1924

Turnbuckle Cast

Lovett and Brewster described the first full-time use of turnbuckle cast for correction of Scoliosis (JBJS Am. 1924; 6:847-857) Plaster body jacket split and joined by lateral hinge and turnbuckle on concave side used perioperatively.

1934

H. Ito, J. Tsuchiya and G. Asami reported “A new radical anterior operation for Pott’s Disease” in JBJS 16: 499-515

1945

Milwaukee Brace

   

The brace was originally designed by Drs. Blount and Schmidt for post-operative care. It was then used to help control scoliosis in a growing child until the child achieved sufficient spine growth to undergo spine fusion. It was observed that some children actually improved their scoliosis and no longer needed surgery. The brace was then used to prevent progression of scoliosis. The brace acted by passive correction while the patient was sleeping and through active correction while awake by pulling away from the chin and occipital supports.

1947

Scoliosis Service at Gillette State Hospital

Dr. John H. Moe established the Scoliosis Service at Gillette State Hospital for Crippled Children in response to a need to fill the void in the field of spine deformity care.

1948

Terminology and Methodology

An AAOS committee was on scoliosis convened and was charged to make an attempt to clarify terminology and methods of treatment for scoliosis. Drs. Walter Blount, John Cobb, Joseph Risser, John von Lackum, and committee chairman Dr. W. Green were among those in the meeting. The committee concluded that there was indeed a need for clarification in terminology and methodology, but no agreements were reached after lengthy discussion. The meeting report stated, “the committee adjourned from the last meeting without bloodshed, and with members, on the surface at least, still friends.”

1949

Harrington’s Operation, First Steps

 

Responsible for the care of hundreds of polio victims in Houston, Dr. Paul Harrington was convinced that an internal mechanical solution was needed to prevent small scoliosis curvatures from becoming severe. He began by attempting to stabilize the facet joints with the spine bent into a corrected position with trans-facet screws, an operation that failed. But Harrington was convinced that internal fixation of the spine was the key to solving the problem of post-polio scoliosis. Over the next 5 years he developed a new approach using hooks and threaded rods, initially instrumenting the convexity, but then adding a distraction system on the concavity. Harrington reported 35 design modifications during those first 5 years. In 1954 he began working with Thorkild Engin, an Orthotist and Machinist. Together they manufactured the hooks and rods for each case the night before surgery. A grant from the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis supported this work. In March of 1955, Harrington conceived of the ratchet mechanism for the distraction rod and he began to develop the system that was ultimately made available to other surgeons beginning in 1960. Although Harrington originally conceived of his operation as a dynamic one, he ultimately realized that fusion was required in addition to instrumentation in order to achieve a lasting correction of deformity.

1950

Risser Cast

 

The Risser Cast utilized a lighter contoured cast applied in traction on a stabilizer frame (Risser frame). Traction through chin and pelvic straps, localized lateral pressure at apices of coronal deformity (Risser localizer cast) also described posterolateral pressure localized to rib hump. (Instr. Course Lect. 1955; 12:255-9) He also described the Risser sign for iliac crest that is still used today to indicate maturity.

1951

Creation of the Allan Jack

In 1951, Mr. Francis Allan commenced instrumented operative correction of fixed curves and published a series of 11 cases in 1955. No plaster casts were used and a variety of etiologies were represented. All patients had a simultaneous spinal fusion. The corrective instrument was a “jack” of his own design. Initially this was manufactured in the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital workshop and later fabricated by in stainless steel “SMo”. Later, titanium was used but this was never reported.

This implant consisted of a barrel and two forks attached at either end with left and right threaded splines and locking nuts. Thus, when the barrel was rotated with the bar distraction was achieved. The forks gained purchase on the transverse processes or the pedicles of the spine. The fork design varied. The barrel was manufactured in various lengths, the longest being 4 inches. The device was first implanted in 1951.

1952

Dr. John R. Cobb's Bone Graft Surgeries

 

Dr. John R. Cobb from New York reported on the results of surgery in 363 patients with a variety of bone graft types. Patients were kept in bed with a turnbuckle cast for 6-7 months. However, the pseudarthrosis rate was dramatically lower than his contemporaries (4.1%). John Cobb also introduced the Cobb Angle, still used today as a tool in the evaluation of spinal deformity.

1956

Anterior Spine Surgery

Prof. Arthur R. Hodgson popularized anterior spine surgery in Hong Kong, initially for tuberculosis of the spine.

1959

Pedicle Screws

H.H. Boucher described the use of pedicle screws as “a method of spinal fixation” in JBJS 41B: 1959

1960s

The Halo, Halo-Tibial, Halo-Femoral, Halo-Pelvic (Halo-Hoop) and Halo Gravity Techniques

The halo was originally used by ENT and plastic surgeons to treat facial fractures. Drs. Nickel and Perry then used it for skeletal traction to treat paralytic scoliosis cases. Later it was used with skeletal tibial and then skeletal femoral fixation to provide counterweight to the halo. The patients were nursed in bed. In the 1960’s Dr. Ronald DeWald attached a hoop to the pelvis with iliac rods through the tables of the ilium. The rods went through the ilium and were attached to the hoop. The hoop was then attached to the halo with turnbuckles. The patient could be ambulatory and shower. Correction was by distraction. Later Prof. Arthur R. Hodgson popularized and renamed it as the Halo-Pelvic device. Later, Halo Gravity traction replaced distal fixation. Halo gravity wheelchairs and Halo gravity walkers are still used for long term correction by distraction.

1960

Harrington Spinal Instrumentation

     

The first major podium presentation by Dr. Paul Harrington describing his new operation for the treatment of scoliosis was made in June 1960 at the America Orthopaedic Association meeting in Hot Springs, Virginia. Although met with skepticism by many Orthopaedic Surgeons, public recognition of the importance of Harrington’s contribution is reflected in an article published in Time Magazine a few months later. In the June 1962 volume of JBJS, Harrington published the results of his surgical technique in the first 133 patients whom he treated. In 1963, Dr. John Moe presented his validation of 66 prospectively collected patients treated by Harrington’s method with favorable results. Within the next few years Harrington’s method was acknowledged as superior to fusion without instrumentation by many of the contemporary leaders in the field of scoliosis treatment because of reduced rates of pseudarthrosis and improved early mobilization as well as lower reoperation rate. Harrington Instrumentation became the standard of care in the treatment of scoliosis and other disorders requiring spinal stabilization. The wide acceptance of Harrington’s operation paved the way for future development of methods of internal fixation of the spine.

1964

Continuing Education Course on Scoliosis by Dr. John Moe

 

This course was offered by Dr. John H. Moe in the fall 1964. He showed attendees almost all of his cases. With each case he gave attendees his thinking and showed his results, whether they were good or not as good. The course took place in a typical auditorium with less than 40 attendees. On the last day of the course, Dr. David B. Levine suggested that a group should be organized to study scoliosis. Dr. Moe said that if Dr. Levine would write the constitution and bylaws, that he, Dr. Moe would get it started. This was the precursor to the formation of the Scoliosis Research Society.

June 10, 1966

First Annual Meeting of the Scoliosis Research Society

   

There were 37 physicians and surgeons who met in Minneapolis, MN to found the SRS. The first order of business after approval of the constitution and bylaws was nomenclature. It was decided that the society would be called the Scoliosis Research Society. A scientific paper was delivered by Dr. Robert B. Winter on congenital scoliosis. Future meeting cities were identified as Los Angeles, CA and Houston, TX.

1968

First Natural History Study of Scoliosis

“A Long Term Follow-Up Study of Non-Treated Scoliosis” by Dr. Alf L. Nachemson was published in Acta Orthopaedica Scandinavica. This paper was the first to report on a large series of untreated scoliosis patients. The report does not have x-ray information nor does it have accurate diagnoses. It is still an influential report with regard to the mortality rate of untreated severe scoliosis due to cardiopulmonary disease.

1968

First SRS Morbidity Report

First Morbidity report presented by Dr. G. Dean MacEwen at the 3rd SRS Annual meeting included the neurological complications in scoliosis.

1969

Wilmington/DuPont Brace

In response to patients refusing use of the Milwaukee Brace and Risser Cast, a custom TLSO Wilmington Brace was developed. A removable thermoplastic device for deformities with apices at-or-below T7 (JBJS Am. 1980 Jan; 62(1): 31-6) casted in a Risser frame in corrected position was the basis for this brace made from a cast mold.

1969

First Anterior Instrumentation

Dr. Allen F. Dwyer developed the first anterior spinal instrumentation for scoliosis correction. He developed this device based on the principle that scoliosis could be corrected by either stretching the short (concave) side of the curve or shortening the long side (convex) side of the curve. The Dwyer anterior spinal implant used titanium screws placed into each vertebral body within the curve on the lateral side of the vertebral body connected together by a titanium cable. Each screw was placed through a titanium plate on the vertebral body that prevented screw cut out. The intervertebral discs were removed to allow shortening of the convex curve and to promote fusion. A button was used at one end of the cable and each vertebral was then tensioned to the adjacent screw in a step by step process down the length of the curve thereby straightening the convex side of the scoliotic curve. Although used for thoracic curves it became best known as a device for lumbar and thoracolumbar deformities.

1970

Birth of Fellowship Training

  

During the September 10, 1970 business meeting, Dr. William F. Donaldson, Jr. introduced Dr. John D. King to comment on the first fellowship he had completed which in essence was the beginning of fellowship training in spine surgery. The fellowship was expected to last 6 months and the fellows were required to spend a major portion of their time in one institution, but were urged and expected to make short visits to at least one or more institutions. At that time two fellowships were appointed, one outside the United States and Canada and one from within. Dr. King and Dr. Jen Fan Wang were the first SRS fellows in 1970. Dr. King reported “everywhere we went, I have never seen so many people who were so generous and so sincere…..It was certainly one of the most stimulating experiences of my life and I will remember it as long as I live”. This historic first year lead to the development of spine fellowships world-wide, as well as the SRS Traveling Fellowship.

1970

School Screening

  

Bob Winter & the Minnesota group initiate a program of school screening for scoliosis. This spawned many state, national and international programs including Britain and Sweden.

1971

Spinal Cord Monitoring

Dr. Clyde “Les” Nash presented a feasibility lab study on cats regarding the effects of blood pressure and evoked potentials whick subsequently lead to clinical use of spinal cord monitoring.

1971

Nash and Brown Spinal Cord Monitoring

1971-1973

Formal Data Retrieval

Paul Harrington initiated formal data retrieval as part of the SRS and its membership.

1972

Stagnara Wake-up Test

  

Mme. Vauzelle and Dr. Pierre Stagnara first presented the results of the Stagnara’s Wake-up test at the 7th Annual Meeting in Wilmington, Deleware. This test was commonly used before the spinal cord monitoring became available.

1972

Boston Brace

Dr. John E. Hall and orthotist “Bill” Miller devised the Boston Brace System for the treatment of scoliosis. They used a prefabricated, symmetric, thoracolumbar-pelvic module that was available in multiple sizes and could be modified for each patient’s size and curvature. The orthosist corrected the deformity through lumbar antilordosis and a combination of voids and opposing pressure areas that were positioned according to the curvature characteristics. A coordinated exercise program was an integral part of the treatment plan. The Boston Brace’s low profile made it more acceptable than the Milwaukee Brace and it remains the “gold standard” for the orthotic treatment of scoliosis more than four decades after its introduction.

1973

Congenital Scoliosis and Kyphosis

 

Classification and prognosis of Congenital Scoliosis and Kyphosis by Winter in JBJS – follow up Natural History Study by Mc Master in 1982.

1974

Mapping the Spine

R. Brown reported on computerized way to map the spine using a three dimensional frame from taking x-rays. This correlated to Moreland’s work.

1975

First Harrington Guest Lecture at the SRS Annual Meeting

Prof. Arthur R. Hodgson, a world-renown orthopaedic surgeon from Hong Kong, presented the first Harrington Lecture at the 10th Annual Meeting of the Scoliosis Research Society in Louisville, KY in 1975. This lectureship was established as a tribute to Dr. Paul R. Harrington (1911-1980), 1973 SRS President and designer of the Harrington Instrumentation, the gold standard of surgical care of spine deformities from the 1960s to the 1990s throughout the world.

1975

Zielke Anterior Spinal Implant

With the shortcomings of the Dwyer instrumentation system and the increased understanding of the three dimensional deformity of scoliosis, Dr. Klaus Zielke developed an improvement over the Dwyer system that was used around the world for over twenty years starting in 1975. Known as the “Ventrale Derotations-Spondylodese” (VDS) system and it offered the ability not only to compress across the convexity of a scoliotic deformity but also the ability for derotation and “lordosation” of the scoliosis deformity.

Best known as a correction device for lumbar and thoracolumbar scoliosis allowing the ability to decrease the number of vertebrae fused compared to posterior spinal rods, it was also used in combination with posterior Harrington rods for large double curves. This combination of systems allowed scoliosis surgeons to take advantage of the improved derotation, lordosation, segmental fixation and decreased number of vertebrae fused than with Harrington rod fixation alone.

1976

Segmental Fixation

   

Dr. J. Resina, from Portugal first presented on this topic in 1963 and reported on the results of his first 100 patients in 1977 in JBJS. Dr. Eduardo R. Luque popularized segmental fixation and presented his first report at the SRS Annual Meeting in 1976. He worked closely with Dr. Charles (Jake) Heinig who taught him to do vertebral decancellations to correct rigid deformities, which he combined with his instrumentation. He worked closely with Dr. Al Sanders in his technique and the three of them organized courses in Latin America teaching the technique.

1976

Luque's First Paper

  

1979

Further Development of Intraoperative Monitoring

Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore, UK reported development of a system for intraoperative spinal cord monitoring. Epidural or scalp Sensory Evoked Potenetials were recorded. A series of 111 cases of spinal deformity was reported in 1982 with three true positives. There were no permananet neorological injuries. The investigators were Dr. S. Jones, Mr. A. Ransford, Mr. M. Edgar & Mr. T. Morley. (British Scoliosis Society records.)

1980

First Research Grant

The first SRS research grant was awarded to Dr. Morey S. Moreland for his project on three dimensional shape and measurement in scoliosis.

1980

3D Computer Reconstruction

First SRS presentation on 3D computer reconstruction of spinal deformities infantile scoliosis; Chicago (H.Graf, J.Hecquet, J.Dubousset). 

1980

The First Russell Hibbs Award

The first Russell Hibbs Award was given at the 1980 Annual Meeting in Chicago. The first recipients were Kazuhiko Satomi, M.D., and Jens
Axelgaard, M.S., from Rancho Los Amigos Rehabilitation Engineering Center in Downey, CA, for their paper “Effects of Selective Cord
Transections on Spinal Evoked Potentials.”

1981

16th Annual Meeting Awards

   

Ensor Transfeldt and Edward Simmons received the award for "Best Basic Science Research Paper" and John Herring received the award for "Best Clinical Paper."

1983

First CD Instrumentation (CDI) Hopital St Vincent de Paul Paris, by Yves Cotrel, MD & Jean Dubousset, MD.

  

Instrumentation and strategy were improved every week with new cases during the first six months on children and adolescent patients of various etiologies. Then, CDI was used and developed on adults patients thanks to Michel Guillaumat at St. Joseph Hospital in Paris. CDI was later introduced into the United States by Dr. Kenton D. Leatherman in 1984 and Dr. Harry L. Shufflebarger in 1985. This unique device, freeing patients from post-operative immobilization, along with the theory associated with its use, spread rapidly across the world.

1983

King Classification System and John Herring Win Awards

 

King Classification System first award for “Best Basic Science Research Paper” and John Herring received the award for “Best Clinical Paper”.

1984

Puno-Winter-Byrd (PWB) Polyaxial Screw

  

The PWB system was developed in Minneapolis, MN by Dr. Rolando M. Puno in collaboration with Dr. Robert B. Winter and Dr. J. Abbott Byrd, III. The PWB instrumentation included the first polyaxial pedicle screw design in the world. The design was revolutionary because it allowed surgeons to position the screw head at almost any angle at the same time securing the screw to the rod.

1984

Scoliometer

 

Dr. William P. Bunnell realized early in his practice of pediatric orthopaedics that school nurses, pediatricians, and primary care physicians were all screening for scoliosis without an objective criterion for referral. The result was over-referral, excessive x-ray exposure, increased costs and possibly over-bracing. Dr. Bunnell’s first goal was to develop a small, simple, reliable, inexpensive and readily available instrument to measure the clinical deformity of scoliosis. The inspiration for this device was an inclinometer found in a small boat shop in Fayetteville, NY. The second goal was to establish its reliability in using the measurement as a guideline for screening referral and clinical follow up which was later reported in JBJS. W P Bunnell: J Bone Joint Surg Am, 1984 Dec; 66 (9): 1381 -1387.)

1984

Suzuki Skull-Trunk Fixation

Suzuki Skull-Trunk Fixation presented at the 19th SRS Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. This was the first presentation of the Occipito-cervico-thoracic fixation.

1986

Scolitron

In the early 1980’s several studies suggested that surface electrospinal stimulation could control scoliosis and avoid conventional bracing. The Scolitron system became a popular alternative to bracing. Subsequent studies showed a high, 50-80%, rate of curve progression using the Scolitron. Nachemson et al, in an SRS randomized clinical trial, demonstrated that electrospinal stimulation treatment was no better than the natural history of untreated scoliosis. Surface spinal stimulation is no longer used in treating scoliosis.

1986

Pedicle Screw

Dr. R. Roy-Camille, Dr. G. Saillant, and Dr. C. Mazel reported on “Internal fixation of the lumbar spine with pedicle screw plating” in CORR 203: 1986 (first performed in 1963) Dr. Arthur D. Steffee, Jr. popularizes pedicle screw fixation for the lumbar spine in the United States (CORR 1986)

1987

Blount Humanitarian Award

The first SRS Walter P. Blount Humanitarian Award is awarded to Dr. Marc A. Asher

1987

Presidents Connect

The 22nd Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, was the first SRS Meeting to see all presidents of spine societies invited to the meeting.

1987

Annual Meeting President Gathering

September 17. Seven out of the first nine SRS presidents assembled at the 22nd Annual Meeting for the Early President’s Interview. Present were historian Robert Keller and past presidents John Moe, John Hall, Robert Winter, Louis Goldstein, Kirkland Ashley, Kenton Leatherman, and Edward Simmons. Discussion ranged from the formation of the SRS to presidential terms, and much more. 

1987-1989

VEPTR

VEPTR development began and took 18 months for Dr. Robert M. Campbell, MD from the first napkin sketch to implant completion on April 19, 1989. For years, this device was the only approved device to treat Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome (TIS also was coined by Campbell).

Late 1980s

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital (TSRH) Spine Instrumentation

 

TSRH instrumentation was conceived in 1985 by Dr. Richard Ashman and Dr. Charles E. Johnston as a specific implant called a CROSSLINKTM, to address the vertical instability experienced with Luque – Galveston sublaminar fixation. The rods were rigidly locked together via a 3 point shear clamp mechanism produced by an “eye-bolt” which was pre-placed on the rods with the CROSSLINK plate affixed by a locking nut. By 1988 the same mechanism was used to attach hooks and screws to a rod, and by varying the eye-bolt diameter, any rod diameter could be used. Since TSRH implants could be placed anteriorly or posteriorly, and were applicable to deformity, degenerative and traumatic pathology, it became the first truly universal spinal instrumentation system available.

1988

Pedicle Screw Course

 

First of seven SRS sponsored pedicle screw course executed. Chaired by White Cloud and Betz.

1989

Isola Spinal Instrumentation System

The Isola effort began as an attempt to develop an improved method of sacral fixation, and ultimately developed into a comprehensive system for fixation of the pelvis, lumbar and thoracic spine. The design of the first implant resembled a butterfly, hence the name Isola which is the name of a species of butterfly. That design was discarded early in the development in favor of iliac fixation, but the butterfly reference remained. The principal collaboration was between two surgeons, Dr. Marc A. Asher and Dr. Charles F. Heinig; an engineer, Dr. William Carson; and a machinist Walt Strippgen. Isola was unique in that it was designed to safely combine wire, hook and bolt fixation of the spine. Among many innovations included in the system was the use of bolt fixation of the ilium, which had not previously been described.

1991

Evoked EMG Testing of Pedicle Screws

Dr. Nathan H. Lebwohl presented this technique of pedicle screw testing, developed in collaboration with neurophysiologist Dr. Blair Calancie at the 1991 annual meeting. Direct palpation of the pedicle track with an electrified probe before placement of the screws was an even more sensitive way of identifying breaches in the pedicle. In the era before intraoperative CT, and computer guided navigation, this became a popular method of identifying malpositioned screws in the operating room.

1991

Robert “Bob” Campbell Thoracostomy 1991 JPO

1992

Monitoring of Neurologic Spinal Cord Function

SRS Position Statement on Somatosensory Evoked Monitoring of Neurologic Spinal Cord Function During Spinal Surgery.

1993

Anterior Dual Rod

First anterior dual rod instrumentation for treatment of scoliosis was introduced by Dr. Kiyoshi Kaneda.

1994

The Origin of IMAST
Munich Germany—July 1–2, 1994

1st American-European Meeting on Pedicle Fixation of the Spine & Other Advanced Techniques. This meeting later became known as the International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST)

1994

1st Steel Lecture

The first Steel Lecture was given by Dr. Howard H. Steel at the 29th SRS Annual Meeting in Portland, OR, USA. The lecture was titled, “Discoveries, Inventions and Other Things.”

1994

Prof. Se-Il Suk and colleagues present at the Annual Meeting

SRS Annual Meeting, Portland, OR — Prof. Se-Il Suk and colleagues present “Segmental Pedicle Screw Fixation in the Treatment of Thoracic Idiopathic Scoliosis”. This study demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of pedicle fixation in the thoracic spine.

1995

Harms Study Group is formed

1994-1999

Pedicle Screw Litigation

From 1994 until 1999, this issue was omnipresent, draining much time and effort for the presidents and the Board of Directors from other important educational and societal issues, and threatening the continuing existence of the SRS. Even though pedicle screws had been used for a number of years successfully and safely in other countries, in the United States the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classified pedicle screws as a Class III device that was not approved by the FDA for general use. Although American spinal surgeons used pedicle screws in some cases in an “off-label” fashion (which exists for many devices or medications not approved by the FDA for a specific purpose), plaintiff attorneys seized an opportunity to blame postoperative problems of adults with spinal surgery for back and leg pain on the use of pedicle screws for the fusion surgery. A multitude of lawsuits resulted against spinal surgeons, many of whom were our SRS members. The SRS and other organizations were named as defendants in this legal action for teaching techniques of pedicle screw use. A major concern of the SRS was that the endowment fund of a few million dollars established for research support could potentially be at risk if a monetary judgment were made against SRS for teaching methods of pedicle screw instrumentation. Other associations involved in this litigation included the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). Class action suits were brought, including those from Citizens Against Pedicle Screws (CAPS) who advertised in newspapers to recruit patients who had been treated with pedicle screws as a part of their spinal disorder treatment to join their legal action. This litigation dragged on for years. Some spinal implant companies arranged for monetary settlements while others mounted legal defenses. In the end, the class action suits were resolved with no payment from SRS and the pedicle screws were reclassified to a Class II device by the FDA. It is well known that the use of pedicle screws for spinal deformity correction has exploded in the United States since that time with the recognition of the improved and safe spinal deformity correction obtained with this technique.

This pedicle screw litigation was, at least in part, responsible for the establishment of the International Meeting of Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST), which in 2015 had its 22nd meeting. The 1st IMAST in 1994 was held to teach attendees spine surgery techniques that could not be taught in the US due to this FDA restriction. Prior to the establishment of IMAST, there was a SRS-NASS Pedicle Screw Fixation Course, but NASS elected not to be part of the IMAST meeting established by the SRS to be held outside the United States. IMAST has grown to be an important component of the SRS educational program. While all the presidents and BODs during this five year period of active pedicle screw litigation also attended to the educational and research aspects of the SRS, the favorable decision in 1999, which completely closed the pedicle screw litigation issue, allowed SRS to more productively expend our energy on improving and growing multiple aspects of SRS.

1997

Think 3D Dr. Dean! Video is produced to introduce 3D terminology

  

 

2000

Tutorial for Growing Rods

First SRS/POSNA tutorial for Growing Rods – Akbarnia.

2001

First Report on Magnetic Rod by Dr. Arnaud Soubeiran, Dr. Lofti Milad and Dr. Jean Dubousset

2003

Lifetime Natural History Study of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Published

This article plus the previous follow-ups of this large group of untreated patients showed that AIS is a unique entity whose natural history is different than that of early onset scoliosis or scoliosis of other etiologies. Untreated AIS does not lead to early disability, or death or the inability to have a normal life. However untreated AIS may lead to increased back pain, cosmetic concerns and in large thoracic curves, pulmonary symptoms. Curves over 50 degrees tend to progress throughout life and curves under 30 degrees at maturity rarely progress. (Weinstein SL et al. Health and Function of Patients with Untreated Idiopathic Scoliosis: A 50- Year Natural History Study. JAMA. 2003; 289 (5):559-567)

2003

Lateral Interbody Fusion Technique

In 2003, Dr. Luiz Pimenta popularized the minimally invasive lateral interbody technique referred as XLIF (eXtreme Lateral Interbody Fusion). Though initially used for degenerative spine conditions, it was soon realized that the technique could provide a MIS method of performing interbody fusions via small lateral approach for deformity correction. MIS for spine deformity surgery is now a commonly used technique in the adult and aging adult spine deformity patients.

2004

SRS welcomed its first class of Neurosurgeons

2004

International BOD Member

The first international member outside of North America, Mr. Michael A. Edgar was elected to the SRS Board of Directors

2005

Lenke Classification

This system for classification looks at the regions of the spine in a systematic way accounting for coronal and sagittal alignment. Since it was first published ( Lenke LG, Betz RR, Harms J, Bridwell KH, Clements DH, Lowe TG, Blanke K. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A New Classification to Determine Extent of Spinal Arthrodesis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2001 Aug; 83- A (8):1169-81, the Lenke Classification has been extensively studied for reliability and its ability to guide treatment. It has become the worldwide standard for classifying AIS.

2005

First Edgar G. Dawson Visiting Fellowships

First Edgar G. Dawson Visiting Fellowships were awarded to Amit Agarwala, Nitin Bhatia, James T. Guille, Scott Luhmann, Praveen Mummaneni, Avraam Ploumis, Anthony Rinella, Richard Rooney and Jeffrey Sawyer.

2005

First Worldwide Conference

The first official Worldwide Conference was held in Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.

2006

First SRS Regional European and Middle Eastern Meeting

The first SRS Regional European and Middle Eastern Meeting was held in Istanbul, Turkey.

2008

First Lifetime Achievement Awards

The first Lifetime Achievement Awards are presented to Dr. John E. Hall and Dr. Jacqueline Perry. The SRS chose to begin recognizing the substantial lifetime contributions of members. Dr. Hall and Dr. Perry were both founding members of the society and made many significant contributions over multiple decades.

2009

Magnetically Controlled Growing Rod (MCGR) Gains Popularity. New Version of MCGR was First Used in 2009

Early Onset Scoliosis continues to present significant treatment challenges. Technology to allow non-invasive lengthening after the initial surgical implantation may well prove to be a significant advancement for the treatment of Early Onset Scoliosis.

2011

SRS Archives Website

SRS Archives website is created. This allowed members to review the archives online and provided access to the SRS key documents. See the website HERE

2012

REO Fund Created

 

2012

First Eduardo Luque Award

First Eduardo Luque Award presented to Mauricio Montalvo.

2013

First Robert Winter Global Outreach Fellowship Scholarship

The first Robert Winter Global Outreach Fellowship Scholarship was awarded to Dr. Krishna Kumar Ramachandran Nair.

2013

BrAIST Clinical Trial Results Presented

The NIH funded Bracing in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis Clinical Trial (BrAIST) was a multicenter clinical trial including a randomized and preference cohort of high risk AIS patients. The trial provided Level I and Level II evidence that bracing significantly reduced the progression of high risk curves to the threshold for surgery in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The benefit increased with longer hours of brace wear. (Weinstein SL et al New England Journal of Medicine 2013; 369:1512-1521.)

2013

1st Spine Deformity Course

1st Spine Deformity: A Hands-On Course is held in Burr Ridge, IL.

2014

First International Member Elected to Presidential Line

The first international member was elected to the Presidential Line, Prof. Kenneth M.C. Cheung. This marked another milestone in the SRS’ efforts in globalization.

2015

50th Annual Meeting

The Scoliosis Research Society celebrates its 50th Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.

​
2015

First International Spine Deformity Solutions Course

 

First International Spine Deformity Solutions: A Hands-On Course is held in Istanbul, Turkey.