A Decade of Leadership and Impact: Celebrating 10 Years of the ORS Spine Section

Abstract

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Spine Section of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), we reflect on a decade defined by visionary leadership, scientific excellence, and a steadfast commitment to advancing spine research. What began as a focused initiative within the ORS to unify spine investigators has grown into a vibrant, international community of scientists and clinicians at all career stages dedicated to transforming musculoskeletal health through collaboration, education, discovery, and translation. Since its inception, the ORS Spine Section has expanded not only in membership but also in scientific scope, global engagement, and leadership development. This growth is a testament to the dedication of past and present Chairs and Officers, whose selfless contributions and countless hours of service cemented the foundation on which the Section proudly stands today.

The first ORS Spine Research Interest Group (RIG) was organized in 2011 by its founding organizers: Fackson Mwale, Daisuke Sakai, Makarand V. Risbud, Rita Kandel, and Sibylle Grad. Their vision was to create a collaborative platform for researchers dedicated to advancing spine science within the ORS. Following the initial success of the RIG, leadership and participation steadily expanded over the subsequent years with the support and contributions of many members of the spine research community. Among those who played important roles in its early growth were James C. Iatridis, Mauro Alini, Lisbet Haglund, Christine L. Le Maitre, Nam Vo, Devina Purmessur, Judith A. Hoyland, and Jeffrey C. Lotz, along with many other dedicated researchers and ORS staff, such as Bailey McMurray and others who contributed to the development and success of the group (Figure 1).

The RIG played a pivotal role in building a collaborative network and achieving early scientific milestones, including a consensus article on nucleus pulposus cell phenotypic markers [1], a Journal of Orthopaedic Research “virtual issue” highlighting key spine publications [2, 3], and a review on spinal aging [4]. Building on this momentum, the Section was formally established in 2016 with James C. Iatridis serving as its first Chair (2016–2017). During this formative period, the leadership clarified the Section's mission, launched its website and newsletter, initiated webinars, introduced social events at the ORS Annual Meeting and implemented member surveys to guide priorities. These foundational efforts, anchored in collaboration, mentorship, and scientific excellence, helped establish a vibrant and inclusive spine research community. From its inception, the Section embraced broad scientific integration, bringing together expertise in intervertebral disc biology, pain, spine biomechanics, mechanobiology, tissue engineering, biomaterials, inflammation research, computational modeling, imaging sciences, and clinical translation. This interdisciplinary approach became a defining characteristic of the Section and remains central to its continued success.

Over time, the ORS Spine Section evolved into a vibrant community hosting Section Symposia and social events that helped break down traditional barriers between faculty and trainees. These gatherings created a welcoming space where ideas were exchanged freely, and mentorship naturally developed, helping to nurture the next generation of spine research leaders. Furthermore, the growth of the Section throughout the years has seen an exponential growth in membership and engagement. For example, in 2015, the RIG had 162 members; whereas by March of 2026 the membership increased to 637 (Figure 2), an extraordinary 293% increase. In short, the ORS Spine Section has transformed from a small circle of specialists into a thriving international network. Today, it serves as a global nexus of multidisciplinary experts who come together to collaborate, share knowledge and drive the future of spine research and innovative clinical impact.

The growth and impact of the ORS Spine Section are closely intertwined with the vision, leadership, and sustained efforts of its past Chairs. Each Chair brought distinctive strengths and priorities that not only advanced the section during their respective terms but also contributed to a broader foundation for its continued evolution and success. Besides the Chair, the Section maintains a strong organizational structure that includes roles of Past Chair, Chair-Elect, Secretary, Members-at-Large, and Officers responsible for education, research, membership, funding agency liaison, industry liaison, clinical society liaison, translational research liaison, and a journal representative. These roles continue to evolve to meet emerging needs. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Section established a COVID-19 Task Force that aimed to understand the pandemic's impact on research and the research environment [5, 6] (Table 1). The ORS Spine Section also provides an excellent pathway for promoting Officers and, most importantly, for nurturing the next generation of Section research leaders. Collectively, the contributions of these Chairs and Officers reflect a sustained trajectory of growth, innovation, and community building that has positioned the Section as an increasingly visible and influential entity within the field. Details regarding the Chairs and Officers serving during their respective terms and additional key contributions are provided in Table 1, and photos reflecting the journey are displayed in Figure 3.

In addition, within the ORS Spine Section, the Membership Task Force plays an essential role in coordinating activities throughout the year, including sessions at the ORS Annual Spine Symposium and related co-sponsored meetings. Former Task Force members, including (but not limited to) Sade Williams Clayton, Jasmine Xiao, Zhirui Jiang, Daniele Zuncheddu, and Nina Shirley Tang, made important contributions to the Section's initiatives. Current members Neharika Bhadouria, Luca Ambrosio, Andres Bonilla, Giselle Kaneda, and Jordy Schol continue this work, advancing the Task Force's mission and helping shape the future of the Section.

What began as a small, focused group has grown into a vibrant, global community of scientists and clinicians united by a shared passion for advancing spine science, fostering collaboration and mentoring the next generation of researchers. Together, the Section works toward a common mission: to advance spine research and develop solutions that relieve pain and restore quality of life. At the heart of this mission is a commitment to serve patients whose lives are disrupted by spine conditions. Across countries, cultures and disciplines, our community is bound by the responsibility to bring hope and sustained innovation, even in the face of global challenges (e.g., limited research funding). It is this shared vision and collaborative spirit that sustains the Section's passion and drives progress day by day. The ORS spine community continues to strengthen collaborations, advance research and inspire discoveries that bring hope to those in need.

The ORS Spine Section Symposium has become a centerpiece of the ORS Annual Meeting, fostering cross-disciplinary dialogue and highlighting cutting-edge spine research. Through collaborations with international societies, such as NASS, ISSLS, and others, the Section has expanded its global reach and created an inclusive platform that connects spine investigators worldwide. The Section also partners with other ORS sections/committees, including the Preclinical Models Section [7], the ORS Innovation Committee, the ORS Women Leadership Forum, and the ORS Industry Alliance Committee, to co-organize joint sessions that encourage interdisciplinary exchange and collaboration.

Beyond scientific programming, the Spine Section has demonstrated a strong commitment to community support, collaboration, and professional, united culture. The continued meaningful discussions, debates and future perspective talks organized during the Spine Section Symposium at the ORS Annual Meeting and also virtual sessions organized throughout the year has forged multidisciplinary and multicentric teams after they found common research interests and complementary expertise, and has led to many successful grant applications, promoted trainee mobilization and enabled pursuing innovative high-risk high-reward research in the spine field. Many Section members are clinicians and/or clinician-scientists, and through one-on-one interactions and mentorship, they have helped cultivate the development of clinical translational scientists while guiding fundamental science trainees to think critically and develop translational therapeutic solutions that leverage their training. In the era of fast-paced analyses of large datasets impacting the ever-changing research landscape, the Section has achieved its vision and mandate of bringing together multidisciplinary expertise on a common platform. Many trainees engaged with the section's scientific programming and networking events; as a result, they have rechanneled their career trajectories and pursued advanced training in fields that seemed at one stage unreachable.

The ORS Spine Section is also instrumental in supporting and helping the Philadelphia Spine Research Society's (PSRS) biannual international meeting. This conference is in the style of a “Gordon Conference,” and was established by Section members prior to the elevation of the Spine RIG to a full ORS Spine Section. The discussions on hot research topics during the Spine Section Scientific Symposium at the ORS Annual Meeting are followed up at the PSRS meeting via presentations and invited keynote talks, and a more comprehensive workshop session is organized at the forthcoming Section symposium.

The Spine Section supports its community not only through scientific collaboration, but also during extraordinary circumstances, helping sustain both community engagement and scientific progress. As previously mentioned, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Section established a COVID Task Force to help the research community navigate unprecedented challenges [5, 8, 9]. The Section has also played an active role in fostering a respectful and inclusive scientific environment by educating members on topical issues, such as bullying, harassment and discrimination [6], and by promoting awareness of best practices and codes of conduct in research through dedicated publications and discussions.

Scientific excellence and trainee engagement are further recognized through multiple awards and initiatives, including the Peter Roughley Mentorship Award (Table 2), ORS Podium presentations, ORS Diversity Awards, Poster Awards, Trainee Travel Fellowships (Table 3), active involvement of Section members in the Open Door program to educate school children about orthopedic research, the spine and how to pursue a career in the sciences, and periodic Spine Section newsletters (The Spinal Column, https://www.ors.org/research-section-newsletters/#cb1c86c48ccf85438) (Figure 3). Programs such as the Mentor-Mentee Match Program and leadership development opportunities help cultivate and support the next generation of spine investigators. The Section also organizes forward-looking symposia to address emerging challenges and opportunities in the field. These have included discussions on the evolving NIH funding landscape, addressing unmet clinical needs and initiatives focused on women's empowerment in spine research and leadership (Figure 3). By integrating groundbreaking science, mentorship, recognition and global collaboration, the ORS Spine Section continues to advance discovery, translate innovation into improved patient care and unite a worldwide community dedicated to improving spine health.

A survey conducted by the ORS Spine Section together with the clinically focused society ISSLS to understand the publication trends of ORS Spine Section and ISSLS members [10] revealed that existing spine journals were not fully meeting the diverse needs of the spine community. This highlighted a clear opportunity to consolidate the field's most significant basic and translational discoveries in a dedicated, open-access spine journal. As a result, the ORS Spine Section leadership developed the JOR Spine, led by three distinguished scientists representing the European (Mauro Alini), Asian (Daisuke Sakai), and North American (Robert L. Mauck) spine communities who served as the founding Editors-in-Chief (EICs) of this globally oriented, open-access, spine-specific journal.

As the ORS Spine Section celebrates its 10th anniversary, its growth has paralleled the emergence of JOR Spine as a dedicated platform for high-quality pre-clinical science and translational spine research for orthopedics. The journal has provided a focused venue for foundational and translational discoveries spanning aging, degeneration, biologic therapies, biomaterials, tissue engineering, biomechanics, bioreactors, culture systems, deformity and artificial intelligence. The journal's publications include scientific research articles as well as contributions highlighting initiatives by ORS members aimed at advancing science and addressing topics of importance to the scientific community. These works are presented as research articles [8, 9, 11-19], editorials [20-24], ORS Spine Section initiatives [7, 25-31], and memorial pieces [32].

Publications of the journal have grown from 33 (46 submissions) in 2018 to 126 (525 submissions) in 2025, with a current acceptance rate of 24%. In 2025, JOR Spine's impact factor was 3.9, noting it as one of the most respected spine journals in the field. The tenure of the founding Co-EICs (Mauro Alini, Robert L. Mauck, and Daisuke Sakai) ended in 2025; following this, Keita Ito was installed as the next EIC, with Cheryle Seguin, Fabio Galbusera, and Ashish Diwan as Associate Editors. Over the past decade, JOR Spine has strengthened interdisciplinary collaboration, increased the visibility of spine research, and supported the community through various initiatives, such as the JOR Spine Early Career Award. Together, the Spine Section and journal share a common mission: advancing impactful science that improves patient outcomes and fosters a strong global spine research community (Figure 4).

Ten years of progress have highlighted several enduring principles for the ORS Spine Section. First, the scientific community drives impactful research, as breakthrough science thrives in collaborative and supportive environments. Second, leadership functions as stewards, with each Chair maintaining continuity while fostering innovation. Third, sustained investment in trainees is essential, as structured mentorship and leadership opportunities ensure the long-term vitality of the field, with trainees receiving personalized mentorship, aiding them to thrive in careers in academia and industry. Finally, interdisciplinary collaboration accelerates translation, with the integration of biology, engineering, and clinical insight enabling meaningful scientific and clinical advances. These lessons have shaped the Section's growth over the past decade and will remain foundational as it moves forward (Figure 5).

Neharika Bhadouria: data curation, interpretation, writing original draft. Dennis E. Anderson: writing – review and editing. Gabriela Graziani: writing – review and editing, data curation. Cheryle Séguin: writing – review and editing. Rita Kandel: writing – review and editing. Anthony Kirilusha: writing – review and editing. Ana V. Chee: writing – review and editing. Morgan B. Giers: writing – review and editing. Graciosa Q. Teixeira: writing – review and editing. Chitra L. Dahia: writing – review and editing. Aaron J. Fields: writing – review and editing. David J. Nuckley: writing – review and editing. Keita Ito: writing – review and editing. Derek H. Rosenzweig: writing – review and editing. Uruj Zehra: writing – review and editing. Fackson Mwale: writing – review and editing. Dmitriy Sheyn: writing – review and editing. Joshua Li: writing – review and editing. Nadeen O. Chahine: writing – review and editing, data curation. Robert L. Mauck: writing – review and editing. James C. Iatridis: writing – review and editing. Sibylle Grad: writing – review and editing. Christine L. Le Maitre: writing – review and editing, data curation. Makarand V. Risbud: data curation, writing – review and editing. Grace D. O'Connell: writing – review and editing. Judith A. Hoyland: writing – review and editing. Dino Samartzis: conceptualization, supervision, interpretation, data curation, writing – review and editing. All other authors interpretation, data curation, and writing – review and editing.

The authors have nothing to report.

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.