21. May 2025

Spine experts bring German surgical expertise to China

Sportklinik Hellersen specialists operate live at international congress

In addition to Asia's leading spinal surgeons, two experts from Sportklinik Hellersen were also invited to an international congress in Wuhan (China). The Chief of Special Spine Surgery at the German Spine and Scoliosis Center, Dr. Oliver Meier, and Consultant Physician Liang Zhou contributed their professional expertise to the international exchange. The "German-Chinese Forum on the Development of Diagnosis and Treatment of Spinal Deformities in Children" focused on modern treatment approaches for childhood scoliosis. Participants included numerous spine specialists from major Chinese cities as well as renowned representatives of international specialist societies - including the designated chairman of the Scoliosis Research Society, the world's leading organization for scoliosis treatment.

German scoliosis expertise impresses internationally

The four-day congress was all about the professional exchange of information on current approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of childhood spinal deformities. In several specialist presentations, the Sportklinik Hellersen team provided practical insights into proven and further developed treatment concepts - especially for neuromuscular and early childhood scoliosis. The use of magnetically controlled implants that grow with the patient aroused particular interest - an innovative procedure in which the German spinal specialists have proven surgical expertise.

Live surgery inspires international audience

One of the highlights of the congress was a scoliosis operation performed by Chief Physician Dr. Oliver Meier and Head of consultant Liang Zhou on a young patient from China. The operation was broadcast live and gave participants a direct insight into the surgical procedure. "In the live operation, we were able to show how we operate in Germany using modern surgical techniques and the highest quality standards," explains Dr. Oliver Meier. Despite the support of the local surgical team, the experience and routine of the surgical assistant from Sportklinik Hellersen who had traveled with the team was crucial: "Our technique requires the screws to be placed freely - this only works with a well-coordinated team." The precision and efficiency with which the German surgical team worked met with great appreciation from their Chinese colleagues and underlined the high status of German surgical expertise in international comparison.

Exchange of experience based on specific case studies

The procedure was jointly evaluated as part of a case discussion and examined using different approaches. In addition, the spinal surgeons from Sportklinik Hellersen presented completed cases using X-ray images. The Chinese specialists also contributed open case examples, which were discussed and debated together in a collegial dialog. "The direct comparison of different approaches to scoliosis treatment provides valuable impetus for the further development of our own treatment concepts," says Dr Oliver Meier, emphasizing the high professional added value of the German-Chinese dialogue.

"Innovative, forward-looking technologies were presented at the congress, which have the potential to sustainably improve surgical precision and treatment quality," reports Consultant Physician Liang Zhou on his impressions. The use of 3D printing technology in surgical planning was particularly impressive. For difficult cases, such as complex spinal deformities, the Chinese colleagues can create patient-specific 3D templates that are used for precise surgical planning. "This technology enables precise and individual planning of procedures," explains Dr. Oliver Meier.

AI-supported future of scoliosis therapy

An innovative AI-based scoliosis app developed by a professor from Hong Kong was also presented at the congress. This app offers a way for parents to perform exercises at home with their children and monitor progress by uploading images. The data can be forwarded directly to the clinic via the app, which means that follow-up examinations no longer have to take place at the hospital. The app also detects early signs of scoliosis and is now used in all schools and by parents in Beijing. "That was already history of the future," reports Dr. Oliver Meier enthusiastically about his impressions. At the same time, however, it should be emphasized that we have been emphatically pursuing precisely this digital and preventive line of thought at Sportklinik Hellersen for years - in this respect, in addition to the new impetus, it was a confirmation of the path we have already taken ourselves.