Editor’s Introduction: Recollections From the Past and Visions of the Future in Arthroplasty: The ISASS 25th Anniversary Special Issue

• arthroplasty
• total disc replacement
• cervical spine
• lumbar spine

This issue of the International Journal of Spine Surgery (IJSS) celebrates the 25th anniversary of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS). Contributions from leaders of the original Spine Arthroplasty Society (SAS) recall the energy and challenges associated with the development of spinal motion-preserving technology. Recollections from Hansen Yuan and Karin Büttner-Janz provide stimulating and detailed insight into the birth of not just a society but a movement that changed the face of spine surgery. Subsequent presidents of the society Tom Errico, Jean Charles Le Huec, and Jack Zigler (along with founding member and past president Stephen Hochschuler) offer more details into the evolution of arthroplasty technology and the landscape that drove the society’s name change to ISASS. Additional details and flavor are provided by other major players in this movement, including Matt Gornet, Vince Bryan, and, in the contribution from Drs. Zigler and Hochschuler, Rick Guyer and Scott Blumenthal.

A more in-depth retrospective is provided by Domagoj Coric, a recent past president who articulates in great detail both the headwinds blowing against spine surgery at the end of the last century and the great technology advances that drove arthroplasty in the formative years of SAS. The forward-looking, in-depth perspective is provided by current ISASS Co-President Matthew Scott-Young and Board Member Oscar Alves, who examine the accomplishments and anticipate the evolution of both cervical and lumbar arthroplasty.

To complete our historical and futuristic view, a republication of an original manuscript from the inaugural issue of the International Journal of Spine Surgery is presented along with an original contribution. In 2007, Fred Geisler provided a detailed compilation of the evidence supporting lumbar disc arthroplasty as a safe and effective treatment for painful lumbar degenerative disc. This article is reprinted in this issue; it represents the foundational evidence that energized not only SAS but also the pursuit of arthroplasty in spine surgery. Finally, a contemporary original contribution by Goldstein et al introduces the early evidence for the novel lumbar total joint replacement technology that embodies the forward-looking spirit of ISASS.

This Special Anniversary Issue is made possible with sponsorship from industry partners who share some technology updates. The progress over the past 25 years would not be possible without partnerships with surgeons, engineers, industry partners, and even regulatory and insurance leaders who embrace the vision of improving the outcomes of spine surgery with motion preservation or arthroplasty. I am confident that the lessons learned along with an even greater dedication to patient- based research will lead to significant improvements in patient care in the years ahead.

Congratulations to ISASS on the past 25 years. We hope that readers will enjoy and benefit from this Special Issue of IJSS that sets the stage for a very bright future.

• This manuscript is generously published free of charge by ISASS, the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery. Copyright © 2025 ISASS. To see more or order reprints or permissions, see http://ijssurgery.com.