Participation Resources

All materials required for participation are provided below.

Ethics

The protocol of the first Spine Atlas Initiative (SAI) has been assessed by the Ethics Committee of Ostschweiz Switzerland (EKOS), BASEC submission no. AO_2024-00111. 
EKOS confirmed that there are no ethical objections as long as the data are anonymised and patient consent is obtained as described in the SAI protocol. Within the field of human research, the project does not require prior/further approval from the ethics committee. Data protection must be ensured. 
Please consult with your local ethics committee or regulators, if a separate ethical approval is needed for this specific data call. For application templates and decisions on the first data call see below. Please remember to share any additional votes or translated patient information and consent forms with us by uploading it in your participant section in the data call management platform. Further decisions will be provided in due time.

Previous ethics decisions (SAI-2025-LDS)

Downloads

Spine Atlas 2026 DCM Data Call Explained – Webinar Series

This three-part webinar series was developed to support contributors and stakeholders participating in the Spine Atlas 2026 DCM data call. The sessions addressed the ethical framework, submission requirements, and practical aspects of contributing high-quality data.

  • Webinar 1 (9 December 2025): Ethics & governance
    Covered the ethical foundations of the initiative, including ethics committee applications, informed consent, and the role of country champions.

  • Webinars 2 & 3 (21 and 28 January 2026): Data call guidance & submission process
    Provided a clear introduction to the Spine Atlas 2026 DCM data call, outlining its goals, scope, expected impact, accepted data formats, quality requirements, submission workflow, timelines, and contributor recognition, followed by a live Q&A. 

    Catch up on the webinar recordings from 21 January and 28 January here!