Chennai, Jan 23 : A three-day Conference of Association of Spine Surgeons of India (ASSICON) is being held here.

Association of Spine Surgeons of India (ASSI) which organises the conference annually has said that about 400 surgeons from India and abroad are participating in the ASSICON-2009 event.

They will discuss relevant issues like growing spinal problems amongst youth, especially low back pain and cervical spondylitis.

The meeting will also concentrate on the entire aspect of spinal treatment.

Eminent speakers from the UK, US, France and Germany will address the conference.

The prevalence of spinal cord injury is not well known in india and many other countries. According to known datas, about 450,000 people in the United States live with spinal cord injury (one in 670), and there are about 11,000 new spinal cord injuries every year (one in 30,000).

ASSI is India's foremost spine society. It is a non-profit scientific organization, comprising of spine surgeons, orthopedic and neurosurgeons from India and its neighbouring countries who share a special interest in spine surgery.

It aims to promote the cause of spine surgery in India, by providing continuous medical education for interested surgeons through conferences and workshops, and supporting spine research through academic fellowship and research grants. (ANI)