Clinician-Developer Webinar | Challenges and opportunities for in silico spine biomechanics in clinical and surgical practice

As spinal disorders continue to represent a major challenge in clinical practice, the development of effective treatment strategies increasingly depends on the integration of clinical expertise, biomechanical understanding, and computational innovation. This webinar will explore how in silico biomechanical tools can support the interpretation of complex spinal pathologies and contribute to more informed treatment decisions. In particular, the discussion will focus on the main spinal conditions that most frequently require biomechanical support in clinical decision-making, highlighting why computational approaches are becoming increasingly relevant in their assessment and management.

The session, moderated by Linda Carpenedo, will begin with an introduction by Dr. Cecchinato, who will present the most relevant clinical problems, including key spinal pathologies, together with the standard approaches currently adopted in clinical and surgical practice, with examples of urgent open issues. This overview will provide the clinical framework necessary to understand the challenges, limitations, and decision-making processes associated with the treatment of spinal disorders.

The webinar will then continue with an intervention by Prof. La Barbera, who will present the activities and research perspectives of the In Silico Medicine – Ortopedics and Spine Biomechanics Group at Politecnico di Milano. Particular attention will be given to the development and validation of complex biomechanical tools and computational solutions designed to investigate spine biomechanics and support clinical applications. The presentation will also highlight how some of these methodologies have been applied to address the clinical problems previously introduced, emphasizing the interaction between engineering approaches and medical needs.

Rather than focusing exclusively on technical results, the webinar aims to encourage discussion on translational research practices, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the role of biomechanical modelling in bridging clinical questions and engineering solutions. By bringing together clinical and computational perspectives, the session seeks to offer participants a broader understanding of how biomechanical research can contribute to innovation in spinal healthcare.

Register here

Speakers’ bio:

• Riccardo Cecchinato
  Spine surgeon at Galeazzi – Sant’Ambrogio Hospital in Milan, specialized in spinal tumors, deformities, and degenerative spine disorders, and Researcher at Università degli Studi di Milano. He combines traditional and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Dr. Cecchinato is an active contributor to international spine research, a frequent speaker at international congresses, a member of the EurosSpine Education Committee, AO Spine board, and the editorial board of the European Spine Journal.

• Luigi La Barbera
  Associate Professor of Bioengineering at Politecnico di Milano, where he teaches and conducts research in biomechanics, spinal devices, and patient-specific modeling. His work focuses on the biomechanical characterization of biological tissues, preclinical evaluation of orthopaedic and spinal implants, and the development of advanced techniques for spinal deformity correction and stabilization. He’s actively involved in international scientific societies, including the VPH, EuroSpine and the European Society of Biomechanics and he regularly serves on scientific and organizing committees for leading biomechanics and spine conferences.

• Linda Carpenedo
  PhD candidate in Bioengineering at Politecnico di Milano. Her research focuses on spine biomechanics, with particular interest in musculoskeletal and finite element modeling for the study of spine mechanics and related biomechanical applications.