In July, he attended a course at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand entitled "Treating the Complex Spine: Trauma and Tumor Course". The purpose of the course was to provide an update on the management of traumatic and oncologic disorders of the spine. It used a comprehensive evidence based medicine format to combine best available evidence with consensus expert opinion and
arrive at best practice recommendations with exposure to new and established techniques for treating common yet challenging areas of these spine pathologies.
Dr Ball attended the Neurosurgical Society of Australasia's Annual Scientific Meeting in September. Of particular interest to Dr Ball were sessions on spinal trauma, ethical dilemmas and stem cell therapy.
In October, Dr Ball travelled to Colorado in the USA to visit the international headquarters of Medtronic Navigation, the makers of the O-arm. The Medtronic O-arm® surgical imaging system and StealthStation surgical navigation system work together to form a unique surgical pairing that enables faster, more precise and less invasive spinal procedures in a reduced radiation environment. Dr Ball uses the O-arm at North Shore Private Hospital.
He was then invited to attend a course in California on "Advances in Spine: Minimally Invasive
