to keep up-to-date with the latest educational and research news.
Klaus Schnake International Community Development Commission Chairperson
A range of initiatives and activities, across five regions, ensure the continual strengthening and growth of our leading global community.
«Join the leading global community of spine surgeons.»
AOSpine Research Network (AOSRN) The AOSRN gathers an interdisciplinary group of experts conducting collaborative translational research on intervertebral disc regeneration and degeneration. Currently, AOSpine is sponsoring three collaborative and two single center projects. In addition to the clearly defined programs, AOSpine also supports individual projects through AO Foundation’s Research Institute in Davos, Switzerland.
Collaborative Projects: • Biomaterial-assisted Cell-based Therapy for Disc Degeneration—Barbara Chan (Hong Kong) • Notochordal cell technology for intervertebral disc regeneration—Keita Ito & Björn Meij (The Netherlands) • Discovering the Genetics and Regeneration Potentials of the Intervertebral Disc—Danny Chan (Hong Kong) & Daisuke Sakai (Japan)
The AOSpine Curriculum AOSpine fosters lifelong learning, providing spine surgeons with a comprehensive, modular, and competency-based Curriculum for continuing education. The AOSpine Curriculum is based on the competencies that enable spine surgeons to perform effectively across six areas of pathology in their practice setting and to meet the standards of the profession. Delivered through a combination of face-to-face events, distance learning, and self-directed resources, the Curriculum offers educational activities for all levels of experience.
To join the AOSpine global community, visit our website at www.aospine.org/membership to: • Broaden your global professional network • Discuss specific cases with colleagues worldwide • Benefit from AOSpine’s strong global academic credibility
Single Center Projects: • Biological Repair of the Degenerate Intervertebral Disc—Lisbet Haglund (Canada) • Quantitative MRI of the Intervertebral Disc Degeneration—Tugan Muftuler (USA)
AOSpine Knowledge Forums AOSpine Knowledge Forums are clinical study groups designed to generate knowledge for the five spine pathologies (spinal cord injury, degenerative disease, deformity, tumor, and trauma). By publishing evidence-based recommendations, reviews, meta-analysis and performing studies, our Knowledge Forum outcomes assist our members in their clinical decision making.
Each AOSpine Knowledge Forum is led by a steering committee of up to ten worldrenowned experts that have been selected based on their medical education, clinical research activities, scientific publication, and peer recognition. Counting on a number of key opinion leaders to lead the forums, AOSpine ensures the dissemination of the latest advances and outcomes to the community.
«Interact with pathology-focused working groups of key opinion leaders.» AOSpine Faculty Development Investing resources for faculty development and management has been critical in establishing AOSpine’s academic reputation. With the guidance of the AOSpine Education Commission (AOSEC), faculty development programs have continuously evolved and expanded. Spine experts are given the tools and skills to become better teachers,
making them experts in education, equipping them with the skills and tools to develop and plan their own courses based on the Curriculum. Progressing through the different faculty roles requires profound interest and commitment to learning. All faculty positions have an application, nomination or recommendation element,
followed by a transparent selection or approval process, and concluding with certification and assessment. It is no secret that faculty development is the key to a successful teaching role for surgeons; it also provides opportunities for faculty to challenge themselves while advancing their careers.
«Become an expert faculty and train the next generation of spine surgeons.» AOSpine membership benefits Education and Career Development Educatio
Online Education Webinars Videos
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Fellowship Mentorships
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Member Directory
AOSpine Website
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Newsletter
AOSpine Knowledge Forums Tumor
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Chairman Charles Fisher Members Laurence Rhines, Stefano Boriani, Peter Varga, Chetan Bettegowda, Ziya Gokaslan, Arjun Sahgal, and Norio Kawahara.
Chairman Lawrence Lenke Members Kenneth Cheung, Christopher Shaffrey, Ahmet Alanay, Yong Qiu, Sigurd Berven, Marinus DeKleuver, Manabu Ito, David Polly, and Stephen Lewis.
Spinal Cord Injury Chairman Michael Fehlings Members Bizhan Aarabi, Robert Grossman, Brian Kwan, and Shekar Kurpad.
Trauma Chairman Alex Vacarro Members Jens Chapman, Marcel Dvorak, Cumhur Öner, Frank Kandziora, Shanmuganathan Rajasekaran, and Klaus Schnake.
Degenerative / Biologics Chairman Jeffrey Wang Members Darrel Brodke, Jim Youssef, Tim Yoon, Jong-Beom Park, and Hans-Jörg Meisel.
AOSpine Education
AOSpine Davos Courses
Global Spine Congress
World Forum for Spine Research
Each year, AOSpine runs over 150 educational events worldwide in various formats, covering all pathologies and reaching out to surgeons at every stage of their career. AOSpine courses, symposia and academic congresses provide an opportunity for hands-on learning, alongside constructive discussions with moderators and colleagues in a stimulating environment.
Davos Courses is an excellent opportunity to informally interact with world-renowned experts, teaching a number of spine topics at the highest level. The program is based on the vast expertise of the faculty members, as well as the latest science within the field of spine surgery, and aims to enable participants to adapt and apply new concepts and techniques to their daily practice.
AOSpine organizes the annual global Congress with the aim to educate, stimulate discussion and debate, and advance the field of spine care. Clinicians, researchers and colleagues from other disciplines highly appreciate this platform to present the latest results of their clinical studies and basic research to a truly global audience.
For further information, please visit: www.aospine.org/education
For further information, please visit: www.aodavoscourses.org
For further information, please visit: www.gsc2016.org
The World Forum for Spine Research is the podium for everyone interested in the latest findings in the field of intervertebral discdegeneration and regeneration – from fundamental to translational and clinical research. The event is a great opportunity for surgeons to get in contact with peers and researchers from all over the world and to be at the leading edge of science. For further information, please visit: www.wfsr2016.org
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We look forward to welcoming you to the AOSpine Global Community www.aospine.org/membership
Advancing spine care worldwide AO Foundation Established as a medically guided nonprofit organization in 1958, AO Foundation is dedicated to providing excellence in the surgical management of trauma and disorders of the musculoskeletal system. AOSpine is a professional medical association of spine surgeons; a clinical division of AO Foundation.
AOSpine International Stettbachstrasse 6 8600 Dubendorf Switzerland
The aim of the AO pioneers was to scientifically evaluate AO Foundation’s place in the care of the injured and, where appropriate, to refine surgical practice and ensure optimized outcome for the injury victim. Today, the AO Foundation fosters one of the most extensive networks of surgeons, operating room personnel, and scientists in more than 100 countries.
T +41 81 414 27 32 info@aospine.org
www.aospine.org