The committee of SSA would like to invite you a very special SSA Virtual Scientific Meeting, SSAV 2020 (and our first virtual meeting), which will be held on Friday, 13 November 2020. This meeting is to provide authors who had their abstracts accepted for the 2020 Spine Week, which was to be in place of our Annual Scientific Meeting, an opportunity to still present their paper to our community and members.

As you are aware, the ASM was scheduled to be held in Melbourne earlier this year in conjunction with SpineWeek 2020.  What better opportunity to foster new professional relationships and cementing established ones?  

But the COVID-19 pandemic has forced us to rethink how we go about achieving this. We have, along with the rest of the world, looked for ways to ensure our scientific meeting, and the opportunities for professional networking it brings, continue in the virtual space.  

We want to ensure that the authors whose papers were accepted for Spine Week have the opportunity to present their work. 

I would like to encourage all our members to support the SSA and the presenters by attending SSAV 2020 virtually.  It is a full day of presentations followed by panel discussions and questions.  And, as it is a Friday, might I suggest that paying homage to what we missed in Melbourne would be in order with a glass or two of a fine Victorian vintage or a Melbourne inspired grazing plate to finish our afternoon.  

We thank everyone who participated in the SSA Virtual Meeting, congratulate the presenters and pay special thanks to companies that sponsored the event.

Read here SSA President Matthew Scott-Young’s Opening Remarks 

SSA Members can view all presentation video’s via the Members Login section of the SSA Website

We’re pleased to announce the following prizes were awarded: 

·      Best Paper Award (Sponsored by Medacta Australia) – Prof Brian Freeman
Do children with spinal deformity who have metal implants and frequent exposure to X-rays increase their risk of cancer?

·      Alastair Robson Award – Simon Gatehouse
Effect of spinal bracing on curve magnitude in coronal and axial planes in adolescent scoliosis utilizing EOS^(TM) imaging.

·      Rob Johnston Award – Dr Hui Lee
Independent Predictors of Staphylococcal Infection in Posterior Instrumented Spinal Surgeries

·      Clayton Adam Award - Mr Lionel Rayward
Application of 3D Modelling Techniques for Prediction of Deep Tissue Pressure Injuries interfacing the Coccyx and Sacrum