ISSUE 1 /// WEDNESDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2014 /// EUROSPINE2014.EU
Welcome Message Eurospine President the rich culture and gastronomy of the region to enjoy.
It is my great pleasure to warmly welcome you to EUROSPINE 2014. This is our annual ‘Flagship’ event. There are many details to this meeting. The EUROSPINE App and ‘Spine Times’ are to help you capture the full experience. Each meeting we have builds on the previous strengths and we maintain our position as the major spine society scientific meeting in Europe. My last conference visit to Lyon was in 1992. That was with the European Spinal Deformity Society who shortly afterwards joined with the European Spine Society to become EUROSPINE The spine society of Europe. Lyon has a magnificent heritage in the spinal community with many past and present greats. There is also
My year as President has seen the strategic plan of last year turned into activities. In May we held the first ‘Spring’ meeting of the Society with a focus on the lumbar spine. We had over 300 in attendance, we had scientific papers, debates , case based discussions and presentation of relevant Spine Tango registry data. The cost for delegates and Industry was modest, as a not for profit organisation everyone benefited. The next Spring meeting is focused on Scoliosis and will be in Barcelona April 2325 2015. The process of change in the Society has quickened. Statute changes have opened up new membership categories. We wish to strengthen partnerships with National societies and have created an ‘Institutional’ member category as well as our new ‘Young member’ discounted membership. We have expanded our core administrative staff to continue to deliver new activities that enhance the value of belonging to the society.
Welcome to Lyon The core of society activities are the spine scientific meetings, spine education , spine research and and interfacing with our key stakeholders in spine related health matters.
It is with great pleasure that I welcome all EUROSPINE attendees to Lyon, a UNESCO world heritage site and home to some of France‘s most famous historical landmarks.
My year as President has been a pleasure. Hard work but fun. I’ve met many new friends My golf game has sufferred , but looking on on the bright side of life it can only get better.
Founded in 43BC as a Roman colony, Lyon, at the convergence of the Rhône and Saône rivers, has developed to become the capital of the Rhone-Alpes region, with a tremendously prosperous local economy which has developed from the historic trade in silk to be a major domestic and international economic hub, based on the high tech industries of medicine, biotechnology and software development. The city also remains a leader in the French realm of gastronomy, and Lyonnaise cuisine is renowned throughout France.
I have been a small part of the strong team of the Eurospine executive and administration, working together has produced action plans that will further strengthen the society and keep us in the forefront of spine related activity. We listen to everyone as far as we can, members, delegates, patients and stakeholders. The strength of EUROSPINE is exactly that diversity and contribution of the growing number of members. Enjoy this meeting. Like any great experience we want you to come back for more. Next year you have the choice of Barcelona or Copenhagen. Philip Sell President of EUROSPINE, the Spine Society of Europe
Welcome I am delighted to welcome you to Lyon on the occasion of the Annual EUROSPINE Meeting 2014. Lyon metropolitan area is today one of the most attractive and dynamic places in the field of Life Sciences and Health. Greater Lyon strongly supports the development of these areas of excellence, in the aim of positioning Lyon as a major international centre for economic activity and innovation in health and biotechnologies. As the quality of our welcome is a real trademark of our city and
its people, Greater Lyon and all its tourism partners are keen to make your stay here as easy and as pleasant as possible. Take the time to explore all the facets of Lyon, through its heritage, its culture and its gastronomy, and enjoy the quality of life here by taking a stroll between the Rhône and the Saône as far as the Confluence. I wish you an excellent EUROSPINE Meeting 2014 and an unforgettable stay in Lyon.
Gérard Collomb Mayor of Lyon President of Greater Lyon
Whilst here, I would suggest you also visit some of Lyons historic sites. For instance, the ruins of the Amphitheatre of the 3 Gauls dates back to roman times, and the Basilica of St-Martin-d‘Alnay to the Middle Ages. Meanwhile, on the Palais de Congres de Lyon resides one of the city‘s modern pearls. I also urge you during your brief sojourn in this wonderful city to try some of the local specialities: rosette lyonnaise, cervelle de canut, and coussin de Lyon, all washed down by some of the regions tremendous wines such as the world famous Cotes du Rhône, Beaujolais, and the exceptionnal Burgundies. EUROSPINE welcomes once again some of the worlds foremost spinal researchers and practitioners, and their value and ability is reflected in the pride and achievement of one of Europes finest cities famous in its own right for partnership between the educational and industrial interests.
Following on from the academic and social success of EUROSPINE 2013 in Liverpool, we hope to emulate that cities fine achievements in hosting our annual meeting. I wish you all a good stay in Lyon and hope that you enjoy both the scientific and cultural aspects of our 2014 congress. Some new projects have been developed to enhance the leadership of the European spine society, EUROSPINE. The central location of the EUROSPINE booth in the exhibition hall must be a corner for exchange between spine specialists and also a unique occasion to discover the many activities of the society: Patient Line, Task Force Research, The European Spine Journal, our Eurospine Foundation, and of course, how to join the society.
The full administrative team will be there: Judith, Claudia and Erin, dealing with any Society related questions. Many of the Society officers will also be there. Just come for a chat or a coffee, or as a member use the space for informal discussion with colleagues and friends. Welcome to Lyon 2014! Jean Charles Le Huec, Local Host of the EUROSPINE 2014
ISSUE 1 /// WEDNESDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2014 /// EUROSPINE2014.EU
Interview with Philip Sell
10 Restaurants in Lyon - Part 1 currently incorporating additional enhancements to support our goal of establishing an internationallyrecognized “European Spine Certification.” With a view to further increasing the prestige of our Annual Meeting, we have selected a professional conference organiser to work with our own experienced EUROSPINE team when our existing contractual obligations have expired.
EUROSPINE on the move - on track for the future My year as President of EUROSPINE has been both challenging and rewarding. It’s been tremendous to work alongside such dedicated team members in both the Executive Committee and Society Committees in setting the future direction for our Society. Together we are implementing a solid action plan that will increase the visibility of our Society while putting patient care in the spotlight. In 2013, we embarked on a series of workshops to create EUROSPINE’s “Way Forward” strategy, a comprehensive plan to foster excellence in spinal care while maximizing benefits to patients, members and stakeholders. We identified four strategic priorities, reflecting our Vision and Mission, on which to base our activities in the coming years: 1. Members - Expand and diversify the membership base 2. Stakeholders - Prioritise stakeholders and strengthen collaboration 3. Activities - Focus on meetings, education, research and guidance for patients and clinicians 4. Organisation - Align the organisation to enable EUROSPINE’s strategic priorities In 2014, EUROSPINE shifted its focus from planning to action, taking important first strides in implementing our Way Forward strategy. I’d like to highlight a few examples: 2 new membership categories Together with our Membership Committee we could develop and then approve during our General Assembly in May in Prague two new membership categories: “Young Members” and “Institutional Members”. To appeal to more spine specialists early in their careers, we are now offering an attractive
“Young Members” package and have introduced a streamlined application process online. To help grow our institutional membership base, we invited representatives of national societies to our first EuSSAB meeting in Lyon. The EuSSAB (European Spine Societies Advisory Board) meeting should be viewed as forum where all spine-related societies (and hence our current and future institutional members) can exchange opinions, learn about the latest trends and work towards common goals such as the European Spine Certification. Professional approach to stakeholder management One of EUROSPINE’s main challenges is balancing expenditures with income. Our funding activities rely on partnerships and stakeholders, so it is important to ensure transparency in our allocation of funds. We are committed to maintaining an efficient and lean organisation to keep costs down. At the same time, we have established a new Stakeholder Management Council to help improve the stakeholder experience and increase revenue. We have invited core stakeholders to attend bilateral meetings while in Lyon to discuss ways to better balance their needs with our own. Successful educational events Our first spring specialty meeting was held in Prague on May 8-9, 2014 to positive acclaim. Furthermore, our Task Force Research course in Dublin educated young researchers in February. The April 2014 EUROSPINE education week in Strasbourg was very well received by our delegates, delivered by our faculty and in cooperation with our Foundation. An additional education week in Strasbourg is planned for October 2014. Improvements to education and meetings Our Education Committee is
Organisational functions realigned with strategic priorities We have taken a number of steps in further streamlining our internal organisation to ensure the most cost-effective offering of education and research activities. For this reason, the ExCom has the desire to reintegrate all EUROSPINE educational activities back to EUROSPINE. This decision may offer several important advantages: 1. Single point of contact to EUROSPINE for stakeholders and sponsors 2. “One team spirit” fostered through a dedicated operational team 3. Improved efficiency, by eliminating the need to coordinate two separate legal entities 4. Highest transparency and best value for money, allowing EUROSPINE to directly influence delivery costs By concentrating all operational education related activities under the EUROSPINE umbrella, it is in no way intended to close down the Foundation. We strongly believe that the Foundation can play a different, complementary role that aligns with the future EUROSPINE concept. We plan to cooperate closely with the Foundation and its Board to define a change in mandate for the Foundation and to ensure a smooth transition of responsibilities. Transitioning to the future Looking back at the past 12 months, I am proud that we have made such progress in delivering on our commitment to position EUROSPINE as the leading spine society in Europe, particularly in the area of spinerelated education and meeting activities. I am confident that we are on track to achieve our mission of creating a pan-European focus on best-practise patient care and prevention of spinal disorders. Philip Sell President of EUROSPINE, the Spine Society of Europe
1. Burgundy Lounge 24 Quai Saint Antoine, 69002 Lyon Known for its impressive selection of fine wines from the Burgundy region of France, patrons can indulge themselves in wine tasting, fine dining, and an intriguing yet chic ambience. Currently rated the #1 restaurant in Lyon on Trip Advisor, Burgundy Lounge is a contemporary establishment with a traditional feel, and a must for any consummate restaurant goer. 2. Le Canut et Les Gônes 29 Rue Belfort, 69004 Lyon A beautiful bistro on the edge of the Croix-Rousse quarter, Le Canut et Les Gônes is renowned for both its intriguing decor and for the culinary skills of its current chef, Junzo Matsuno. Being Japanese of origin, Matsuno has added an ever so slightly exotic feel to traditional Lyon cooking, thus arguably making the menu as quirky as the restaurant’s interior design. 3. In Cuisine 1 Place Bellecour, 69002 Lyon Set in Place Bellecour, one of the largest squares in the whole of France, the external facade of In Cuisine makes it perhaps quite easy to miss. However, once inside, patrons encounter a gastronomic paradise including a delicatessen, a boutique for EUROSPINE APP Have the most relevant and upto-date conference information at hand! Not only will you be able to easily access scientific and logistical congress information (e.g. programme, speakers, sessions, congress venue,...), but you will also be able to participate in interactive votings, bookmark your favorite sessions and access the exclusive e-version of “The Spine Times”. Free WIFI is available within the entire congress venue. Download the EUROSPINE app for all smartphones and tablets from http://app.eurospine.org.
kitchen utensils, a fully equipped culinary workshop offering lessons for adults and children and, last but not least, a bright, airy, atrium cafe. 4. La Cave d‘à Côté 7 Rue Pleney, 69001 Lyon Tucked down a small and secluded alleyway, and set in a vaulted, 18th century wine cellar, La Cave d‘à Côté is now considered one of Lyon’s more trendy locales, food is limited to plates of assorted cheeses and charcuterie to accompany the numerous wines stocked by the establishment. Nevertheless, these culinary accompaniments are considered regional specialities, making them a must for anyone wishing to experience genuine local cuisine. 5. Archange 6 rue Hippolyte Flandrin, 69001 Lyon A quaint, twelve table restaurant housed in an elegant 18th century building with stone interior walls and remarkably high ceilings. With a calm atmosphere and excellent food, Archange offers exceptional value for money when compared to many of its competitors, and is likewise rated highly amongst Trip Advisor reviews of restaurants in Lyon, placing second only to Burgundy Lounge.
ISSUE 1 /// WEDNESDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2014 /// EUROSPINE2014.EU facebook.com/eurospine twitter.com/eurospineSOC youtube.com/eurospineORG
10 facts about Lyon
1. The French Revolution In 1789, Lyon was the only city in France outside of Paris with a population of over 100,000 people. During the same year, the regional silk industry was in crisis, reflecting wider economic turmoil in France at that time. Tax riots and other social conflict broke out from June 1789 onwards, leading to what many historians believe to be the opening moments of the French Revolution.
Scientific Programme 2014 5. Commerce and industry Lyon is one of the principal French engineering centres, with factories producing heavy trucks, machine tools and other industrial equipment, with notable corporate head questers having included companies such as Atari and Renault Trucks. The city has also given its name to one of the most powerful French banks (Crédit Lyonnais), and is the site of numerous international banking conventions.
8. Silk Lyon was historically known as an important area for the production and weaving of silk, and La Croix-Rousse was widely regarded as the silk workers‘ district. During the Renaissance, the city‘s development was driven by the silk trade, which not only strengthened it’s ties to Italy, but also made it an important 19th century industrial town in its own right.
6. Replication After visiting Lyon, Buti Saeed Al Ghandi (chairman of a large Dubai based investment group) enjoyed his stay so much that he decided to design a building project which would attempt
Programme Committee 2014
9. Climate Lyon lies in the broad transition zone between the Temperate Oceanic climates of northern France, and the subtropical Mediterranean climates to the south, and although the city does not share the drier summers typical of Mediterranean climates, it has summer temperatures that are warmer than typical temperate oceanic climates. Precipitation averages 830 millimetres (32.7 inches) per annum, and interestingly, the winter months are the driest. 2. Tallest structure The tallest building in Lyon is the Tour du Crédit Lyonnais, affectionately named ‘the pencil’. Reaching 164.9 meters (or 541 feet) in height, it is currently the ninth tallest building in France. The top 10 floors are occupied by Radisson Blu Hotel Lyon, the highest hotel in Europe, whilst the rest of the buildings floor space is occupied by offices. 3. Population As per the January 2011 census, the municipality of Lyon was France’s second-largest municipality with 2.2 million people living in the wider Metropolitan area. However, and based on the same census figures, the city proper (excluding metropolitan areas) is home to 491,268 inhabitants, making it France’s third largest city after Paris and Marseille. 4. World Heritage As of 1998, Lyon was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The specific regions composing this Historic Site include the Roman district and Fourvière, the Renaissance district (Vieux Lyon), the silk district (slopes of Croix-Rousse), and the Presqu‘île, which features architecture ranging from the 12th century through to modern times.
The set up of the scientific programme was again an intense and challenging work for our Programme Committee: from more than 500 submitted abstracts they finally chose 26.5 % for oral and 14 % for poster presentation, as ever by blinded peer evaluation. 60 submissions could unfortunately not be accepted for revision because of incomplete disclosure information. Authors were notified accordingly. This is a high responsibility EUROSPINE being the leading and largest spine meeting in Europe: We have to thank you!
to reproduce particular districts of Lyon within Dubai. Known as “Lyon-Dubai City”, the first phase was projected for completion in 2010, and consists of the reproduction of some of Lyon’s more popular and well known neighbourhoods.
Chairman Thomas Blattert, Coordination
Germany:
Members • Karin Würtz-Kozak, Switzerland: Basic science • Selçuk Palaoğlu, Turkey: Cervical Spine • Josef Grohs, Austria: Adult thoracolumbar Spine, degenerative, deformity • Cédric Barrey, France: Adult thoracolumbar Spine, non degenerative • Stavros Stavridis, Greece: Other/Growing Spine • Martin Gehrchen, Denmark: Growing Spine Many thanks also to our Co-Reviewers who’s support is vital in this process: • Conny Neidlinger-Wilke, Germany • Werner Schmölz, Austria • Stephen Ferguson, Switzerland • Martin Repko, Czech Republic
• • • • • • • • •
Acke Ohlin, Sweden Dimitios Korres, Greece Tim Pigott, UK Ibrahim Obeid, France Antonio Faundez, Switzerland Mark Lorenz, USA Claudius Thomé, Austria Klaus Schnake, Germany Efthimios Samoladas, Greece
Another huge contribution to this years scientific programme was done by the Lunch Symposia and Pre-Meeting Committee 2014 • Ralph Kothe, Germany (Chair) • Luis Alvarez Galovich, Spain • Pierre Roussouly, France who coordinated and arranged this year two Pre-Day Courses and six EUROSPINE Lunch Symposia. You will find them daily announced and highlighted in this newspaper. Further we will have again our interactive debates, always highly appreciated by our audience. We hope that you all will highly profit from our Annual Meeting and that you will take home the latest in Spine education, but also fond memories from networking and from the local spirit. As always we would welcome your comments after the meeting via our survey – on behalf which we promise to improve next meetings. Thank your for being here and enjoy! Judith Reichert Schild Scientific Secretariat 2014
Audience Response System
7. Cinema Acknowledged as the world’s first film makers, Auguste and Louis Lumière invented the cinematographe in Lyon. The device endeavoured to correct the perceived flaws in Edison’s kinetograph and the kinetoscope, and was regularly used to turn early films, thus playing a significant role in the history of cinema.
10. Economy The GDP of Lyon is €62 billion and the city is the second richest in France after Paris. Lyon and its region Rhône-Alpes represent one of the most important economies in Europe and, according to Loughborough University in the UK, it is internationally comparable in economic strength to Philadelphia, Mumbai or Athens.
How to participate in interactive votings 1. Download and start the app All versions are available at http://app.eurospine.org. The app will automatically download the latest data on its first launch. 2. Select ARS from the main menu To participate in interactive votings, you need an internet connection (WiFi). If your
WiFi is not working, the app will switch to voting via text messages (roaming costs may apply). 3. Select the voting session Please select the session on which you intend to vote. 4. Vote When the speaker asks you to vote, please choose the proper button according to the instructions shown on the screen. The time to vote is limited for each question.
ISSUE 1 /// WEDNESDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2014 /// EUROSPINE2014.EU
Presidential Prize The “Presidents Prize” of EUR 500 was announced in 2014 by Philip Sell, president of EUROSPINE. The goal was to increase the visibility of EUROSPINE amongst young trainee doctors, researchers or other spine specialists and give them a chance to enhance their CV. The participants had to submit a paper of no more than 350 words with the title “How can the spinal trainees of today become the best spine specialists of tomorrow?”
1st prize: Maryem-Fama Ismael Aguirre Spinal trainees face a significant challenge: focusing on our personal training while promoting and advancing our specialty. Three pillars are necessary to achieve these goals: personal motivation, a qualified mentor, and a common training platform. Anyone who has managed to surpass the difficulties of medical school and residency has displayed traits of perseverance. The continual search for excellence beyond the required minimum, the
IMPRINT The Spine Times® is a free congress newspaper published by the EUROSPINE Society. Publishing House: EUROSPINE, The Spine Society of Europe
Claudia Ortner humility to say “I do not know” in order to learn, and the constant questioning of established knowledge are the basis for personal growth. In striving to be the very best, however, one’s inner drive to keep learning must be encouraged and supervised in order for personal abilities to thrive. A qualified mentor will recognize, help maintain and develop this motivation by setting a human and professional example, promoting personal initiative, and sharing both positive and negative experiences. The mentor needs to create a synergetic learning atmosphere in which honest mistakes are considered learning opportunities. More specifically, instruction should cover patientdoctor communication, clinical judgment, surgical skills, educational project development, and supervised original research. In order to optimize the mentor-trainee relationship Judith Reichert Schild Seefeldstrasse 16 8610 Uster-Zürich Switzerland Tel. +41 44 - 994 14 04 Fax +41 44 - 994 14 03 Contact: info@eurospine.org
5 Great Reasons to join EUROSPINE Members are the heart of EUROSPINE. Our society is fortunate to have a membership base of experts in spine care who are at the cutting edge of new technologies, procedures and practices. As part of our new “Way Forward” strategy, we are currently taking a number of steps to simplify and improve membership processes and communications. In addition, we are implementing regular member surveys to ensure that our members are always heard and that smart ideas are implemented. To realize our goal of providing services to spine care professionals from diverse disciplines, cultures and countries, EUROSPINE is seeking to expand its membership base. This growth will not only benefit members as a whole, as new ideas and concepts come to light, but will also increase EUROSPINE’s political influence as an advocate for spine issues. EUROSPINE members enjoy a number of benefits:
and provide uniform criteria amongst trainees, there is the need for a common, internationally acknowledged platform that derives prestige by setting evidence-based high standards in care, education and research. It should include formal training for the mentor and an up-to- date syllabus for the trainee with meaningful motivational milestones. Affordable theoretical and practical resources should be equally accessible, using technology as well as direct exchange to share the positive particularities and overcome the local limitations of each training center. Ultimately, this platform should provide the network to promote cooperation beyond any interpersonal competitive attitude.
Claudia joined the society to take over Anna Ganthaler‘s responsibilities during her maternity leave. Having worked in the meeting & events business for 10 years, Claudia knows the world of medical congresses very well.
The nature of our profession is that we demand the highest standards of care and attention for our patients. To keep improving outcomes, it is essential that we devote the same level of attention and care to training the spinespecialists of tomorrow.
However she has always been interested in the organization of medical societies, her former clients. It was by chance that Claudia learned about the job vacancy at EUROSPINE in October 2013, but soon it was clear, that this was exactly the new challenge she was looking for. In January 2014 Claudia started her
Publishers: Philip Sell (EUROSPINE President), Everard Munting (EUROSPINE Secretary)
Contributors: Jean Charles Le Huec, Claudia Ortner, Judith Reichert Schild, Philip Sell, Jonathan WeatherillHunt
Editor in Chief: Christian Lendl
Photographs: Christian Lendl, Martin Steiger, Shutterstock
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On-Site Editors: Emre Acaroglu, Thomas Blattert, Dominique A. Rothenfluh
Meetings, Courses & Workshops EUROSPINE members pay a reduced fee to attend the Annual Meeting, which is a well-established networking event presenting innovative scientific discussions of primary interest to all spine specialists. In addition, we’re planning to further diversify our meeting activities with short specialised events in order to meet more sub-speciality demands. Education & Research Our members receive preferred and prioritized access to EUROSPINE’s education and research activities. EUROSPINE is constantly looking for new opportunities to provide education on the best patient care and prevention of spinal diseases. In contrast to other spine organisations, EUROSPINE’s education program also offers more than academics, including live educational events and webcasts. EUROSPINE provides research grants and offers seminars on research skills. Expertise EUROSPINE keeps you informed of the latest developments in spine care and provides assessments
job as Membership & Marketing Officer with EUROSPINE. From this time on she was taking over any membership related tasks, such as any membership related tasks, such as correspondence with members, newsletters, website updates and certainly applications of new members. So, if you have any requests concerning your membership or if you want to become a member of EUROSPINE, please visit Claudia at both B19 or send her an email to ortner@eurospine.org
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of current techniques and treatments, as well as “best practice” spine-related learning and research. The European Spine Registry offers our members the opportunity to benchmark data on the quality and effectiveness of patient treatments, while Patient Line provides important information to patients in 6 languages. Committees & Activities Members are strongly encouraged to become involved in EUROSPINE activities and to participate on committees (e.g. presenter, faculty, committee member). Committee participation involves extensive teamwork, allowing members to share their expertise and learn from other professionals. Networking Develop a network and exchange ideas with leading spine experts in a multi-disciplinary environment. Our events and committees offer great opportunities for expanding your contacts on a professional level while developing friendships with like-minded colleagues in Europe and all over the world.
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