Welcome to ISASS!

ISASS - The International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery - Is a global, scientific and educational society organized to provide an independent venue to discuss and address the issues involved with all aspects of basic and clinical science of motion preservation, stabilization, innovative technologies, MIS procedures, biologics and other fundamental topics to restore and improve motion and function of the spine for: surgeons, scientists, inventors and others. ISASS is dedicated to advancing major evolutionary steps in spine surgery.

ISASS President 2020-21

Frank Phillips, MD

IJSS

The International Journal of Spine SurgeryThe International Journal of Spine Surgery is the official scientific journal of ISASS, promoting the most up-to-date scientific and clinical research into innovations in motion preservation and new spinal surgery technology, including basic science, biologics, and tissue engineering.

Spine IEP - ISASS
ISASS2021-ISASS-HomeImage
Read the Latest Issue of Vertebral Columns
CDA Cover FNL

Just Released: Cervical Disc Arthroplasty Special Issue Don't miss the latest guidance on CDA, including the benefits and limitations of CDA, indications for CDA in the United States vs abroad, comparisons of CDA with ACDF, and much more.

Sponsors Only

ISASS and IJSS want to thank the sponsors above for their support, which made this issue possible.

New on Facebook

International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery - ISASS

3 days ago

International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery - ISASS

This week's faculty spotlight 🔦 features ISASS past-president and board member Dr. Frank Phillips. Dr. Phillips is director of #MIS #spine surgery at @rushorthoresidency, and one of the first to utilize MIS in spine surgery. He also has expertise in motion preserving procedures and was a principle investigator in FDA trials on cervical disc replacement.

Dr. Phillips is a leader in the field and is a founder, board member and past president of @smissorg @minimallyinvasivespinesurgery. Dr. Phillips has participated in the development of and pioneered a number of minimally invasive spinal techniques that are now widely used. He regularly teaches and lectures to spine surgeons nationally and internationally on minimally invasive spinal surgery.

Before coming to Midwest #ortho at Rush in 2003, Dr. Phillips served as the director of the Spine Center at @uchicagoorthopaedics. Dr. Phillips is currently a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at @rushmedical. He has published and lectured extensively, received numerous research awards and grants and frequently directs spinal educational courses for other spine surgeons. Dr. Phillips was recently named one of the top 28 spine surgeons in the country by Orthopedics this Week and is listed in Becker's Orthopedic Spine and Pain Management as one of the nation's Top 100 spine surgeons and specialists.

A medical graduate from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, Dr. Phillips completed his orthopedic residency at The University of Chicago Medical Center. In addition, he served a spine fellowship at @uhortho. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Learn more about Dr. Phillips at www.isass.org/about/board-of-directors/frank-phillips-md

@neurosurgery_podcast @aansneurosurgeon @aansneuro @aans_diversity @cns_update @spinesection @nassspine @aaos_1 @aaosresident @aospine_global @youngneuros @umneurosurgery @neurosurgicalatlas @youngneurosurg @srs_org #neurosurgery #MedEd ...

Photo

View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery - ISASS

5 days ago

International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery - ISASS

ISASS is committed to the safety of #spine patients. In a recent letter to @the_blue_cross, ISASS urged insurance executives to include basivertebral joint ablation (BVN), a less-invasive treatment for back pain, as part of treatment covered. Read the statement at www.ijssurgery.com/content/14/1/18

@neurosurgery_podcast @aansneurosurgeon @aansneuro @aans_diversity @cns_update @spinesection @nassspine @smissorg @minimallyinvasivespinesurgery @aaos_1 @aaosresident @aospine_global @youngneuros @umneurosurgery @neurosurgicalatlas @youngneurosurg @srs_org #neurosurgery #ortho #advocacy #MedEd ...

Photo

View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery - ISASS

1 week ago

International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery - ISASS

Answer to this week’s case: the patient underwent anterior L5/S1 debridement with partial corpectomies and cage placement and L4-pelvis posterior instrumented fusion (although S2 screws can be used as well). Thanks to everyone who participated!

@neurosurgery_podcast @aansneurosurgeon @aansneuro @aans_diversity @cns_update @spinesection @nassspine @smissorg @minimallyinvasivespinesurgery @aaos_1 @aaosresident @aospine_global @youngneuros @umneurosurgery @neurosurgicalatlas @youngneurosurg @srs_org #spine #neurosurgery #ortho #MedEd ...

Photo

View on Facebook
·Share

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Linked InShare by Email

Latest News

July 6, 2021
Published by Christina Bessette at July 6, 2021
Categories

AMA House of Delegates Calls on Medicare Advantage to Align Prior Authorization Policies with Medicare Fee-for-Service

AMA House of Delegates Calls on Medicare Advantage to Align Prior Authorization Policies with Medicare Fee-for-Service   The American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates issued a statement saying that Medicare Advantage plans shouldn’t override physician judgment. According to a resolution presented at the AMA Special Meeting, more than 62 million Americans are covered by Medicare Advantage plans, yet such plans may not follow Medicare guidelines for hospital admissions, diagnostic testing, medication, and procedures, putting many—especially those with “long COVID”—at risk for being denied treatment. To ensure that patients covered by Medicare Advantage plans are not denied necessary treatment, delegates directed the AMA to: Ask the CMS to further regulate Medicare Advantage plans so that the same treatment and authorization […]
Do you like it?0
Read more
July 6, 2021
Published by Christina Bessette at July 6, 2021
Categories

CMS says 9.7 Million Americans were added to Medicaid rolls in 2020

CMS says 9.7 Million Americans were added to Medicaid rolls in 2020 Medicaid enrollment rose sharply during the coronavirus pandemic, with nearly 10 million Americans joining the public health coverage program for the poor through January, a government report released Monday shows. Eighty million people—more than ever before in the program’s history—now carry Medicaid coverage, for which states and the federal government share the cost. The new figures demonstrate the program’s increasingly important role not just as a safety net, but as a pillar of American health coverage, with fully a quarter of the population covered under it. The Affordable Care Act transformed Medicaid from a targeted health care benefit meant to help certain groups of people — expectant mothers, for example, and […]
Do you like it?0
Read more
July 6, 2021
Published by Christina Bessette at July 6, 2021
Categories

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Latest Challenge to the Affordable Care Act

U.S. Supreme Court Rejects Latest Challenge to the Affordable Care Act On June 17, 2021, the Affordable Care Act survived a third major challenge as the Supreme Court, in a 7-to-2 vote, turned aside the latest effort by Republicans to kill the health care law. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who had cast the decisive vote to save the law in 2012, was in the majority. So was Justice Clarence Thomas, who had dissented in the earlier decisions. “Whatever the act’s dubious history in this court,” Justice Thomas wrote in a concurring opinion, “we must assess the current suit on its own terms. And, here, there is a fundamental problem with the arguments advanced by the plaintiffs in attacking the act—they […]
Do you like it?0
Read more
  • ISASS provides the missing link in spine surgery. The society has developed a unique platform for spinal surgeons, innovative scientists, and industry, all having the goal of improving today’s treatment options and patient outcomes. Innovation is needed, but the great ideas meet many obstructions before clinical implementation. Let’s learn from each other at ISASS. The best way to predict the future is to invent it. Move on and become an ISASS member.
  • Steven Wolf, MD
    Thank you! It was a great meeting! This meeting was the way NASS used to be in the 1990s.
    Steven Wolf, MD
    Mount Sinai
  • Mark Kurd, MD
    ISASS is the rising star for spine surgeons.
    Mark Kurd, MD
    Rothman Institute
  • Brian Grossman, MD
    Great course [ISASS January 2014 Course and Cadaver Lab]. Picked up some very practical pearls that I’ll be able to implement in my practice right away.
    Brian Grossman, MD
    Southern California Orthopedic Institute
  • Leonard Schultz, MD, Founder, Chairman and CEO
    Attending ISASS as part of the cadaver lab was a great experience, not to mention our brief time with you and some of the participants. We would like to continue to be part of the effort.
    Leonard Schultz, MD, Founder, Chairman and CEO
    Nascent Surgical
  • Óscar L. Alves, MD, Head of Neurosurgery, Senior Neurosurgeon
    My impressions were strongly positive. Very high scientific level and lots of opportunities to learn. I appreciated also the international outreach of the society compared with other spine societies. It looks there is a chance for non US surgeons to come forward and share their spine work.
    Óscar L. Alves, MD, Head of Neurosurgery, Senior Neurosurgeon
    Hospital Lusiadas Porto, Centro hospitalar de Gaia
  • Sean Parker, VP Market Development
    Fan of ISASS - progressive thinking group, great opportunity for the Sentio MMG technology. Look forward to being in attendance!
    Sean Parker, VP Market Development
    Sentio, LLC
  • Hansen A. Yuan, MD, Spine Surgeon, Professor of Orthopaedic and Neurological Surgery
    The surgeon’s choice!
    Hansen A. Yuan, MD, Spine Surgeon, Professor of Orthopaedic and Neurological Surgery
    State University of New York
  • Tony Castellvi, MD, Spine Surgeon
    This meeting is surgeon-focused, well organized and very informative.
    Tony Castellvi, MD, Spine Surgeon
    Florida Orthopedic Institute
  • Matthew Scott Young, MD, Spine Surgeon
    For spine surgeons ISASS is the GO TO meeting to discover what works, what doesn’t, and what is emerging. A must for spine surgeons.
    Matthew Scott Young, MD, Spine Surgeon
    Gold Coast Spine, Australia
  • Frank M. Phillips, MD, Professo
    ISASS has evolved into one of the premiere spine surgery meetings. The quality of research, presentations and symposia is outstanding. Great to attend a spine surgery focused meeting with an international presence.
    Frank M. Phillips, MD, Professo
    Rush Presbyterian Medical Center
  • Matt Miksic, Sr Reseach Analyst
    The agenda of clinical research presentations at this year’s ISASS annual meeting was as strong as we’ve ever seen.
    Matt Miksic, Sr Reseach Analyst
    Piper Jaffray
  • Scott Blumenthal, MD, Spine Surgeon
    The scientific sessions were robust and comprehensive. If you want to stay informed on emerging technologies in spine surgery, this meeting is a must.
    Scott Blumenthal, MD, Spine Surgeon
    Texas Back Institute
  • Raymond Cloutier, VP of Engineering & Development Spine
    I believe ISASS efforts are being recognized and these efforts will ultimately help promote better spine care for patients.
    Raymond Cloutier, VP of Engineering & Development Spine
    Exactech, Inc.
  • Neel Anand, MD, Spine Surgeon
    The ISASS meeting serves as a platform for assessing and defining the latest technologies around the world. Critically reviewed by a panel of peers, it truly is the society for the advancement of spinal surgery.
    Neel Anand, MD, Spine Surgeon
    Cedars Sinai Medical Center
  • Robert Assell, VP of Research and Development
    I would say the society is well on its way to being the principal voice of the surgical community.
    Robert Assell, VP of Research and Development
    Zyga Technology, Inc.
  • Michael Gordon, MD, Spine Surgeon
    ISASS13: A wow moment for spine surgeons.
    Michael Gordon, MD, Spine Surgeon
    HOI Orthopedics
  • Charlie Branch, Professor and Chair, Neurosurgery
    The ISASS Annual Meeting was a fantastic educational and networking experience. The focus on spine surgery and outcomes in an intimate collaborative setting is a great value.
    Charlie Branch, Professor and Chair, Neurosurgery
    Wake Forest Baptist Health System
  • Morgan Lorio, MD, Spine Surgeon, Neuro Spine Solutions
    Most patients go to their ‘spine doc’ for pain alleviation... not neuro deficit, not deformity, not instability. If we fail to steward and oversee the entire field of spine then we will become dinosaurs like some other specialties have become. The issue of untrained practitioners treating without training will grow... this underlines the importance of ISASS for spine surgeons by surgeons.
    Morgan Lorio, MD, Spine Surgeon, Neuro Spine Solutions
    Neuro Spine Solutions
  • Av Edidin, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer / Associate Professor
    I was really pleased with the ISASS annual meeting. It was focussed, with good topics and wide geographic representation; very interesting. The society has great momentum.
    Av Edidin, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer / Associate Professor
    Relievant Inc. / Drexel University
  • Michal Hisey, MD, Spine Surgeon
    ISASS is definitely the exception... Your efforts are definitely appreciated. When other docs ask who is a positive voice for surgeons and their patients I always point out ISASS as the best.
    Michal Hisey, MD, Spine Surgeon
    Texas Back Institute

Stay in Touch with Us

Have any questions?

info@isass.org

Call us

+1-630-375-1432

Sign up for emails

Join our list

Facebook

Connect with ISASS