Scientific Program

SATURDAY, JUNE 27, 2026 // @ Hôpital Louis Pradel

14.00- 14:20

Introduction to the Course and precourse survey

14:20-16:00

SESSION I: INTRODUCTION TO THE CVJ
Chair: Carmine Mottolese, Dominic Thompson

14:20-14:50	Martin Catala: Embryology of posterior fossa and foramen magnum
14:50-15:00	Federico Di Rocco: Role of FGFR in the growth of the posterior fossa and foramen magnum
15:00-15:20	Sudhakar Sniya: Radiological analysis of posterior fossa and foramen magnum and growth changes
15:20-15:40	Martin Catala: Normal growth of CVJ in children and growth related modifications
15:40-16:00	Jacquesson Timothee: Essential surgical landmarks of posterior fossa and foramen magnum
16:00-16:10	Discussion

16:10-16:30

Break

16:30-19:00

SESSION 2: CHIARI
Chair: Martin Catala, Carmine Mottolese

16:30-16:45	Concezio Di Rocco: Why we should stop to call it a malformation.
16:45-17:00	Sudhakar Sniya: Radiology of Chiari type 1 malformation
17:00-17:15	Federico Di Rocco: Chiari type 1: The importance of associated anomalies
17:15-17:30	Fabrice Parker: Chiari type 1: Surgical algorithm in adults
17:30-17:45	Gianpiero Tamburrini: Chiari type 1: Spectrum of surgical techniques
17:45-18:00	Federico Di Rocco: Complications after Chiari malformation type 1 surgery and their avoidance
18:00-18:15	Gianpiero Tamburrini: Evaluation of the results in Chiari type 1 surgery
18:15-18:30	Discussion

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2026 // @ Hôpital Louis Pradel

SUNDAY, JUNE 28, 2026

08:00-10:30

SESSION 3: DIAGNOSIS OF CVJ INSTABILITY IN CHILDREN
Chair: Federico Di Rocco, Nobuhito Morota

08:00-08:20	Alexandru Szathmari: CVJ trauma : Mechanisms and indications for management
08:20-08:40	Sara Cabet: Imaging in pediatric CVJ trauma (acute phase and follow-up)
08:40-09:00	Timothee De Saint- denis: Introduction to the CVJ stability in children
09:00-09:20	Alexandru Szathmari: Criteria for CVJ instability at the clinical examination: what to ask, what to search for
09:20-09:40	Sudhakar Sniya: Criteria for CVJ instability at the radiological examination: what to ask, what to search for
9:40-10:00	Dominic Thompson: Clinical cases discussion on CVJ instability / How I evaluate it
10:00-10:30	Discussion

10:30-11:00

Break

11:00-12:30

SESSION 4 : MANAGING CVJ INSTABILITY IN CHILDREN
Chair: Sara Cabet, Carmine Mottolese

11:00-11:20	Massimiliano Visocchi:Principles of CVJ stabilization: indications, biomechanics, long term results
11:20-11:30	Nobuhito Morota: Principles of non surgical stabilization: when, how and how long
11:30-11:45	Ricardo Gepp: Occipito-cervical stabilisation – when and how
11:45-12:05	Timothee De Saint- denis: Clinical cases of surgical stabilization
12:05-12:30	Discussion

12:30-14:00

Break

14:00-15:00

SESSION 5: CVJ CONGENITAL PATHOLOGIES
Chair: Alexandru Szathmari, Douglas Brockmeyer

14:00-14:15	Federico Di Rocco: CVJ in ACH (indications for surgery and surgical principles)
14:15-14:30	Nobuhito Morota: ACH case discussion
14:30-14:45	Luca Massimi: CVJ in MPS (indications for surgery and surgical principles)
14:45-15:00	Pierre-Aurelien Beuriat: MPS and other malformations case discussion

15:05-16:00

SESSION 6: CRANIO-VERTEBRAL JUNCTION TRAUMA
Chair: Ricardo Gepp, Carmine Mottolese

15:05-15:25	Dominic Thompson: Evaluation and management of torticollis in children
15:25-15:40	Massimiliano Visocchi: Fractures of the CVJ in children. Diagnosis, management and indications for surgery (anterior or posterior)
15:40-16:00	Douglas Brockmeyer: CVJ trauma case discussion

16:00-17:20

SESSION 7: CVJ TUMORAL LESIONS MANAGEMENT
Chair: Massimiliano Visocchi, Dominic Tompson

16:00-16:25	Alexandre Vasiljevic: Spectrum of Cervical spine tumoral lesions
16:25-16:40	Douglas Brockmeyer: Spinal tumor removal in children at the cervical level, pitfalls and tricks for reconstruction and stabilization
16:40-17:20	Ricardo Gepp: CVJ tumors case discussion

17:20-17:45

Break

17:45-19:00

SESSION 8: MAMANGEMENT AND OUTCOME
Chair: Luca Massimi, Carmine Mottolese

17:45-18:00	Francesco Sala: IOM monitoring in CVJ surgery: When and why
18:00-18:15	Nobuhito Morota: Long-term results in terms of ossification, stability and clinical results
18:15-18:30	Douglas Brockmeyer: Redo surgeries for CVJ pathologies, why and when.
18:30-19:00	Timothee De Saint-denis: What happens after surgery: Spine evolution after CVJ fixation.

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026 // @ Université Claude Bernard, Faculté de Médicine

MONDAY, JUNE 29, 2026

08:00-12:00

SESSION 9 : Surgical techniques – Part 1: Posterior approach to the CVJ

08:00-08:15	Camilla de Laurentis : Surgical landmarks of the cervical spine
08:15-08:30	Massimiliano Visocchi: How I do it: Posterior instrumentation in children
08:30-08:50	Douglas Brockmeyer: Practical aspects: How I chose my plate and my screws and where I put it: occiput, C1 lateral mass, C2 pedicle, C2 lamina, C2 pars, C1-C2
08:50-09:00	Discussion

09:00-12:00

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP: C0-C2; C1-C2 fixation

12:00-13:00

Break

13:00-18:30

SESSION 9: Surgical techniques – Part 2: Approach to the subaxial spine

13:00-13:15	Pierre Aurelien Beuriat:Anatomy for the transoral approach
13:15-13:30	Szathmari Alexandru: How I do a transoral decompression: principles and indications
13:30-13:45	Massimiliano Visocchi: Complications of transoral decompression and their avoidance
13:45-14:00	Discussion

14:00-16:30

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP: Transoral decompression

16:45-17:00	Massimiliano Visocchi: Anterior and anterolateral approach of the subaxial spine
17:00-17:15	Douglas Brockmeyer: Complications of CVJ fixation and how to avoid them
17:15-17:30	Timothee De Saint-Denis: Short-term risks of posterior instrumentation in children
17:30-17:45	Dominic Thompson: Long-term risks of posterior instrumentation in children

17:45-18:30

PANEL DISCUSSION: Indications for lateral mass screw, C2 pedicle screw, pars screw, lamina screw, C1-C2 transarticular screw, plates…How to choose

TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2026 // @ Université Claude Bernard, Faculté de Médicine

TUESDAY, JUNE 30, 2026

08:30-09:30

SESSION 9: Surgical techniques – Part 3: Approach to the subaxial spine

08:30-08:45	Alexandru Szathmari: Principles of Anterior approach of the subaxial spine (C3) and C3 posterior fixation
08:45-09:00	Douglas Brockmeyer: When to approach to the cervical and subaxial spine anteriorly in children
09:00-09:30	Discussion

09:30-12:30

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP: Anterior approach of the subaxial spine (C3) and C3 posterior fixation

12:30-13:30

Break

13:30-14:30

SESSION 9: Surgical techniques – Part 4: Occipito-cervical decompression

13:30-13:45	Federico Di Rocco: Posterior fossa decompression and posterior vault expansion principles and techniques
13:45-14:00	Dominic Thompson: Chiari Type 1: Surgical algorithm in children
14:00-14:15	Camilla De Laurentis: All about duraplasty: when, why and how I perform it
14:15-14:30	Carmine Mottolese: Tricks and tips of dural opening and tonsils’ management

14:30-16:30

HANDS-ON WORKSHOP: Occipito-cervical decompression

16:30-17:00

SESSION 10: PER OPERATIVE SURGICAL COMPLICATIONS

16:30-16:40	Dominic Thompson: Specific problems in managing the CVJ in very young children
16:40-16:50	Douglas Brockmeyer: What can go wrong during CVJ surgery and how to anticipate?
16:50-17:00	Ricardo Gepp: Lessons learned by complex cases

17:00-17:15

Post course survey

17:15-17:30

Evaluation of the course