AOSpine Course-Complex Spine Surgery: Innovations in Practice (with Hands-on Bioskills Lab)

This is a comprehensive 2-day review of complex spinal resection and reconstruction techniques used in modern spinal deformity and tumor surgery. The course utilizes the bioskills laboratory and didactic sessions with ample time for discussion. This intensive course emphasizes the fundamentals of spine surgery, particularly biomechanical considerations, and the surgery decision-making process.

Learning Objectives :
By the conclusion of this Course, the participant should be able to:
• Utilize problem-based decision-making to develop logical algorithms for solving complex spine problems
• Assess the patient in terms of natural history, medical limitations, patient concerns, and treatment expectations
• Order and interpret appropriate imaging and use appropriate diagnostic tools to assess spinal balance, flexibility, and spinal cord anomalies
• Use evidence-based decision making when recommending operative and nonoperative interventions
• Describe and demonstrate the AO principles and fixation techniques in spinal surgery for deformities, degenerative spine disease, and inflammatory processes affecting the spine
• Explain relevant spinal anatomy, including regional nuances
• Employ physiological and surgical principles to spinal fusion and instrumentation
• Select and perform appropriate surgical procedures for specific indications
• Recognize the fundamental skills required to perform the most appropriate operation for any given clinical pathology
• Prevent/manage operative and postoperative complications
• Use outcome measures to assess the effectiveness of each intervention