Dear Colleagues,
We are glad to reach the third issue of 2013. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Uygur Er, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Serkan Şimşek, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Çağatay Öztürk and Assist. Prof. Dr.Mehmet Aydoğan have joined our Editorial Board from the TOD Administrative Board. Therefore, we have achieved a stronger team.
This issue is dedicated to my dear master Surgeon Ömer Çeliker, who the Turkish Orthopedics and Traumatology Family lost at an early age and who is one the real pioneers of Turkish Spinal Surgery. He brought modern spinal systems to Turkey and popularized them, in spite of the fact that initially they were hardly accepted, and in spite of strong criticism by a number of respected masters. I have learned a lot from him on both a professional and a personal level, and I will always remember him with gratitude and God’s compassion. This is a late but quite necessary tribute to him, on the 22nd anniversary of his death, by me and the whole Turkish Spinal Surgery family. His article that was published in our journal in 1990 is included in this issue as a classical article. His life history and contributions to spinal surgery are described in the “Frontiers of Spinal Surgery” section by me and my dear friend Surgeon Mert Tüzüner. You will find the letter sent by Surgeon Silva Çeliker, the dear wife of dear Ömer Çeliker, below. I feel the deepest sadness on having lost Surgeon Ömer Çeliker at an age when he would have been most productive, and I remember him with gratitude and God’s compassion one more time. Rest in peace.
“Most respected Orthopedics Community,
Firstly, I thank Prof. Dr. Teoman Benli and Surgeon Mert Tüzüner for showing that they have not forgotten my dear husband Ömer Çeliker and showing such loyalty, although it has been 22 years since he passed away, on behalf of me and my children. Ömer’s most important characteristics were his love for humanity and his love for his profession. Although he passed away at too young an age, it is the most important source of pride and honor for us that he is remembered with respect in every society in which his name is mentioned, and his professional successes in that very short time. How happy I am that I lived a short, but full and meaningful lifetime, with a person such as him.
Surgeon Silva Çeliker”
In this issue, there are also six research papers, one case study and two reviews. The first study is a prevalence study analyzing the abnormalities accompanying sacral agenesis. The second article is related to the analysis of spinal and other system
pathologies encountered in cases of early-onset scoliosis. The third study is an experimental study conducted on rats, analyzing the prevention of epidural fibrosis that develops after laminectomy by propicillin, and is worth much appreciation. The fourth study compares the facet joint denervation technique and facet injections for the treatment of chronic lumbar pain. In the fifth study, the results of bilateral decompression with unilateral laminectomy in spinal stenosis are reported, and in the sixth study, the relationship between the canal diameter before and after surgery and the surgical results are reported for spinal stenosis. I think that all those studies will greatly interest our readers.
In this issue, there are also two reviews. The first discusses in detail the application of the XLIF and DLIF techniques by a direct lateral approach to the spine. In the second review, the application and results of the cage between anterior bodies technique are presented, in the light of the literature.
There is also one case study in this issue, describing the application of posterior in situ instrumentation and fusion to a spondylolisthesis case.
The Marmara Spine Group meetings were recessed after the May and June meetings, and they will resume in October under the presidency of Prof. Dr. Mehmet Tezer with a full program. In May, the “Congenital Kyphosis” and “Sagittal Balance Measurement” presentations were made by Surgeon Yunus Atıcı and Surgeon M. Akif Albayrak, respectively, on 15th May 2013 at Balta Limanı Training and Research Hospital. “Diagnosis and treatment algorithm in cervical degenerative diseases” was presented by Surgeon Fatih Dikici and Assist. Prof. Dr. Mehmet Aydoğan in the final meeting of this year at the American Hospital, and cases were discussed. The meeting was chaired by Prof. Dr. Cüneyt Şar. The Head of the Turkish Spine Association, Prof. Dr. Serdar Kahraman, showed his support to our meetings by attending this last meeting. We present our endless thanks to him.
We are continuing the STE questions that we publish in accordance with the request from TOTBİD TOTEK for recertification in this issue. The answers to the questions in this issue should be sent to the addresses [email protected] or [email protected],
indicated on the page that includes the questions. Answers received will be sent by us to the related secretary within TOTBİD TOTEK.
We wish you days full of welfare, success, peace and tranquility, and present our deepest respects to the Turkish Spinal Surgery family.
Prof. Dr. İ. Teoman BENLİ
JTSS Vice Editor