Spinal Frontiers

What is new in spine care, in one place: research, trials, guidelines, industry news, meetings and jobs, each summarised in plain language with a link to the source.

Safety in FocusZolgensma and tumour reportsThe FDA is investigating tumours after Zolgensma gene therapy for SMA; two are confirmed as caused by the vector inserting next to the GLI1 gene. Official sources, summary and what is unknown.Read the briefing →

How Spinal Frontiers works

Summarised, never copied. Every item is written in our own words and links to the original patent, paper or announcement.

Selected by published rules. Each section covers what is new in its field. Searches and first drafts use AI assistance and are checked against the sources.

A surgeon's view. Each month a clinical guest editor picks what matters across the site, and the editors choose up to ten papers to read first (a research guest editor will take this over once in post).

Independent of sponsors. NSpine works with industry for its courses. NSpine sponsors do not influence Spinal Frontiers content. Read the policy.

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Explore Spinal Frontiers

Clinical Practice Training & Careers Research Medtech & Innovation Meetings & Societies Spine Team & Allied Health Wellbeing

THIS WEEK IN TWO MINUTES

The week's main developments in spine surgery and spine care.

SafetyFDA investigates tumours after Zolgensma gene therapy for SMA

Novartis: 9 tumour reports among more than 6,000 treated patients; 2 linked to the gene therapy's DNA
No new spine device recalls this week
Latest: Stryker ES2 K-wire field safety notice (Germany, 22 October)
Still in force: J&J halt of VELYS robotic-assist stations

Regulatory Watch → ResearchThe editors' picks of the month

Early versus delayed decompression in spinal cord injury: a meta-analysis
Intrawound antibiotics and infection in 24,015 instrumented operations
Incidence of degenerative cervical myelopathy in English primary care

Literature Watch → Trials125 new spine trials registered

Includes SELDISC: nerve root block versus sham to avoid disc surgery
71 of the 125 are randomised; 4 are industry-sponsored
28 trials completed, 10 posted results, 9 stopped early or withdrawn

Trials Watch → IndustryGlobus cuts its 2026 guidance

Globus cuts 2026 revenue guidance to about $3.09bn
SI-BONE up 14.5% and ATEC up 13% in Q3
FT: J&J–Smith & Nephew talks reported off (unconfirmed)

Industry Roundup → Patents46 new spine patents

Mazor/Medtronic: screw plan updated in surgery without re-registration
Biedermann tulip that switches between uniplanar and polyaxial
US: 16 grants and 1 application; Europe: 17 grants and 12 applications

Patent Watch → DeadlinesTwo closing dates in November

SpineWeek 2027 with ISSLS (Montréal): abstracts by 15 November
EUROSPINE observership grants: apply by 30 November
SRS 2027 (New Orleans): abstracts open until 1 February

Abstract Deadlines → Guest editorFive Minutes of Wisdom

Dr. med. habil. Bronek Boszczyk on thirty years in spine surgery
Why the debt to your trainers is repaid to your trainees
Plus his pick of the month, a robotic rod bender, and a theatre-day breakfast

Guest Editor → For the team39 open posts for the wider spine team

Nurses, physiotherapists, theatre staff and advanced practitioners.

Read → Careers154 open spine posts worldwide

61 posts for surgeons, 39 for the wider spine team, 54 in medtech and industry
Most in North America (55) and Germany, Austria & Switzerland (30)
Each post links straight to the employer’s advert

Jobs →

Closing in the next 14 days

All jobs →

Guest editor, November 2026

Dr. med. habil. Bronek Boszczyk

“The debt you owe your trainers is repaid to your trainees.”

Head of Spine Surgery, Orthopädische Kinderklinik und Skoliosezentrum Aschau (Kind im Zentrum Chiemgau), Germany; Visiting Professor, Nottingham Trent University. He introduces this issue, picks what matters and shares Five Minutes of Wisdom.

Read the guest editor’s pages

Become a guest editor

Each month a clinical guest editor picks what matters across the site, and a research guest editor chooses up to ten papers to read first. If you would like to take a turn, please contact us at spinalfrontiers@nspine.com for our guidance and template.

Section spotlight

Each month we highlight one section of Spinal Frontiers and explain what it contains.

Clinical Practice

Everything spine surgeons and their teams need between operating lists: new literature and patents, books old and new, current guidelines, the guest editor's case, measurement apps, scan viewers, coding sources and where to turn when an implant fails. Every page is in plain language and links to the original source.

Start with the picks. Literature Watch sorts every spine paper added to PubMed last month from the spine journals, by topic, and the editors pick up to ten to read first, each with a label for the strength of its evidence. Picks of the month →
Check the guidance before you counsel. The Guideline Library gathers national and specialist spine guidelines by topic, marks which are current, and adds the latest, such as the 2025 international consensus on spinal infection. Guideline Library →
Know where to report a failed device. Regulatory Watch lists this period's spine device recalls and safety notices; Report a Device Problem shows who to tell in each country, and how. Report a Device Problem →

All Clinical Practice pages → Next issue's spotlight: Training & Careers.

From NSpine: upcoming courses

NSpine News & Events →

18–20 January 202710th NSpine Winter MasterclassArosa, SwitzerlandDetails (opens in a new tab) →An exclusive case-based forum for senior spine surgeons, limited to 30 delegates: about 20–25 trauma, tumour, deformity and degenerative cases a day with five international faculty, plus an outdoor paraskiing and orthotics module. Register (opens in a new tab) →
22–24 April 2027NSpine 7th Cadaveric & Live Tissue CourseIRCAD, Strasbourg, FranceDetails (opens in a new tab) →Hands-on cadaveric and live tissue modules at the IRCAD training centre, from endoscopy and TLIF to deformity and en-bloc tumour surgery, with one faculty member for every two delegates.
27–29 May 2027NSpine Southern European Spine SummitMilan, ItalyDetails coming soonThe second Southern European Spine Summit, for the working surgeon: clinical sessions plus hands-on simulation at UpSurgeOn's headquarters, with dedicated sessions for residents.
1–3 September 202710th NSpine Multidisciplinary Spine ConferenceLondon, UKDetails coming soonNSpine's 10th annual multidisciplinary conference at the Grand Connaught Rooms, with parallel streams for surgeons, the wider spine team and residents.

NSpine service

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