In this very atypical pandemic year, which may extend into 2021, we were confronted with many challenges that made us rethink our work approach and how to continue benefiting our community. Confinement flooded us with information that most certainly overshadowed everything else in our conversations with other members. On the other hand, it made us update our communication strategies and develop new ways of educating our community, always in an accurate and concise manner.

In addition to the updates made in our education and research divisions, we held virtual meetings with every country’s council to learn about each one’s scopes and necessities, apart from aiding each of them with essential resources to improve their relationships with their partners.

In 2020, AO Spine Latin America transformed select face-to-face events into virtual gatherings, giving surgeons new opportunities to expand and assess their knowledge and skills. During that year, we held 40 hospital-based seminars, 37 of which were online. We also held 20 webinars and 2 online session taking place within societies’ virtual congresses. Moreover, we granted access to several recorded webinars and lectures to widen the range of our offering and promote greater involvement of members.

We are aware that this new and somewhat uncertain way of working and interacting demands innovation to benefit every AO Spine member. The circumstances of the past year encouraged us to deliver even more digital offers and to examine new approaches to create and spread knowledge. As we look to 2021, our wish is to build on new trends and strategies to ensure that outstanding people come together to learn, share, and improve patients’ life.