5th World Congress on
Spine and Spinal Disorders

Walter Bini has completed his Diploma at Westminster School, Simsbury Conn. USA and Post-graduate degree at Universidad de Zaragoza, Facultad de Medicina, Zaragoza-Spain. In 2014, he was the Middle East Chairman of ISLASS. He was Head of Neurosurgery at Sheikh Khalifa General Hospital, UAQ-UAE from 2014-2016. Currently, he is Consultant Neurosurgeon in Orthopedic department, spine section of Lanzo Hospital COF, Lanzo d’Intelvi in Italy and also Visiting Consultant Neurosurgeon in Orthopedic department at Healthpoint Hospital, UAE.

Management of head trauma, neuro-oncology, stereotaxy and radiosurgery, spinal surgery including minimally invasive techniques and neuroradiology.

Dr. DePalma is President and Medical Director of Virginia iSpine Physicians where he practices Interventional Spine Care. Dr. DePalma earned his bachelors of science degree in neuroscience with magna cum laude and certificate in foundations of medicine from the Honors College of the University of Pittsburgh in 1995. After earning his medical degree cum laude from the Medical University of South Carolina in 1999, Dr. DePalma completed his residency in the highly regarded department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The Ohio State University Medical Center. Dr. DePalma has been named by his peer physicians as a “Top Doc” in Richmond magazine in April 2008, 2011, and 2012. This esteemed recognition places Dr. DePalma within the top 10% of recognized physicians in this area. Dr. DePalma is an active spine researcher and pioneer involved as an investigator in clinical trials evaluating new agents that help repair or restore painfully degenerated intervertebral discs in the low back. He was the lead investigator at VCU in the largest prospective study of an innovative non-surgical technique to stabilize painful pelvic fractures in osteoporotic patients. His research was recently recognized by the International Spine Intervention Society as the “Best Clinical Paper” at their 17th Annual Scientific Meeting in Toronto, CA. He is also the Principal Investigator on a trial evaluating painful lumbar discs, and a separate study of medication injected into painfully arthritic joints of the back to help reverse the arthritic changes. These are just a few examples of how Dr. DePalma contributes to advances and innovation in diagnosing and treating painful spinal disorders.

Intervertebral Disc Repair

Prof. Dr. Ali Fahir Ozer graduated from Atatürk University School of Medicine in 1976. He did his neurosurgery residency between 1977 and 1982 at Hacettepe University School of Medicine. He obtained his associate professor degree in 1988 and full-professorship in 1994. He served as the head of neurosurgery department in Kocaeli University between 1994 and 1995. He has been working at American Hospital neurosurgery department since 1995 and is currently a faculty at Koc University School of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery. He is Adjunct Professor in Bioengineering and Orthopaedic Surgery Colleges of Engineering and Medicine, the University of Toledo in 2018. Dr Ozers' research mainly focuses on the biomechanics of the spine and dynamic stabilization of the spine. He had patented spinal products using in spinal surgery.

Spine Biomechanics

Dr. Aladine A. Elsamadicy MD is a male resident in New Haven, CT. Dr. Elsamadicy is affiliated with Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven.

Spine Surgery

Prof W S El Masri FRCS Ed; FRCP. Clinical Professor of Spinal Injuries - Keele University, Consultant Spinal Injuries – Hunters Moor Neurorehabilitation Centre Birmingham, Emeritus Consultant Surgeon in Spinal Injuries Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orth.Hospital Trained in the speciality of spinal injuries at Stoke Mandeville, Oxford, Guys Hospitals & the USA between 1971 and 1983 . To date personally treated 10,000 patients with traumatic Spinal and spinal cord Injuries. Developed, and led the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI) between 1983 & 2014. Took responsibility for the management of the injured spine, the multisystem malfunction as well as the range of medical, non-medical and physical effects of cord injury in the acute, subacute, rehabilitation phases as well as in the long term. Lectured worldwide in developed and developing countries. Contributed to the literature with 140 publications. Documented the prognostic indicators of neurological recovery following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injuries.

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation

I have a degree in Medicine and Neurosurgery from the School of Medicine of São José do Rio Preto. I live in the State of São Paulo and my main institution is the Hospital Santa Casa de Ourinhos, where my team and I provide neurosurgical treatments, mainly for the pathologies of the vertebral column. We brought to the region that I work the first endoscopic, functional surgeries and the first minimally invasive procedures of the spine. In constant updating, inside and outside the country, I am currently also a master's degree student in the Post-Graduation Program of the University of São Paulo - Campus Botucatu - working in the research of pain and minimally invasive surgeries of the spine, under the coordination of Prof. Dr. Flávio Ramalho Romero.

Spine Surgery

Dr. Kuroki is a head physician of department of orthopaedic surgery at the National Hospital Organization (NHO) Miyazaki Higashi Hospital in Japan. He is a board certificate spine surgeon approved by Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research. He is also an active member of SICOT. He is registered as an adversary board of SPINE and a reviewer of Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research and so on. He graduated from Miyazaki Medical College (present The University of Miyazaki) in 1990. After completing residency program, he started a career as a spine surgeon in 1994. He received DMSc. degree from Miyazaki Medical College in 2005. He visited US twice as a clinical observer and a research fellow. In 1998, he studied the management of spinal deformity under Marc Asher, MD (Kansas City, Kansas). From 2001 to 2002, he performed spine biomechanical researches in the Vijay Goel, PhD lab (Toledo, Ohio). He was awarded several prizes and honors, such as: Taisho-Toyama Award and a member of Asia travelling fellowship from Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research, and Best Paper Award from Japanese Scoliosis Society. 　He has published more than 20 in peer-reviewed journals and is an author of 3 chapters in some books (English only). He is now working in the NHO Miyazaki Higashi Hospital as not only a spine surgeon but also an orthopaedic surgeon after resigned from an associate professor of The University of Miyazaki in 2014.

Spine and spinal cord disorders, spinal deformity, spine biomechanics

Dr. Akhil Chhatre is an assistant professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation and neurological surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He is director of spine rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Chhatre sees and treats adults with a wide range of spinal diseases and disorders, including neck and low back pain, lumbar and cervical degenerative disease, scoliosis, spinal stenosis, facet joint disease, whiplash syndrome, sacroiliac and appendicular skeletal joint disease, and peripheral neuropathy. He has a special interest in helping patients regain function and reduce pain using non-surgical techniques and performing pain-reducing medicinal procedures, including steroid injections, nerve blocks and radiofrequency denervation. He received his medical degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at the University of Kansas Medical Center School of Allied Health. He performed his fellowship in interventional spine and sports medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously, Dr. Chhatre worked as an interventional spine and sports fellow at the Hospitals of the University of Pennsylvania after completing a residency in physical medicine & rehabilitation at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Dr. Chhatre is a member of the American Academy of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, the International Spine Intervention Society, and the North American Spine Society.

Spine Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

As a spinal surgeon, Dr. Yang has fully engaged in the field of minimally invasive spinal surgery and established his own Lohas Hospital, aiming to treat every patient with the best environment. Besides, Dr. Yang has a big heart to help all talented future generation which is why he founded Taiwan Society of Spine Endoscope Surgery as a platform to introduce the greatest technique from all over the world to Taiwan. He is also an experienced surgeon who is willing to share his vision and thought to every associate interested in the same medical field which is why it means a lot to him to participate in the grand event.

Spine Endoscope Surgery

Michele Romano is a physiotherapist, co-founder and Technical Director of Isico. Graduated in Rehabilitation Science, he continues a course of clinical, scientific and teaching development started 26 years ago and focused on spinal pathologies. Michele Romano is one of the developers of the SEAS approach that actively contributes to making known all over the world thanks to a series of training courses organized in different continents. He has published numerous articles on the topic of conservative treatment of scoliosis and published in international indexed journals. He is the first author of the Cochrane systematic review focused on Exercises and scoliosis and coauthor of two others. He is a member of the Scientific Secretary of the GSS and President Elected of SOSORT. Michele Romano is a draftsman, photographer and journalist.

Spinal Rehabilitation

Dr Daniele F. Millimaggi was born January 28, 1984, in Italy. He attended Medical School at the University of L’Aquila where he received Doctor of Medicine degree, 2010. After completing a residency in Neurosurgery, in 2016 he became neurosurgeon at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Chieti-Pescara and seconded to the Neurosurgery Complex Unit at the Hospital of L’Aquila. He is AOspine associate and SINch member (Italian association of Neurosurgery). He performed 450 neurosurgical operations. He has participated in several neurosurgery and spine surgery in Congress. After working in several Neurosurgery and Spine Surgery Units in Italy, today he works in the Neurosurgery Unit at the San Salvatore City Hospital of L’Aquila, Italy.

Spine surgery and Neurosurgery

Dr Andreina Martinez , general Physician From Colombia , with deep interest in Neurosurgery and Spine surgery and huge passion for clinical research , she finished her Medicine program in Military University, Bogota with honors for her commitment and dedication to research and have the opportunity of being part to the neurosurgery team on Shaio Clinic, Military Hospital, FOSCAL clinic, Bucaramanga, Dr. Martinez exhibited remarkable enthusiasm and superb medical understanding on the research area. Her ability to grasp both the medical concepts as well as the clinical implication presented to her was exceptional.

Neurosurgery, Spine Surgery, Spinal Tumor

I was born in San Cristóbal, Táchira state, Venezuela. Studied my school at Juan XXIII and the Mary Immaculate Institute, both Catholics. At age 17 I left my native country to study English in England and at 18 I started my medical career at the Autonomous University of Bucaramanga, Colombia. From an early age, I became interested in research, so I became president of the sepsis student research centre, I organized congresses and I participated in many activities related to medical research. I graduated in 2014 and worked in the Neurosurgery service of the FOSCAL clinic, a reference centre for neurological and neurosurgical pathologies in the East of Colombia. For 3 years I studied and worked as a speciality practitioner in that centre. I currently live in Chile, I work as an emergency doctor at the SAMU institution and at the Redsalud clinic. To continue my studies, I am conducting research training at the prestigious Harvard University, where I obtained a scholarship for that program. In addition to medicine, I am a pianist and writer, a lover of art and culture.

Emergency Medicine and Neurosurgery