Scoliosis Research Society

Scoliosis Research Society
Name	Scoliosis Research Society
Formation	1966
Type	Professional association
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois
Region served	International
Membership	Orthopaedic surgeons, spine specialists

Scoliosis Research Society

The Scoliosis Research Society is an international professional association of surgeons and clinicians specializing in spinal deformities. Founded in 1966, the organization links clinicians and researchers from institutions such as Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Hospital for Special Surgery, and Massachusetts General Hospital to advance care for conditions like adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, neuromuscular scoliosis, and adult spinal deformity. It engages with related organizations including American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, North American Spine Society, European Spine Society, and World Health Organization collaborators to standardize outcomes, surgical techniques, and education.

History

The society was established amid evolving practice at centers such as Boston Children's Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and University of Toronto to formalize study of spinal deformity management and to coordinate multicenter efforts like the multicenter cohorts affiliated with National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Health and Human Services, and university research programs at Stanford University, University of California, San Francisco, Columbia University, University of Pennsylvania, and Yale University. Early leaders included surgeons trained at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, and University of Oxford who introduced instrumentation concepts influenced by work at Cleveland Clinic and innovations paralleled at Karolinska Institutet and Université Paris. Over decades the society expanded from regional meetings to annual international congresses, collaborations with regulatory bodies like the Food and Drug Administration, and participation in guideline development alongside American Academy of Pediatrics and specialty registries modeled after systems at Danish Spine Register and Swedish Spine Register.

Mission and Objectives

The society's stated goals reflect objectives shared by professional bodies such as American Medical Association, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Royal College of Surgeons, and European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology: to promote research, disseminate education, improve clinical outcomes, and advocate for patient-centered standards. Programs align with initiatives from National Institutes of Health, European Commission, Wellcome Trust, and foundations like Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to fund comparative effectiveness studies, device evaluation, and multicenter randomized trials involving stakeholders from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children, and Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne.

Organizational Structure

Governance mirrors structures used by organizations such as American College of Surgeons and Royal Australasian College of Surgeons with an elected Board of Governors, committees for research and education, and a Secretariat operating from offices in cities comparable to Chicago, New York City, and London. Leadership roles have been occupied by faculty from institutions like University of Michigan, University of California, Los Angeles, Duke University, University of Washington, and McGill University. Committees coordinate with groups such as International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, Orthopaedic Research Society, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, and regional associations like Asia Pacific Spine Society.

Membership and Chapters

Membership categories include active surgeons, international members, allied health professionals, and trainees drawn from centers such as University College London Hospitals, Mount Sinai Hospital (New York), Seoul National University Hospital, Keio University Hospital, and Sao Paulo University Hospital. The society maintains regional chapters and collaborates with national societies like British Association of Spine Surgeons, German Spine Society, Sociedad Española de Cirugía Ortopédica y Traumatología, Japanese Orthopaedic Association, and Indian Orthopaedic Association. Fellowship and traveling scholar programs link trainees to host sites including Royal Children's Hospital, Hospital for Sick Children (Toronto), and specialty units at Karolinska University Hospital.

Research, Education, and Grants

The society administers grant programs and research awards analogous to those from National Institutes of Health, European Research Council, and private funders including the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. Funded projects have spanned biomechanical testing at laboratories affiliated with Massachusetts Institute of Technology, imaging studies developed with teams at Stanford University, and genetic analyses involving collaborators at Harvard Medical School and Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Educational activities include fellowships, cadaver courses, and webinars co-sponsored with entities such as AO Foundation, Surgical Orthopaedic Research and Education (SORE) programs, and university continuing medical education offices at Johns Hopkins University and University of Toronto.

Annual Meetings and Publications

Annual meetings attract delegates from institutions like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Hospital for Special Surgery, Barcelona Spine Unit, and Tokyo Metropolitan Komagome Hospital, featuring podium sessions, symposia, and industry exhibits akin to events by North American Spine Society and European Spine Journal conferences. The society publishes peer-reviewed materials, consensus statements, and evidence summaries disseminated through journals comparable to Spine (journal), The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, European Spine Journal, and collaborates on registries and outcome measures with groups such as International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement.

Influence and Criticism

The society has influenced surgical techniques, instrumentation standards, and outcome measurement frameworks used at centers like Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and Hospital for Special Surgery, while engaging with regulators such as the Food and Drug Administration and reimbursement policy stakeholders. Criticism has arisen mirroring debates seen in other specialties involving relationships with industry partners including implant manufacturers operating globally in markets like Germany, Japan, United States, and Brazil, transparency standards debated in forums with Open Payments (CMS) data advocates, and calls for broader patient-centered research emphasized by patient advocacy groups including National Scoliosis Foundation and international patient organizations.

Category:Medical associations