12th Annual Philadelphia Spine Summit

The 12^th Annual Philadelphia Spine Summit has been developed through a unique collaboration between the Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Departments of Orthopaedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery, the Rothman Institute and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Departments of Orthopaedic Spine Surgery and Neurological Surgery.

The course has been designed for spine surgeons and advanced practice providers seeking active discussions concerning the management of spinal disorders and who are interested in debating technological advancements, controversial spine topics and health policy issues.

Successful Completion
To successfully complete this activity, the required evaluation must be completed no later than Thursday, May 21, 2026. Thereafter, the evaluation will no longer be available and credits will not be issued. No refunds will be offered for failure to complete the required evaluation by the stated deadline.

1. Analyze new technologies in spine care to determine which patients would benefit from their applications.
2. Examine the advantages of less invasive surgical techniques in order to identify patients who would benefit from these options to accelerate postoperative recovery.
3. Explain media formats available for spine surgery education.
4. Outline indications for endoscopic spine surgery and outpatient spine surgery.
5. Determine the challenges in cervical spine surgery.
6. Recommend the goal of deformity surgery in achieving a balanced spinal alignment, preventing further deformity and alleviating neurological symptoms.
7. Summarize the impact of current health care policy changes on the delivery of spine care.
8. Explain team dynamics and the need for interdisciplinary communication in comprehensive patient care.
9. Assess individual surgical practices in light of emerging spine technologies and evidence based practice guidelines, with specific strategies to enhance their current practices.

In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by Thomas Jefferson University and Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Thomas Jefferson University is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physicians: This educational activity is designated for a maximum of 5.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ^TM . Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Nurses: This activity awards 5.00 nursing contact hours.

Physicians Assistants:

Thomas Jefferson University has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credit for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 5.00 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Other Healthcare Professionals: This educational activity is designated for 5.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit ^TM. Participants should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Agenda
Agenda subject to change without notice.

Cancellation Policy
Requests for refunds must be submitted in writing and received in the Office of CPD two weeks prior to the start date of the course. There will be no refunds after this period.*  Cancellations notified before the two week time frame will incur a 25% administration fee (with a minimum of $20).  Registrants who fail to attend the conference are responsible for the entire fee.  All refunds will be processed after the conference.  The University reserves the right to cancel or postpone this course due to unforeseen circumstances.  In the event of cancellation or postponement, the University will refund registration fees, but is not responsible for related costs or expenses to participants, including cancellation fees assessed by hotels, airlines or travel agencies. 

*Registration fees will be refunded less a 15% administration fee to international conference registrants who are unable to secure a travel visa. Registrants must provide proof of visa denial. 

 Jefferson Release Policy
Jefferson may record/livestream/photograph this educational activity. These images/recordings, along with your name, may be used in Jefferson publications or on the Jefferson website. If you verbally submit any questions for Q&A sessions, you are agreeing to be recorded and to have that recording available in enduring materials. Once photographed, filmed, recorded, or videotaped, you waive the right of inspection or approval to which such images/recordings may be put and Jefferson has the right to use, publish, reproduce, modify, adapt, and distribute at any time in any manner or medium.

Jefferson HIPAA Policy
As an attendee of this educational activity hosted by Thomas Jefferson University, Jefferson University Physicians, and Thomas Jefferson University Hospitals, Inc. (collectively 'Jefferson'), you may gain access to certain proprietary information ('Confidential Information'), including Protected Health Information ('PHI').

By participating in this educational activity, you agree to maintain the confidentiality of all Confidential Information, including all PHI, obtained from any source. You also agree to take all necessary steps to protect such Confidential Information and shall not directly or indirectly disclose or use it in any manner or for any reason, other than as necessary to complete the educational activity. Further, you agree not to take photographs, record in any manner or otherwise reproduce any such Confidential Information. You understand that any unauthorized use or disclosure of Confidential Information may result in possible legal action against you by Jefferson whose confidentiality is breached.

Photography and Recording
Unauthorized recording or photography at a Jefferson-sponsored event is strictly prohibited. Individuals found violating this policy will be asked to vacate the activity. No credits or refund will be issued.

Copyright
All rights reserved – Thomas Jefferson University. No part of this program may be used, reproduced, or shared in any manner whatsoever without express written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in articles or reviews.

Jefferson Alumni Hall
1020 Locust Street
Philadelphia, PA 19107

Directions

Parking

Mitigation of Relevant Financial Relationships

Thomas Jefferson University adheres to the Standards for Integrity and Independence in Accredited Continuing Education and the policies that supplement the Standards.

All planners, faculty, and others in control of educational content are required to disclose any relevant financial relationships with ACCME defined ineligible companies within the past 24 months. Any conflicts of interests have been mitigated prior to this educational activity. Such disclosures will be available prior to the start of the activity. Jefferson conflict of interest mitigation process may result in changes to the program agenda.

Off-Label/Investigational Use
All faculty/presenters/authors at Thomas Jefferson University sponsored events are required to disclose whether or not their content contains information of commercial products/devices that are unlabeled for use or investigational uses of products not yet approved. Product(s) is/are not included in the labeling approved by the U.S. FDA for the treatment of disease(s).

Content Disclaimer
The views expressed in this activity are those of the faculty. It should not be inferred or assumed that they are expressing the views of any manufacturer of pharmaceuticals or devices or Thomas Jefferson University.

It should be noted that the recommendations made herein with regard to the use of therapeutic agents, varying disease states, and assessments of risk, are based upon a combination of clinical trials, current guidelines, and the clinical practice experience of the participating presenters. The drug selection and dosage information presented in this activity are believed to be accurate. However, participants are urged to consult all available data on products and procedures before using them in clinical practice.

Member Information

Role in activity

Nature of Relationship(s) / Name of Ineligible Company(s)

Jim S Harrop, MD
Professor of Neurological and Orthopedic Surgery
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA

Co-Director

Advisor-DePuy (Any division)|Advisor-Ethicon (Any division)|Membership on Advisory Committees or Review Panels, Board Membership, etc.-Spiderwort|Membership on Advisory Committees or Review Panels, Board Membership, etc.-Kringle

Joshua E Heller, MD, MBA
Associate Professor of Neurological Surgery
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA

Co-Director

Consulting Fee-ATEC|Consulting Fee-Spinal Elements|Consulting Fee-Globus Medical, Inc.|Consulting Fee-XTANT|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Globus Medical, Inc.|Consulting Fee-Providence Medical Technology|Consulting Fee-SI Bone

Neil R Malhotra, MD
Neurosurgeon
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Co-Director

Nothing to disclose

Jose A Canseco, MD, PHD
Assistant Professor
Rothman Orthopaedic Institute/Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA

Co-Director, Faculty

Grant or research support-Kuros Bio|Consulting Fee-Kuros Bio|Grant or research support-Ossiform|Advisor-Pathkeeper

David S Casper, MD
Director of Clinical Research, Spine Surgery
Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, PA

Co-Director, Faculty

Consulting Fee-Stryker (Any division)|Consulting Fee-Cerapedics|Grant or research support-Cerapedics

Alexander R Vaccaro, MD, PhD, MBA
Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Philadelphia, PA

Co-Director, Faculty

Membership on Advisory Committees or Review Panels, Board Membership, etc.-Accelus|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Rothman Institute and Related Properties|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Spinal Elements|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Wheelhouse Medical |Consulting Fee-Medcura|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Accellus|Consulting Fee-Curiteva |Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Curiteva|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Advanced Spinal Intellectual Properties|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Alphatec|Independent Contractor (included contracted research)-AO Spine|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Atlas Spine|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Atlas Spine|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Avaz Surgical|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-AVKN Patient Driven Care|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Cytonics|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Deep Health|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Dimension Orthotics, LLC|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Electrocore|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Elsevier|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Flagship Surgical|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-FlowPharma|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Globus Medical, Inc.|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Globus Medical, Inc.|Consulting Fee-Globus Medical, Inc.|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Harvard Medtech|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Innovative Surgical Design|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Jaypee|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Jushi|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Medtronic (Any division)|Membership on Advisory Committees or Review Panels, Board Membership, etc.-National Spine Health Foundation|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Orthobullets|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Parvizi Surgical Innovation|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Progressive Spinal Technologies|Membership on Advisory Committees or Review Panels, Board Membership, etc.-Sentryx|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Sentryx|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-SpineWave|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-Stout Medical|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Stout Medical|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-See All AI|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Stryker (Any division)|Independent Contractor (included contracted research)-Stryker (Any division)|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Taylor Francis|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Thieme|Stocks or stock options, excluding diversified mutual funds-ViewFi Health|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Wolters Kluwer|Royalties or Patent Beneficiary-Wheel House Medical|Consulting Fee-Wheel House Medical|Consulting Fee-Ferring Pharmaceutical|Independent Contractor (included contracted research)-Expert Testimony

Thomas Cha, MD, MBA
Rothman Orthopaedics
Newtown, PA

Faculty

Islam Fayed, MD, MS
Neurosurgeon
Cooper University Health Care
Philadelphia, PA

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Paul M Kitei, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA

Faculty

Alejandro J Lopez, DO
Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery
Cooper University Health Care
Camden, NJ

Faculty

Alyssa Marulli, MD
Resident
Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, PA

Faculty

Caio Matias, MD, PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Theresa J Pazionis, MD, MA, FRCSC, ABOS
Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine
Temple University Hospital
Philadelphia, PA

Faculty

Consulting Fee-Medtronic (Any division)|Consulting Fee-ZimVie Spine|Consulting Fee-Carlsmed|Consulting Fee-Globus Medical, Inc.|Consulting Fee-Johnson & Johnson|Consulting Fee-Spinal Elements|Consulting Fee-Illuminoss

Gabrille W Peters, MD
Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, PA

Faculty

Nothing to disclose

Srinivas Prasad, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Neurological Surgery
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA

Faculty

Michael Spandola, MD
Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, PA

Faculty

Andrew S Zhang, MD
Penn Medicine
Philadelphia, PA

Faculty

Speakers Bureau-OSSDsign

Mark E Baus, MSN
Nurse Practitioner
Thomas Jefferson University Hospital
Barrington, NJ

Nurse Planner

Nothing to disclose

Sarah J Carmody, MBA, CPTD
Associate Director
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA

OCPD Team Member

Nothing to disclose

Annette M Donawa, PhD, MSEd
Associate Provost
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA

OCPD Team Member

Nothing to disclose

Markiya Fagan, MS
Project Manager
Thomas Jefferson University
Philadelphia, PA

OCPD Team Member

Nothing to disclose

Ryan Urban, PA-C
Rothman Orthopaedics
Langhorne, PA

PA Planner

Nothing to disclose

Friday, May 1, 2026

The 12^th Annual Philadelphia Spine Summit will take place on Friday, May 1, 2025, at Jefferson Alumni Hall in Center City, Philadelphia, PA. This event is presented by Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University (Departments of Orthopaedic Spine Surgery and Neurological Surgery), the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, and the Perelman School of Medicine (Departments of Orthopaedic Spine Surgery and Neurological Surgery).

Now entering its second decade, the Philadelphia Spine Summit continues to be a premier gathering for spine surgeons and advanced practice providers. The program features in-depth discussions on spinal disorder management, emerging technologies, debated clinical topics, and evolving health policy issues that shape the field of spine care.

An opportunity is available for companies interested in exhibiting at this year’s event. Exhibitors will have direct access to approximately
75–100 attendees, representing diverse practices throughout the Greater Philadelphia region.

Application Deadline
Applications for exhibiting will be accepted through April 17, 2026. After April 17, 2026, applications may be accepted on a case by case basis.

Exhibitor Rules

• Exhibitor is not providing commercial support for this activity; they are purchasing exhibit space only.

• All exhibits must be tabletop or portable in nature.

• Exhibitor activities are restricted to the designated space at the conference. Distribution of educational/promotional materials by the exhibitors is limited to their booth space in the exhibit area. It is not permitted anywhere else in the hall, conference meeting space, or at the entrances to the conference meeting space.

• Exhibits are intended for informational purposes only; products should not be sold onsite.

• Photography by exhibitors that include images of the conference or its attendees is prohibited.

• The purpose of the exhibit is to support attendee education through product and service displays and demonstrations. Exhibitor personnel may observe scientific sessions but may not participate in or record them on behalf of their company.

• Thomas Jefferson University is not responsible for the security of exhibitors’ materials. Exhibitors are advised not to leave valuables (e.g., laptops, cell phones) unattended at any time.

Cancellation by Conference Organizers
If the conference is cancelled, the organizers are not responsible for any airfare, hotel, or other costs incurred by exhibitors. The full exhibit fee paid by the company will be refunded.

Exhibitor Refund Request
Requests for exhibitor fee refunds must be submitted in writing and received by the Office of Continuing Professional Development (OCPD) at least one month before the conference start date. Cancellations received before this deadline will incur a 10% cancellation fee. No refunds will be issued after this period. All refunds will be processed after the conference.

Exhibitors who do not attend the conference will not receive a refund.

Send refund request to [email protected]. Include conference name in the subject line.