Here are five things that make the NASS 30th Annual Meeting the greatest spine show on earth.
1. Great scientific talks. There were nearly 1,200 abstracts submitted for presentation at the meeting. The selected presentations and talks cover topics including biologics in spine surgery, spinal fusion, disc arthroplasty, robotic technology and the economics of spine surgery. NASS and The Spine Journal awarded the Outstanding Paper Awards at the meeting to these studies:
-Morbidity and Mortality of Complex Spine Surgery: A Prospective Cohort Study in 679 Patients Validating the Spine AdVerse Event Severity (SAVES) System in a European Population
-Total Disc Arthroplasty versus Anterior Cervical Interbody Fusion: Use of the Spine Tango Registry to Supplement Evidence from RTCs
These manuscripts received a $10,000 prize and will be published in a future issue of The Spine Journal.
2. More exhibitors than any other spine meeting. This year's meeting set a record-high for exhibitors at a NASS meeting. There are 340 exhibitors in the Exhibit Hall with many being new companies with exciting innovations in spine.
3. Located in Chicago. Chicago is a fantastic city with plenty to see and do after hours. The Art Institute, Field Museum and Shedd Aquarium are all a short distance away in the Loop. Grant Park and Millennium Park aren't far away, and the Magnificent Mile shopping centers are already preparing for the holidays. There is an abundance of choices for fine cuisine blending cultures and tastes from around the globe. Click here for a list of restaurants near McCormick Place great for lunch, evening dining or snacks.
4. Great leadership. Heidi Prather, DO, of Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, served as the 2015-2016 NASS president. Along with her colleagues she planned the educational content for the meeting. Additional leaders in the program include:
-Michael D. Daubs, MD, and Gwendolyn Sowa, MD, PhD, 2015 program co-chairs
-Michael L. Reed, DPT, and Charles A. Reitman, MD, 2014 program co-chairs
-Simon Dagenais, DC, PhD, 2014 program committee liaison
-Alan S. Hilibrand, MD, Continuing Medical Education Chair 2016 program co-chair
-D. Scott Kreiner, MD, 2016 program co-chair
-Edward J. Dohring, MD, Education council director
Christopher Bono, MD, a Boston-area spine surgeon, was first vice president this past year and expected to take the helm as president for 2015-2016.
5. A Terrific turnout. NASS has more than 8,000 members across the globe and many attended the meeting in Chicago. The meeting is on track to have higher attendance than the 2013 Annual Meeting in New Orleans.