Disorders of the spine represent one of the largest public health problems in the United States today and cost the healthcare system billions of dollars annually. As our population ages, the prevalence of spinal disorders continues to grow, significantly taxing an already overburdened healthcare delivery system.
The Decade of the Spine (DOS) is a political, social, and educational movement that has its roots in the Decade of the Brain of the 1990s. The goal of the DOS is to highlight the many aspects of spine disease and related treatments, and is designed to improve the quality of life of patients with spinal disorders. From 2001-2010, the North American Spine Society (NASS), the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS), the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), and others will coordinate DOS activities that provide a multifaceted approach to enhance the visibility of spinal disorders and spine care.
This is not simply a U.S. or North American initiative. DOS is intended to reach the millions of people throughout the world who suffer from disorders of the spine by heightening the awareness of people regarding disorders of the spine, with a specific focus on healthcare delivery; healthcare delivery will be initially addressed via the World Spine II (WSII) meeting being held Aug. 10-13 in Chicago, Ill.
The WSII meeting, which is predominantly an initiative of the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves and NASS, will directly address the issues of world spine health. This three-day meeting (with an additional day of pre-meeting courses) not only will focus on the high-tech aspects of spine care (both surgical and non-surgical), but will also, and most importantly, emphasize the delivery of the appropriate level of care for those in need of spine care worldwide. This meeting will provide education for spine care providers and will emphasize high- as well as low-tech spine care, with a significant focus on the provision of care to people with suboptimal resources, particularly in regions of the world where such resources are simply unavailable. Speakers from the World Health Organization, American Medical Association, and from developing as well as developed countries will provide much needed insight into world spine health.
Additionally, it is hoped that the WSII meeting will become a powerful stimulus for a variety of initiatives, including the establishment of a “world federation of spine societies” or “spine care specialists” and the provision of spine care technology, including equipment and implants, to regions of the where these resources are deficient or nonexistent. It is planned that such initiatives will be unveiled at the WSII meeting in Chicago.
The WSII meeting owes significant debt to Mario Brock, MD, the chairman and major organizer of the World Spine I (WSI) meeting held in Berlin, Germany, in 2000. Essentially, he single-handedly established the World Spine meeting concept and courageously brought it to reality. He then passed the baton to North American spine care physicians who have organized the WSII meeting and have played a seminal role in the development and nurturing of the DOS.
The Council of Spine Societies (COSS) has monitored this entire process, most recently under the leadership of Courtney Brown, MD. This council represents multiple spine organizations in North America, thus providing a multidimensional, multi-faceted, multidisciplinary, and broad-based approach to spine politics and program development, particularly as it relates to collegiality and the coming together of multiple specialties for common purposes, as evidenced by DOS and WSII.
It is hoped that the WSII meeting will serve to “kick-off” a drive to further accelerate the momentum regarding the DOS, the perpetuation of World Spine meetings in the future (approximately every three years), an international organization of spine physicians or spine societies, a heightened awareness for spinaal disorders, and a heightened level of care for those afflicted with spinal disorders worldwide.
For More Information More information regarding the DOS or WSII is available at the WSII Web site at https://www.worldspine.org, where one can download logos, obtain useful information regarding world spine health and obtain information regarding participation in the DOS.
Please plan to attend WSII, Aug. 10-13 in Chicago, for an eye-opening view into world spine health and advances in technology. Be prepared to come away with an unparalleled insight into the practice of spinal care medicine.
Edward C. Benzel, MD, is a neurosurgeon at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and Spine Institute in Cleveland, Ohio. Courtney W. Brown, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Panorama Orthopedics in Golden, Colo.