A new pathway helping clinicians to better diagnose and care for patients with suspected Cauda Equina Syndrome (CES) is now available from the Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT) team.

GIRFT worked collaboratively a multidisciplinary group of more than 60 healthcare professionals to develop the interactive pathway, designed to support teams to diagnose and treat the condition without delay. It offers best practice along all stages of the pathway, from presentation to GP or in the community through to post-operative care. It is supported by detailed guidance, including best practice for referrals and imaging, surgical techniques and pain control.

The resources were developed in collaboration with the former Best MSK Health improvement programme and are co-badged by 11 professional bodies, including BASS, NSN, BOA and SBNS.

GIRFT is running a webinar on 2nd March 2023 (1pm-2.15pm) to discuss the stages of the pathway and to allow clinicians to ask questions. Register now.

Applications are invited for the 2023 Presidents' Travelling Fellowship

Deadline: Tuesday 31st January 2023

The British Association of Spinal Surgeons (BASS) and the British Scoliosis Society (BSS) offer senior residents, spinal fellows and consultants within two years of their appointment a chance to have extensive exposure to complex spinal procedures at established spinal units over 2 weeks.

The Fellowship programme includes mandatory attendance at the following spine meeting, which will be BritSpine 2023 in Glasgow, 18-20 April 2023. The programme rotates between established orthopaedic and neurosurgical spinal centres allowing significant contact between fellows and leaders in the field.

The Fellowship will take place between 20th and 31th March 2023. The Fellowship will rotate around centres in the UK (Centres proposed include Ipswich, Norwich, Newcastle and Sheffield - subject to change). Successful fellows will then attend BritSpine 2023 in Glasgow to present as a group on their Fellowship.

Further details can be obtained from Mr David Cumming (president@spinesurgeons.ac.uk) and Mr Ashley Cole (president@britscolisis.org.uk)

Application Process:
To apply, please submit the following documents:

• your Curriculum Vitae (CV),
• a personal statement describing your career pathway, interests and future plans.
• A letter of recommendation from your supervising consultant/clinical lead.

Your application should be sent to UKSSB@boa.ac.uk by Tuesday 31st January 2023. (only Word or PDF file formats accepted)

Applications will be reviewed by a panel from the BASS and BSS Executives. All candidates will be informed of the decisions after the application deadline.

Eligibility Criteria:
(For further criteria, please refer to person specification here)

• Applicants should be members of either BASS, BSS, BOA, SBNS or local spine society.
• Applicants should be post-FRCS exam senior residents, clinical spinal fellows or junior consultants in the first 2 years of their appointment.
• Previously unsuccessful applicants can re-apply.
• Fellowships cannot be awarded retrospectively.

Details of The 2023 Fellowship:

• BASS/BSS will reimburse travelling expenses up to £2,000. Claims must be submitted within 6 months of the Fellowship. Detailed financial arrangements will be provided to successful candidates.
• International fellows will be required to pay for their flights to the UK.
• By accepting the Fellowship, all awardees agree not to partake in any activities that will bring BASS/BSS and/or sponsors into disrepute. BASS/BSS accept no liability for the actions of the candidates whilst on the Fellowship or for activities related to it.
• Each Fellow is required to submit a report of approximately 500 words within 6 weeks of completion of the Fellowship. This may be published on the BASS and/or BSS websites and official communications.
• Fellows will attend BritSpine 2023 and present a group presentation (Wednesday 19th April 2023, subject to change)

The BASS trainee committee would like to invite you to participate in the National Study - CSF Leak Incidence and Plan - CLIP Study.

The CLIP study is our new national prospective, multicentred, trainee-Initiative study. Building on the success of the MoveCom study we wish to create a model whereby the BASS members can collaborate to create a substantial work of research to answer clinically relevant and important questions.

Please find details about the CLIP study below:
Name: CLIP - CSF Leak Incidence and Plan
Type of Study: National, prospective, observational study. 
Aims: To assess current practice regarding managing dural tears throughout centres in terms of immediate surgical treatment, imaging and management within neurosurgical and orthopaedic units
Study duration: 6 months, data collection to commence Jan 2023
Benefit for collaborators: All collaborators and data collectors shall be recognised with collaborator status / collaborative authorship on any presentation or publication

• Study Invitation (.pdf)
• Study Design (.pdf)
• Rules of Engagement (.pdf)

All collaborators that sign up will receive a toolkit regarding the study providing future information. We are very excited to share this opportunity with you - our BASS members. We hope you will join us in making this a successful collaborative project. Please use the registration link below to join our study group.

Registration form: https://forms.gle/YEt7jr6923gv6qe27

Best wishes,
CLIP Study Team - clipstudyBASS@gmail.com
BASS Trainee Committee

The British Scoliosis Society (BSS) and The British Association of Spine Surgeons (BASS), in conjunction with Orthopaedic Research UK (ORUK), are pleased to announce a new, two year, research fellowship.

This research fellowship of up to £60k is funded between the three organisations for a period of 2 years. This will require a leave of absence from clinical roles and / or training with agreement of employers or training programme directors.

It is aimed at individuals with an interest in research in to any spinal area. It is open for applications to any individual who is already a member of either BSS or BASS, or would be eligible to apply for full membership commensurate to their seniority within their professional group. To be clear, this includes allied health professionals (AHPs) and nurses along with medical doctors (consultants and trainees).

It is envisioned that this role will be full time and will result in the awarding of an MD, or equivalent higher degree, in partnership with a UK university, along with high impact papers in recognised journals.

Applications will be a single stage process with those successful invited for interview. The role is planned to commence in August 2023.

Applications will be judged on the research idea presented, the prospective research fellow and their ability to deliver the research, and the supporting mentors / supervision team. 

Closing date for applications is on Friday, 17 February 2023 at 17:00

Further information and application can be found at: https://oruk.org/research/joint-partnership-funds/

The 2023 BOA Future Leaders Programme (FLP) has launched and applications are now open.

BASS will be sponsoring one fellow on the 2023 FLP. This place is only open to members of BASS, and applications will close on 5th September 2022.

To be eligible to take part in the programme, when the programme runs, you must be either:

• A senior trainee (ST8 or above)
• A newly appointed consultant (less than 3 years)
• An SAS Surgeon (FRCS Tr & Orth)
• A post-CCT Surgeon

The successful candidate must be a BOA member when the programme runs to be eligible to take part (you may still apply without BOA membership, but will need to apply if successful. You must be a BASS member upon application)

BASS will have an executive board panel assessment to select the successful candidate. All applications will be anonymised to reduce the potential for unconscious bias.

Please download the Main BOA Future Leaders Programme application form, provide your CV and complete the Equality and Diversity Monitoring form. Send your completed application to policy@boa.ac.uk

More information on the FLP and how to apply is on the BOA website at boa.ac.uk/flp and www.boa.ac.uk/learning-and-events/courses/boa-future-leaders-programme/how-to-apply.html

Tickets are LIMITED Register today to avoid disappointment!

Please visit our dedicated registration portal for further details including the full programme and how to register: womeninspine.eventbrite.co.uk

Registration Link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_LsEKlOGlQ1KWNZGVju_mdA

SBNS 2022 Conference - Blackpool

27-30 September 2022Combined BASS sessions

 

Abstracts submissions welcome

Deadline for Abstracts to SBNS: 8 June 2022 at 5pm

The first combined BASS and SBNS meeting will take place on 27th and 28th of September at Blackpool.

We wish to encourage the submission of abstracts for this exciting meeting which will provide a unique platform for closer integration and networking of the spinal surgeons between the two specialities.

Tuesday afternoon session will have a theme, "learning from complications" based on various topics. Wednesday morning will have lifelong learning session on Spinal topics of common interest to both specialities.

We encourage all, including BASS members (both Neuro and Ortho) to submit abstracts via the Abstract Portal, and to register to attend this combined conference.

The details of this meeting, including registration can be found here: https://www.sbns.org.uk/index.php/conferences/blackpool-2022/

The new issue of Column & Cord will be launched at BASS 2022 and is published on behalf of BASS by Open Box Media and Communications Ltd, the publishers of the BOA’s Journal of Trauma and Orthopaedics. The next edition will be published in March 2022 and:

• Available in print and online, the Journal will give comprehensive coverage of abstracts and original articles from the BASS and BritSpine meetings
• Distributed to all BASS members, and members of all constituent societies of the UKSSB, along with social media promotion

• Will be hosted on the BASS website as well as its own unique website www.columnandcord.com. The BASS website gets around 13,000-17,000 unique page views a month

• Everyone who attends BASS 2022 in Belfast will receive a print copy of Column&Cord distributed at the event.

Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available in this edition, and discounts are available for confirmed exhibitors at the BASS 2022 conference.

For more information, please download the Media Pack and Order Form

For all advertising, sponsorship, or general enquiries please contact:
Mandy Boyle, Media Manager, Open Box M&C
+44 (0)121 200 7820 | e. mandy@ob-mc.co.uk

The BASS Trainee Collaborative (2021-2022) would like to invite you to take part in our survey-based project relating to the management of Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures (MoVe Com).

Current guidance from NICE states that percutaneous vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty without stenting (Cement Augmentation techniques) are recommended as options for treating osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures in people who have severe ongoing pain after a recent, unhealed vertebral fracture despite optimal non-invasive pain management options and in whom the pain has been confirmed to be at the level of the fracture by physical examination and imaging.

The study aims to assess current practice in terms of use of non-invasive management technique options and use of cement augmentation techniques within your unit.

If your unit regularly reviews patients following vertebral compression fractures, then you are eligible to take part.

We are encouraging trainees to take part and sign up as trainee collaborators. If your trainee would like to be involved please ask them to register themselves by emailing our BASS Medical Student representative on annielaw96@outlook.com. The trainee collaborator shall be responsible for collecting the survey responses from the spinal surgeons working within your unit. Each collaborator will receive collaborator status with each subsequent presentation or publication from this project.

Those spinal surgeon consultants who would like to complete the survey directly, please access the link here: https://forms.gle/cFWyFpmU5zphqnGr7

We hope you will join us in making this collaborative research project a great success.
 
Many thanks
BASS Trainee Collaborative (2021-2022)

Document Links:

MoVe Com Leaflet

Rules of Engagement

Management Survey Toolkit

Collaborator Instructions