As we look over the past 10 years, it is only natural for us to begin thinking about the future. “Today ISASS is successful—meetings grow each year, the number of attendees is always growing, abstracts are always growing—those are the first signs of success,” says Dr. Jean-Charles LeHuec. “The society’s capacity to adapt to the evolution, to not stay the same, but to make changes to the status and rules and adapt to the new world, that will keep the society growing and being successful.

Many of the Society’s leaders agree that the biggest challenge moving forward is finding the right balance between all the influences in the Society, continuing to keep the organization relevant for its members and keeping them connected—not only to the Society, but to each other. “When it comes down to it, academic, societies are about and for people,” says Dr. Steven Garfin.

And that has been at the cornerstone of ISASS’ current and future success. Adds Dr. Stephen Hochschuler, “I am proud of the stature of ISASS and what it has brought to the spine community. I am also proud of all the new spine surgeon friends as well as administrative people I have worked with over the years.”