Invitation

Dear Colleagues,

The Spinal Cord Injuries Symposium has been organized since 2000 as a multidisciplinary, internationally attended, and complimentary scientific meeting dedicated to the latest advances in prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of spinal cord injury.

This year, the main theme of our symposium has been determined as:

“25 Years of Experience in Spinal Cord Injury: Changing Patients, Persistent Questions.”

Over the past 25 years, significant advances have been achieved in diagnostic methods, rehabilitation technologies, and supportive treatment options. Nevertheless, fundamental challenges such as spasticity, pain, pressure injuries, neurogenic bladder, osteoporosis, and other secondary complications, as well as functional participation, continue to remain at the center of clinical practice.

This symposium aims to critically examine a quarter century of clinical experience in light of current scientific evidence, addressing what has truly changed in SCI management, which challenges remain unresolved, and at what point emerging approaches gain meaningful clinical relevance. The scientific sessions, ranging from acute management to long-term follow-up and aging, and from technological innovations to functional goal setting, have been structured with an evidence-based, critical, and multidisciplinary perspective.

In collaboration with the International Spinal Cord Society (ISCoS), a joint session will be held to discuss shared clinical questions and experiences from different countries, bringing together local practice and global perspectives.

Our goal is for this meeting to serve not only as a forum for sharing up-to-date knowledge, but also as a platform that deepens clinical decision-making for physicians and healthcare professionals working in the field of SCI.

On behalf of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine, the Neurotoxin Society, and  as Chair of the ISCoS Prevention Committee, I am honored to invite you to the 18th International Spinal Cord Injuries Symposium, which will take place on June 6, 2026, at the Aşıkpaşa Conference Hall, Istanbul Medeniyet University.

We sincerely hope that, with your participation and valuable contributions, our symposium will be both productive and enriching.

With kind regards,

Prof. Dr. Belgin Erhan
President, 18th Spinal Cord Injuries Symposium
Head, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
Istanbul Medeniyet University Faculty of Medicine
Chair, ISCoS Prevention Committee
President, Neurotoxin Society
Chair, SCI Working Group, Turkish Society of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Specialists