Symposium „Osteoporosis of the spine“
Croatian Society of Vertebrology of the Croatian Medical As- sociation has a long tradition of organizing symposia related to different aspects of spinal conditions (e.g neck pain, back pain, inflammatory rheumatic diseases of spine, intervertebral disc de- generation). Symposia, organized to mark World Spine Day, have been held regularly from 2004 onward are always been very well accolated. Recognized for its high standards the symposia are held under the auspiciy of the Department of Medical Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, which eas the case of this year symposium „Osteporosis of the spine“. Osteoporosis is widely acknowledged as silent epidemics with negative impact on patients’ health-related quality of life, as well as rising enormous direct and indirect costs. Therefore, it is of outmost importance to early recognize and treat people with osteoporosis in order to pre- vent both vertebral and non-vertebral osteoporotic fractures. Due to the current epidemiological situation related to COVID19, this year’s symposium took place in form of webinar on the 13th Oc- tober 2020, while majority of invited speakers were present in the Hall of the Croatian national revival. The symposium was chaired by the president of the Croatian Society for Vertebrology Professor Simeon Grazio (Department of Rheumatology, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice Zagreb) and the first vice-president Professor Boris Božić (Depart- ment of Neurosurgery, University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice Zagreb). On behalf of the Department of Medical Sciences of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Academician Vida De- marin (Secretary of the Department of Medical Sciences), Academi- cian Zvonko Kusić (past president of the Croatian Academy of Sci- ences and Arts and special advisor of the Prime minister of Croatia)and Ivan Radić, MD, PhD (on behalf of the Head of the University Hospital Center Sestre Milosrdnice Zagreb) gave their official greet- ings at the beginning of symposium.
The symposium encompassed a comprehensive review of all im- portant aspects of osteoporosis from epidemiology and risk factors through biomarkers, imaging techiques and both conservative and surgical therapeutic approach. The authors of the lectures were from the most prominent university hospitals in Croatia (Uni- versity Hospital Centre Sestre Milosrdnice, University Hospital Cen- tre Zagreb, and the University Hospital Centre Rijeka), School of Medicine in Zagreb, as well as from two special hospitals dealing mostly with surgical treatment (Axis, and Arithera). Assistant Prof. Frane Grubišić in co-authorship with Hana Skala Kavanagh, MD started the symposium with the lecture entitled „Epidemiology and risk factors of osteoporosis with special reference to osteopo- rosis of spine“. Next lecture entitled „Identification of osteopo- rosis markers – molecular dilemma“ was held by Prof. Lovorka Grgurević in co-authorship with Ruđer Novak, PhD. Primarius Tatjana Nikolić, MD in co-authorship Marija Punda, MD, PhD had a lecture „Densitometry – gold standard for diagnosis of os-
teoporosis“. Next lecture entitled „Radiographic diagnosis of os- teoporosis and osteoporotic vertebral fractures“ was presented by radiologists Primarius Petra Margetić, MD, PhD in co-authorship with Ivana Župetić, MD and Prof. Dijana Zadravec, MD, PhD. Assistant Prof. Nadica Laktašić Žerjavić. MD, PhD presented a lecture „Osteoporosis of spine in inflammatory rheumatic diseas- es“. Prof. Simeon Grazio, MD, PhD in co-authorship with Prof. Tea Schnurrer Luke Vrbanić held a lecture „Systemic pharmaco- logical treatment of osteoporosis – guidelines and practice”. The topic „Upcoming medications and perspectives of pharmacologi- cal treatment of osteoporosis“ was presented by Assistant Prof. Velimir Altabas, MD, PhD.
Second part of the symposium covered three areas – surgical ap- proach, orthopoedic devices and rehabilitation approach to pa- tients with osteoporosis of spine. Primarius Darko Perović, MD, PhD and Associate Prof. Karlo Houra, MD, PhD had a lecture entitled „Surgical treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures – augmentation“. It was followed by a lecture entitled „Surgical stabilization of osteoporotic vertebral fractures“ presented by a group of authors, Zoran Dokuzović, MD, PhD, Vide Bilić, MD, PhD, Dražen Kvesić, MD, MSc and Associate Prof. Boris Božić. Primarius Neven Kauzlarić, MD, MSc in co-authorship with Du- bravka Šalić Herjavec, MD and Ivana Orbanić, MD had a lec-
ture „Orthotics in osteoporotic vertebral fractures“. Last lecture entitled „Physical and rehabilitation methods in patients with osteporosis and osteoporotic vertebral fractures“ was presented by Primarius Diana Balen, MD, MSc and Primarius Tomislav Nemčić, MD, PhD. Interactive discussion was followed after all lectures with many questions/comments/suggestions. In spite of web-based form, this year’s symposium gathered 120 participants who watched its live stream, and the recordings were available on demand for one month thereafter. We are looking forward to new symposia in the coming years, supported and under auspicy of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.
Author:
Frane Grubišić
