My dear colleagues,

We are happy to reach the second issue of 2014. I hope that the spring of 2014 brings happiness, health and peace to all my colleagues and their families.

There are six research articles in this issue. The first analyzes lumbosacral joint abnormalities, and the second analyzes the results of hemivertebrectomy, peripheral fusion and posterior segment pedicular screw instrumentation for congenital scoliosis using only a posterior approach. The third evaluates the results of patients treated for sagittal plane deformations with preoperative planning using the Surgimap computer application. The fourth study is again about sagittal contours, analyzing the sagittal plane in thoracolumbar breaks which were treated surgically with segmented screw systems, and the fifth evaluates the clinical results of lumbar spinal stenosis. The last study analyzes facet joint blockage in mechanical lower back pain. I think that all these studies will greatly interest our readers.

In this issue, there are also two case studies. The first is a case of an infection leading to an epidural abscess without causing any discitis. The second presents a patient who developed an infection after spinal anesthesia.

In this issue, there are also three reviews, including sophisticated and succinct information. Two of them discuss lumbar sagittal balance analysis, one of which is prepared by neurosurgery specialists and the other prepared by orthopedists. The last review considers the application of percutaneous screws for lumbar spinal stenosis.

The “Frontiers of Spinal Surgery” section in this issue includes the first part of my article entitled “Three Significant Figures at Ankara Medical School”, in which I describe the life history and contributions to Turkish Spinal Surgery of Prof. Dr. İlker Çetin, who contributed greatly to Turkish spinal surgery at Ankara Medical School, and who trained and developed a number of spinal surgeons before he retired from this institution. Prof. Dr. Derya Dinçer and Prof. Dr. Tarık Yazar, two other highly significant figures who are currently still continuing their work at Ankara Medical School, will be included as the second part of the article in the July (24(3)) issue.

I wish them long, healthy and peaceful years, and express our gratitude and respect.

The “Marmara Spinal Group Meetings” are being continued, which include Istanbul and neighboring cities and which are conducted to increase interest in spinal surgery, particularly for assistants and new specialists, and to contribute to training and to transfer the experience of colleagues, and are organized regularly each month by the regulatory board. This year Prof. Dr. Mehmet Tezer is performing the headship and Surgeon Mehmet Aydoğan is performing the secretariat. Discussions this year included, in January, “Treatment choices, techniques and problems in neurovascular scoliosis” by Prof. Dr. Ufuk Talu, in February, “Surgical treatment, techniques and problems in early onset scoliosis” by Prof. Dr. Murat Bezer, and in March, “Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty in pathological spinal breaks” by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Aydoğan, along with discussion of cases brought by our colleagues. The meeting in April will be conducted at Private Hisar Intercontinental Hospital. The subject is “Surgical treatment, techniques and problems in spinal tumors”. You can find the other meeting contents in the announcements section.

We are continuing to answer the STE questions in this issue that we publish in accordance with the request from TOTBİD TOTEK for recertification. The answers of the questions included in this issue should be sent to the addresses [email protected] or [email protected], also indicated on the page that includes the questions. Answers received will be sent by us to the relevant secretary working at TOTBİD TOTEK.

We wish health, success and peace to the Turkish Spinal Surgery family, and we present our deepest respects.

Prof. Dr. İ. Teoman BENLİ
JTSS Editor