Special Course 8: The Future Is Now – Learning the Future Spine Surgeries That Modulate Spinal Cord Functions

Course Director(s)

• 

  Joseph Neimat, MD, MSc, FAANS

  University of Louisville
• 

  David Okonkwo, MD, PhD

  University of Pittsburgh
• 

  Yi Lu, MD PhD

  Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School

Functional spine has emerged as a promising new subspecialty within spine surgery. Unlike traditional approaches that focus primarily on neural decompression and spinal stabilization, functional spine surgery aims to directly modulate spinal cord function. This paradigm shift is driven by our expanding understanding of the spinal cord’s complex circuitry and rapid advances in neuromodulatory technologies. These developments have given rise to a new frontier in spine care—functional spine surgery—which complements conventional structural interventions by targeting neural circuits to restore meaningful function.

This course will introduce spine surgeons to the foundational concepts and evolving techniques in this emerging field. Participants will explore cutting-edge strategies such as spinal cord epidural stimulation for spinal cord injury and other conditions not traditionally addressed by spine surgery. The course will also cover innovative approaches including nerve re-innervation and brain-computer interface technologies.

Separate registration is required.

Presentations:

• 3:00 PM - 3:05 PM MST

  Overview of the Spinal Functional Initiative
  

  Speaker: Yi Lu, MD PhD – Brigham and Women's Hospital
• 3:06 PM - 3:15 PM MST

  Functional Circuitry of the Spinal Cord and Targets for Therapeutic Intervention
  

  Speaker: Daryl Fields, II, MD, PhD – University of Florida
• 3:16 PM - 3:25 PM MST

  Experience with Spinal Cord Stimulation in 75 Patients with Paraplegia and Quadriplegia
  

  Speaker: Uzma Samadani, MD, PhD, FACS, FAANS – Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center; Department of Bioinformatics and Computational Biology, University of Minnesota
• 3:26 PM - 3:35 PM MST

  eSCS for Chronic Spinal Cord Injury: Restoring Autonomic Function
  

  Speaker: David Darrow, MD MPH – University of Minnesota
• 3:36 PM - 3:45 PM MST

  eSCS for Spinal Muscular Atrophy
  

  Speaker: Peter C. Gerszten, MD, MPH, FAANS – University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
• 3:46 PM - 3:55 PM MST

  Tips on Setting up a Spinal Cord Injury Epidural Stimulation Program
  

  Speaker: Ann M. Parr, MD – University of Minnesota
• 3:56 PM - 4:05 PM MST

  Discussion
• 4:06 PM - 4:15 PM MST

  Functional Spine Neuromodulation for Autonomic Dysfunction, EMPOWER Study and How to Communicate with FDA for Approval of eCSC for Spinal Cord Injury
  

  Speaker: James D. Guest, MD, PhD – University of Miami
• 4:16 PM - 4:25 PM MST

  Clinical Trial Design for ESCS for Testing Devices
  

  Speaker: Maxwell Boakye, MD,MPH,MBA FACS FAANS – University of Louisville
• 4:26 PM - 4:35 PM MST

  Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation for Hand and Arm Function After SCI
  

  Speaker: Christoph P. Hofstetter, MD, PhD, FAANS – University of Washington
• 4:36 PM - 4:45 PM MST

  Nerve Re-Innervation Strategies for Upper Extremity Functions After SCI
  

  Speaker: Stephen Shelby Burks, MD – University of Miami Department of Neurological Surgery
• 4:46 PM - 4:55 PM MST

  Innovative Spinal Functional Techniques: Brain Computer Interface
  

  Speaker: Iahn Cajigas, MD, PhD – University of Pennsylvania
• 4:56 PM - 5:05 PM MST

  Brain-Computer Interfaces for Spinal Cord Injury
  

  Speaker: David Satzer, MD – University of Chicago
• 5:06 PM - 5:15 PM MST

  Innovative Spinal Functional Techniques: Focused Ultrasound
  

  Speaker: Joshua Chalif, MD PhD – Brigham and Women's Hospital
• 5:16 PM - 5:21 PM MST

  The Functional Spine: Neuroengineering Approaches to Disorders of the Spinal Cord
  

  Speaker: Tariq Parker, MD PhD – Massachusetts General Hospital
• 5:22 PM - 5:30 PM MST

  Discussion