Course leadership
Course ChairmanDr. Mohammad AL-ShardanLead clinical host and academic chair for the program.
Course DirectorDr. Zayed AL-ZayedResponsible for course structure, cadaveric teaching flow and faculty guidance.
Who should attend
- Orthopedic spine surgeons expanding their exposure and fixation approach portfolio.
- Neurosurgeons performing multi-level spine exposure and reconstruction.
- Spine fellows and experienced surgeons seeking structured comparison of corridors from C to S.
Learning objectives
- Review indications and anatomy for cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacropelvic approaches.
- Compare anterior, posterior, lateral and minimally invasive options across spinal regions.
- Practice exposure planning and fixation concepts in supervised cadaveric rounds.
- Build a practical algorithm for choosing the right corridor in complex cases.
Course highlights
Region-by-region structureCervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacropelvic sessions organized in logical sequence.
Two-day immersionBalanced didactic teaching, case discussion and extensive cadaver lab time.
Approach strategy focusEmphasizes decision-making, anatomy and complication avoidance.
Hosting-ready webpageBuilt to function as a polished online course page for digital publishing.
Detailed agenda
This version is structured as a polished online webpage so the course can be shared digitally with surgeons, partners, sponsors and faculty while keeping the program details easy to scan on desktop and mobile.
Day 1 · Cervical and Upper Thoracic Approaches
Detailed agenda| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 08:00 - 08:30 | Registration, breakfast and faculty welcome |
| 08:30 - 08:45 | Program overview and approach-selection framework |
| 08:45 - 09:15 | Cervical spine approaches: key anatomy, indications and exposure principles |
| 09:15 - 09:45 | Instrumentation concepts in the cervical spine and cervicothoracic junction |
| 09:45 - 10:15 | Upper thoracic access: planning, positioning and risk points |
| 10:15 - 10:30 | Coffee break |
| 10:30 - 11:00 | Faculty case discussion: choosing anterior versus posterior cervical corridors |
| 11:00 - 12:30 | Cadaver Lab Round 1: cervical exposure and instrumentation landmarks |
| 12:30 - 13:15 | Lunch |
| 13:15 - 14:00 | Thoracic and thoracolumbar transition anatomy |
| 14:00 - 15:15 | Cadaver Lab Round 2: upper thoracic and thoracolumbar approach practice |
| 15:15 - 15:30 | Coffee break |
| 15:30 - 16:15 | Complication avoidance in cervical and thoracic surgery |
| 16:15 - 17:00 | Case panel and day 1 wrap-up |
Day 2 · Lumbar, Lumbosacral and Sacropelvic Strategies
Detailed agenda| Time | Session |
|---|---|
| 08:00 - 08:30 | Recap of day 1 and station preparation |
| 08:30 - 09:00 | Lumbar and lumbosacral approach options: posterior, MIS and lateral concepts |
| 09:00 - 09:30 | Sacral and sacropelvic fixation principles |
| 09:30 - 10:00 | Imaging-based planning and implant strategy from lumbar spine to sacrum |
| 10:00 - 10:15 | Coffee break |
| 10:15 - 12:00 | Cadaver Lab Round 3: lumbar decompression, exposure and fixation workflow |
| 12:00 - 12:45 | Lunch |
| 12:45 - 14:15 | Cadaver Lab Round 4: lumbosacral and sacropelvic techniques |
| 14:15 - 14:45 | Revision scenarios and rescue strategies |
| 14:45 - 15:00 | Coffee break |
| 15:00 - 16:00 | Complex case panel: corridor choice from C to S |
| 16:00 - 16:30 | Certificate distribution and closing remarks |