Contents
Commentary
n MESSAGE FROM THE MEDICAL EDITOR
Welcome to 2001! 
Stuart M. Weinstein, MD
n FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT
" Thanks, Coach!" 
Volker K.H. Sonntag, MD
Current Concepts
n INVITED REVIEW
Biochemistry of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration and the Potential for Gene Therapy
Ezequiel H. Cassinelli, MD; Ronald A. Hall, MD; James D. Kang, MD
n CURVE/COUNTERCURVE
Long-term Opioid Therapy
David Fardon, MD and Jerome Schofferman, MD
n THE SPINE IN SPORTS
Spondylolysis in Young Athletes: Re-evaluating the Diagnostic Assessment and Treatment of Spondylolysis in the Young Athlete
Stanley Herring, MD and Christopher Standaert, MD
n LITERATURE REVIEW
New from the Journals
Alexander R. Vaccaro, MD; David Bagnall, MD
n ABSTRACT REVIEW
NASS Annual Meeting Abstracts
Scott Boden, MD; Susan Dreyer, MD
n 1997 NASS RESEARCH GRANT WINNERS
Real-Time In Vivo Loading in Baboon Lumbar Spine Using Interbody Implant Load Cell
E. H. Ledet; B. L. Sachs; J.B. Brunski; and C. E. Gatto
Anti-Apoptotic Effects of IGF-1 and PDGF on Human Intervertebral Disc Cells In Vitro
H.E. Gruber, PhD; J. Norton, PhD; and Edward N. Hanley Jr., MD
Outcomes of Lumbar Laminectomy Alone vs Laminectomy with Instrumented or Non-instrumented Arthrodesis
J.N. Katz, MD, MS; S.J. Lipson, MD; L. Grobler, MD; M. Krag, MD; J. Weinstein, DO, MS; and G. Brick, MD
Socioeconomics & Politics
n ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY
Recommending Web Sites to Your Patients
Stephen Hochschuler, MD
n PRACTICE MANAGEMENT
Strategic Retreats a Must for Spine Surgeons
Karen Zupko and Alice Gray
n CODING Q & A
New Codes for Thoracic and Lumbar Vertebroplasty
NASS Coding and Nomenclature Committee
n ADVOCACY/LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS/PAC
Advocacy Efforts for 2001
Philip Schneider, MD
NASS News
Inaugural Issue of The Spine Journal Nears Completion
Educational Plans for 2001
Hands-On Lumbar Spine Course
NASS Research Categories Explained
NASS Earns AMA Award
NASS Becomes First Member of IOM
2001 NASS Meeting Forms Available
January 31 Deadline for Annual Dues
Coding Update 2001 Regional Courses Offered
Faciszewski named Socioeconomic Affairs Director and Appointed to AMA CPT Editorial Panel
AMA says Part B News Inaccurate
2001 Spine-related Meetings & Courses
Member-Get-A-Member Continues
NASS Joins HCFA Provider Education Project
NASS Administrative SIG Seeks Members
Annual Meeting Wrap-up