After 2002 in Halle and 2007 in Leipzig we continue with the idea of evaluating the suitability of developments from the field of biotechnology for use and implementation in spinal surgery.

Osteoinductive materials and growth factors are still the most successful implementation in spinal surgery. Some product lines are already used with the help of mesenchymal stem cells for defect repair. Within the last years the multidisciplinary research and development field of Regenerative Medicine has directed its main activity into translational research bringing the developments into clinical application. In particular in Europe these developments are already used for the benefit of patients.

In the field of spine surgery clinical successes have been made in disc repair and improved bone fusion and mesenchymal stem cells have demonstrated their first successes in regeneration in musculo-skeletal diseases.

Three years after the last meeting in Leipzig we will hold a follow up symposium in Amsterdam. The topic Biotechnologies in Spinal Surgery has created a great interest in our community. We will address cellular therapies, application for growth factors, regeneration and degeneration of intervertebral disc, which have already been topics of previous conferences. More importantly, we wish to join the discussion and offer insight into the fields of embryonic, pluripotent and adult stem cells, skeletal application of polymeres, spinal cord repair and cellular repair strategies. Further advances in nanoparticles for visualisation, smart scaffolds and the opportunities for conservative therapies are critically important to our debate. This conference is pointedly broad in scope and designed to include scientists and medical experts as well as manufacturers.