Scoliosis Research Society

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SRS
Scoliosis Research Society
Formation1966;57 years ago (1966)
Headquarters555 East Wells Street
Suite 1100
Milwaukee, WI 53202
Location
Website www.srs.org

The Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) is a non-profit, professional, international organization made up of physicians and allied health personnel, whose purpose is to "care for those with spinal deformity throughout life by patient care, education, research and patient advocacy." [1] It was founded in 1966 with 37 members, and now has grown to include over 1300 spinal deformity surgeons and allied health personnel in 41 countries, with a primary focus on providing continuing medical education for health care professionals, and funding/support for research in spinal deformities. Among the founding members were Dr. Paul Randall Harrington, inventor of the Harrington rod treatment for scoliosis, and Dr. David B. Levine, spine surgeon at Hospital for Special Surgery. Harrington later served as President of the SRS from 1972 to 1973, [2] and Levine was President of the Society from 1978 to 1979. Current membership primarily includes spinal deformity surgeons, as well as some researchers, physician assistants, and orthotists who are involved in research and treatment of spinal deformities. Strict membership criteria ensure that the individual SRS Fellows are dedicated to the highest standards of care for adult and pediatric spinal deformities, utilizing both non-operative and operative techniques. [3]

Contents

Annual meeting

The organization holds an annual meeting with strong global participation from spine surgeons and specialists from around the world. [4] This annual scientific meeting includes scientific presentations related to spine surgery and spinal deformity, which are selected through a process of abstract submission and peer review. Both basic science and clinical research are presented during the meeting and all clinical research (involving surgical treatment) is required to have a minimum of two-year post-operative follow-up.

International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques

A second annual meeting, entitled International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) focuses on emerging technologies and techniques. [5] This second meeting includes scientific presentations pertaining to all aspects of spinal surgery and treatment, not specifically relating to spinal deformity. Also, because the IMAST meeting does not require a minimum two-year post-operative patient follow-up for submitted research, the results of more recent surgical techniques can be presented for education and discussion.

Courses and tutorials

A number of smaller instructional courses and tutorials are also held throughout the year, including regional and international meetings. [3] Furthermore, as an organization dedicated to the study and treatment of spinal deformity, the SRS periodically releases position statements and holds symposia on various topics of interest, such as bracing, [6] intraoperative neuromonitoring, [7] [8] and school scoliosis screening. [9]

Grants and funding

In the last fourteen years, SRS, in conjunction with OREF and the Cotrel Foundation, have provided more than $2.6 million for spinal deformity research projects.

Website

The Scoliosis Research Society website serves as an educational resource to patients, and a professional resource for health care providers. For patients, a variety of spinal deformity topics and treatment options are explained in layman's terms and serve as a way for patients and their families to educate themselves about an otherwise complex medical condition.

The "Glossary" contains a comprehensive list of spinal terminology to help patients and their families make sense of the complex nomenclature and terms that are used in discussing spinal deformity. The "Find a Specialist" section offers patients access to an opted-in list of members of the Scoliosis Research Society, as well as their practice locations, contact information, and areas of expertise.

For healthcare professionals, the Scoliosis Research Society website contains educational materials, outcomes questionnaires, meeting schedules, and research opportunities. These educational materials are written and designed for personnel more familiar with medical terminology.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scoliosis</span> Medical condition of the spine

Scoliosis is a condition in which a person's spine has a sideways curve. The curve is usually "S"- or "C"-shaped over three dimensions. In some, the degree of curve is stable, while in others, it increases over time. Mild scoliosis does not typically cause problems, but more severe cases can affect breathing and movement. Pain is usually present in adults, and can worsen with age. As the condition progresses, it may impact a person's life and hence, can also be considered a disability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orthopedic surgery</span> Branch of surgery concerned with the musculoskeletal and bones system

Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics, is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital disorders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyphosis</span> Medical condition

Kyphosis is an abnormally excessive convex curvature of the spine as it occurs in the thoracic and sacral regions. Abnormal inward concave lordotic curving of the cervical and lumbar regions of the spine is called lordosis. It can result from degenerative disc disease; developmental abnormalities, most commonly Scheuermann's disease; Copenhagen disease, osteoporosis with compression fractures of the vertebra; multiple myeloma; or trauma. A normal thoracic spine extends from the 1st thoracic to the 12th thoracic vertebra and should have a slight kyphotic angle, ranging from 20° to 45°. When the "roundness" of the upper spine increases past 45° it is called kyphosis or "hyperkyphosis". Scheuermann's kyphosis is the most classic form of hyperkyphosis and is the result of wedged vertebrae that develop during adolescence. The cause is not currently known and the condition appears to be multifactorial and is seen more frequently in males than females.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harrington rod</span>

The Harrington rod is a stainless steel surgical device. Historically, this rod was implanted along the spinal column to treat, among other conditions, a lateral or coronal-plane curvature of the spine, or scoliosis. Up to one million people had Harrington rods implanted for scoliosis between the early 1960s and the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back brace</span>

A back brace is a device designed to limit the motion of the spine in cases of bone fracture or in post-operative spinal fusiona, as well as a preventative measure against some progressive conditions or to correct patient posture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spinal fusion</span> Immobilization or ankylosis of two or more vertebrae by fusion of the vertebral bodies

Spinal fusion, also called spondylodesis or spondylosyndesis, is a neurosurgical or orthopedic surgical technique that joins two or more vertebrae. This procedure can be performed at any level in the spine and prevents any movement between the fused vertebrae. There are many types of spinal fusion and each technique involves using bone grafting—either from the patient (autograft), donor (allograft), or artificial bone substitutes—to help the bones heal together. Additional hardware is often used to hold the bones in place while the graft fuses the two vertebrae together. The placement of hardware can be guided by fluoroscopy, navigation systems, or robotics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kyphoscoliosis</span> Medical condition

Kyphoscoliosis describes an abnormal curvature of the spine in both the coronal and sagittal planes. It is a combination of kyphosis and scoliosis. This musculoskeletal disorder often leads to other issues in patients, such as under-ventilation of lungs, pulmonary hypertension, difficulty in performing day-to-day activities, psychological issues emanating from anxiety about acceptance among peers, especially in young patients. It can also be seen in syringomyelia, Friedreich's ataxia, spina bifida, kyphoscoliotic Ehlers–Danlos syndrome (kEDS), and Duchenne muscular dystrophy due to asymmetric weakening of the paraspinal muscles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AO Foundation</span> Medical organisation based in Switzerland

The AO Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the care of patients with musculoskeletal injuries or pathologies and their sequelae through research, development, and education of surgeons and operating room personnel. The AO Foundation is credited with revolutionizing operative fracture treatment and pioneering the development of bone implants and instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ignacio Ponseti</span>

Ignacio Ponseti was a Spanish-American physician, specializing in orthopedics. He was born on 3 June 1914 in Menorca, part of the Balearic Islands, Spain, Ponseti was the son of a watchmaker and spent his childhood helping repair watches. This skill was said to eventually contribute to his abilities as an orthopedist. He served three years as a medic during the Spanish Civil War treating orthopedic injuries of wounded soldiers. He left Spain shortly after the end of the war and became a faculty member and practicing physician at the University of Iowa, where he developed his ground-breaking, non-surgical treatment for the clubfoot defect - the Ponseti Method.

Axial Biotech, Inc. was a privately held molecular diagnostics company based in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was founded in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Randall Harrington</span> American orthopedic surgeon

Paul Randall Harrington was an American orthopaedic surgeon. He is best known as the designer of the Harrington Rod, the first device for the straightening and immobilization of the spine inside the body. It entered common use in the early 1960s and remained the gold standard for scoliosis surgery until the late 1990s. During this period over one million people benefited from Harrington's procedure.

Sean E. McCance, M.D., is an American orthopedic surgeon and Co-Director of Spine Surgery in the Leni and Peter W. May Department of Orthopaedics at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Additionally, he is Associate Clinical Professor of Orthopaedics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Attending Spine Physician at Lenox Hill Hospital.

Andrew C. Hecht, M.D., is an American orthopaedic surgeon and a nationally recognized leader in surgery on the spine.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neuromechanics of idiopathic scoliosis</span>

The neuromechanics of idiopathic scoliosis is about the changes in the bones, muscles and joints in cases of spinal deformity consisting of a lateral curvature scoliosis and a rotation of the vertebrae within the curve, that is not explained by either congenital vertebral abnormalities, or neuromuscular disorders such as muscular dystrophy. The idiopathic scoliosis accounts for 80–90% of scoliosis cases. Its pathogenesis is unknown. However, changes in the vestibular system, a lateral shift of the hand representation and abnormal variability of erector spinae motor map location in the motor cortex may be involved in this disease. A short spinal cord and associated nerve tensions has been proposed as a cause and model for idiopathic scoliosis. Besides idiopathic scoliosis being more frequent in certain families, it is suspected to be transmitted via autosomal dominant inheritance. Estrogens could also play a crucial part in the progression of idiopathic scoliosis through their roles in bone formation, growth, maturation and turnover. Finally, collagen, intervertebral disc and muscle abnormalities have been suggested as the cause in idiopathic scoliosis, although these are perhaps results rather than causes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parviz Kambin</span> American-Iranian medical doctor and orthopaedic surgeon (1931–2020)

Parviz Kambin was an American-Iranian medical doctor and orthopaedic surgeon. He was a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and has established an Endowed Chair of Spinal Surgery Research at Drexel University College of Medicine. He published more than 55 articles in peer-reviewed journals, edited two textbooks and contributed chapters in spinal surgery textbooks. He lectured worldwide in the field of minimally invasive spinal surgery. His research and development in this specialty began in 1970.

The sacroiliac joint is a paired joint in the pelvis that lies between the sacrum and an ilium. Due to its location in the lower back, a dysfunctional sacroiliac joint may cause lower back and/or leg pain. The resulting leg pain can be severe, resembling sciatica or a slipped disc. While nonsurgical treatments are effective for some, others have found that surgery for the dysfunctional sacroiliac joint is the only method to relieve pain.

The management of scoliosis is complex and is determined primarily by the type of scoliosis encountered: syndromic, congenital, neuromuscular, or idiopathic. Treatment options for idiopathic scoliosis are determined in part by the severity of the curvature and skeletal maturity, which together help predict the likelihood of progression. Non-surgical treatment should be pro-active with intervention performed early as "Best results were obtained in 10-25 degrees scoliosis which is a good indication to start therapy before more structural changes within the spine establish." Treatment options have historically been categorized under the following types:

  1. Observation
  2. Bracing
  3. Specialized physical therapy
  4. Surgery
<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Wynne-Davies</span>

Ruth Wynne-Davies or Ruth Blower (1926–2012) was a British medical doctor and scholar of orthopaedics. She researched and wrote about clubfoot and scoliosis.

Anterior vertebral body tethering (AVBT) is a relatively new surgery for the treatment of scoliosis in pediatric patients. Left untreated, severe scoliosis can worsen and eventually affect a person's lungs and heart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis</span> Medical condition

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is a rather common disorder in which the spine starts abnormally curving sideways (scoliosis) at the age of 10–18 years old. This disorder generally occurs during the growth spurt that happens right before and during adolescence. In some teens, the curvature is progressive, meaning that it gets worse over time, however this is rare, since it is more common for this variant of scoliosis to show itself as a mild curvature.

References

  1. Ogilvie JW: Presidential Address: Quo Vadimus? Scoliosis Research Society Presidential Address at the 2004 Annual Meeting, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Spine 30(18): 2007-8, 2005.
  2. "Paul Randall Harrington, M.D., 1911–1980" (PDF). The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. Retrieved February 11, 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 Scoliosis Research Society website - www.srs.org
  4. Crawford AH: Strategic Directions: The Scoliosis Research Society Initiatives For Change, Spine 27(17): 1960-1964, 2002.
  5. Meetings of Interest for Spine Physicians and Surgeons, Spine 25(13): 1742-1744, 2000.
  6. Nachemson AL, et al.: Effectiveness of treatment with a brace in girls who have adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. A prospective, controlled study based on data from the Brace Study of the Scoliosis Research Society, J Bone Joint Surg Am 77: 815-822, 1995.
  7. Scoliosis Research Society. Position statement: Somatosensory evoked potential monitoring of neurologic spinal cord function during spinal surgery. Scoliosis Research Society, September 1992.
  8. Schwartz DM, et al.: Neurophysiological Detection of Impending Spinal Cord Injury During Scoliosis Surgery, J Bone Joint Surg Am 89: 2440-2449, 2007.
  9. Richards BS et al.: Screening for Idiopathic Scoliosis in Adolescents. An Information Statement, J Bone Joint Surg Am 90: 195-198, 2008.