Introduction: The Immature Spine

Abstract

The 2005 Shriners Hospitals for Children (SHC) Symposium on The Immature Spine has taken a different approach than in the past. Previously, there was a relationship between the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the SHC to develop a triennial symposium that led to a bound publication that was offered for sale to Academy members. Because of declining sales following the 2002 symposium on Caring for the Child with Spina Bifida, the AAOS decided not to pursue this cooperative venture further. This marked the end of a relationship that had existed since 1989 and had produced four publications from the previous symposia. In 1989, when Newton C. McCollough III, MD, was the president of the AAOS, the relationship between the SHC and the AAOS was initiated. This relationship began with Dr. McCollough presenting a plaque to Mr. Gene Bracewell, then chairman of the board of trustees of SHC, expressing appreciation from the AAOS to the SHC for its many contributions to orthopaedics, including resident training, fellowship training, research, and pediatric orthopaedic care. Dr. McCollough had previously arranged, during that same year, for the SHC Board of Trustees to donate $50,000 to the AAOS every three years to fund a symposium on an important topic in pediatric orthopaedics. Mr. Bracewell made the presentation of this grant immediately following the AAOS award to the SHC. The proceedings of these symposia were published as the Shriners Symposium Series, which was a collaborative effort between the AAOS, the SHC, and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA). S. Terry Canale, MD, who was president of POSNA at that time, was also on stage as a corecipient of this initial presentation. The concept was that the AAOS would provide …