The new project of psychological support of patients with consequences of injuries of spine and spinal cord has started on the basis of clinical department # 10. The aim of the project is to assist persons with spinal trauma in adaptation. It suggests consultations of the medical psychologist through all the stages of treatment – in the hospital as well as distantly at home. The program is developed and put into practice by psychologist Irina Nesterova. In the project frame testing, consulting, individual and group therapies, distant consultations via internet are held.

The patients successfully adapted to the consequences of spinal trauma and leading an active life also take part in the project. Timur Gadelshin has developed his own training program, Ekaterina Bezruchenko is persistent in complex rehabilitation and successful in business and personal life. Grigoriy Tsarkov after spinal injury became champion of Russia in wheelchair racing, ascended the Mount McKinley (North America) and wrote a book about it. The book G. Tsarkov “Ascent of the Mount McKinley. Expeditionary journal” is presented by the author to the Centre’s library as a gift. 

The AOSpine Nominating Committee has elected new members of the AOSpine Russian Federation Council for a three-year term. It consists of Alexander Gubin (Chairperson), Alexander Mushkin (Past Chairperson), Sergey Ryabykh (Education Officer-Ortho) and Dmitry Ptashnikov (Education Officer-Neuro). The Country Council is in charge of realizing the opportunities available to all AOSpine members, such as participating in the educational events, teaching at local seminars, hosting Fellows, contributing to journals.

In December the Ilizarov Centre celebrates its 45-th anniversary. 45 years ago on the 8^th of December 1971 the joint department of the Leningrad research institute of traumatology and orthopedics named after R.L.Vreden was officially reorganized into Kurgan research institute of experimental and clinical orthopedics and traumatology (KNIIEKOT). Thus, Kurgan got its own Orthopedic Centre.

During the 45 years of Ilizarov’s clinic life over 170 000 patients were treated and about 187 000 surgeries performed. As for the scientific activity, 49 national and international conferences and meetings were held.  The Ilizarov scientific school was formed here as well – 312 thesis papers were defended by  researches and doctors of the Centre, over 10 000 articles and books were published and 988 invention patents received. 9100 fellows  from 75 countries were trained (including 420 doctors from the USA, 279 from Japan, 251 from Great Britain and 242 from Republic of Korea).