Papers are invited for a Symposium on Static and Dynamic Spinal Implants: Are We Evaluating Them Appropriately?, to be held November 16, 2010. Sponsored by ASTM Committee F04 on Medical and Surgical Materials and Devices, the symposium will be held at the Grand Hyatt San Antonio, in San Antonio, Texas, in conjunction with the November 16-19 standards development meetings of Committee F04.

"...The field of spinal implants continues to be a dynamic one. New designs of modular constructs and components used in spinal fusions and the development of spinal implants intended to allow or maintain motion are major areas of change..." Those words begin ASTM Special Technical Publication (STP) 1431 and describe the state of affairs for spinal device standards in 2001, when ASTM Committee F04 sponsored a symposium titled "Spinal Implants: Are We Evaluating Them Appropriately?" Nearly ten years later, having revised nearly a dozen standards and created several more, this description still holds true. Clinicians are able to implant a bewildering array of spinal devices, some meant to maintain certain physiological motions while others focus on achieving a solid fusion mass. It is time to take a second look at how spinal implants are evaluated and invite you to submit an abstract for consideration for this symposium.

Four sessions are planned:

• Static devices,
• Dynamic devices,
• In vitro (cadaveric) test methods, and
• Suggested test methods.

Objectives
The objectives of the symposium are: to provide a forum to evaluate existing standard test methods for spinal implants, in light of clinical experience and failure modes; and to discuss what new directions and standards are needed to address clinical failures through pre-clinical testing. Participants will learn: how current standards are succeeding in predicting clinical failure modes; where current standards are not predicting clinical failure modes and how they should be changed; and what new test methods are needed.

Who should attend?
Spinal device manufacturers, spinal surgeons, testing consultants, and regulatory officials.

The language of the symposium will be English.

To participate in the symposium, presenters/authors must submit online the Abstract Submittal Form and attach a 250-300 word preliminary abstract no later than January 8, 2010. Scroll to the top of the page to . To ensure your abstract was received into the ASTM database system, please email hsparks@astm.org stating that your abstract was submitted.