The 54th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research
Congress President　Masashi Takaso MD, PhD
Professor & Chairman, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Kitasato University

The 54th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Society for Spine Surgery and Related Research will be held on April 17–19, 2025 in Makuhari, Chiba, on the theme of “The Spirit of Tenacity.” It is a great honor for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery of Kitasato University School of Medicine to take responsibility for organizing this long-standing annual meeting. We would like to express our profound gratitude to all those involved in the meeting, the Society’s membership, and everyone else concerned for giving us this marvelous opportunity.

Recent advances in medical technology have been dramatic, including the development of new surgical techniques such as minimally invasive surgery using microscopes and robotic surgery, while in the research field new discoveries are being made and R&D is making rapid progress, including data-driven research utilizing real-world data and big data as well as AI research.

Other matters such as the reform of doctors’ working practices implemented in FY 2024 that has set an upper limit on doctors’ overtime work, and the digital transformation of the medical field mean that the environment facing hospitals is undergoing a major transformation. In light of the current upheaval of the Japanese healthcare environment, at this annual meeting we hope we can once again take stock of the current situation of spine and spinal cord surgery and engage in discussion of the measures and directions that will be required in future, with the goal of further deepening medicine and research. We also hope that we will press ahead still more with clinical practice, research, and education on spine and spinal cord diseases in the spirit of tenacity, in order to achieve the extension of healthy longevity in Japan as the country becomes a super-aging society.

Kitasato University has four guiding principles that embody the philosophy of its founder, Shibasaburo Kitasato: the spirit of pioneering, the spirit of thankfulness, the spirit of wisdom and practice, and the spirit of tenacity. While being grateful to the people and the society that have nurtured us, we must gather the many kinds of wisdom required to solve the problems that we face, return the benefits to society, and strive for the progress and development of medicine with a spirit of tenacity. We will engage in the preparations for this annual meeting with the aim of contributing to the future of medicine in Japan and worldwide in the spirit of Dr. Shibasaburo Kitasato, who strove to modernize Japanese medicine and is known as the father of modern Japanese medicine.

At this annual meeting, we hope you will enjoy not just the discussions but also the scenery of Makuhari, where the coast is bathed in the sea breeze and sunlight. We and our departmental colleagues are united in the effort to bring you an even better annual meeting, and we very much hope that many of you will be able to attend.