About four million Australians (one in six) report having back problems. Almost half of them say back problem restricts their daily activity*.  

 

Left untreated, back problems can cause pain, lead to poorer quality of life, psychological distress and disability.  

 

Spine surgery is usually the last resort in the treatment of back problems.

While surgery is not necessary or suitable for everyone with back problems, approximately 45,000 Australians undergo spine surgery every year.

​

The Australian Spine Registry (ASR) is an initiative of the Spine Society of Australia aiming to improve the quality of care provided to people who have spine surgery in Australia.

​

The information collected by the ASR provides an important resource for  patients, surgeons, health service providers and policy makers.

​

*Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2017–18 National Health Survey