Bridging Disciplines and Perspectives in Musculoskeletal Research

The Salzburg Leopoldina Symposium 2025 at Paracelsus Medical University (PMU), and the Special Issue in Annals of Anatomy: „Skeletal Interfaces in Health and Disease – Where two Worlds Interact”

It was a great joy to welcome so many outstanding scientists and friends from October 9 to 11, 2025 in Salzburg, at my academic home at PMU. These colleagues have shaped, inspired, and enriched my professional journey, and it was a true luxury to bring together people who have deeply impressed me with their work, personality, and passion.

A particular pleasure was to welcome my long-standing mentor Reinhard Putz who supported my membership in the Leopoldina and served as a role model for how to design scientific meetings. When he organized a Leopoldina symposium on “Bone as an Archive” in 2004, I realized how much enthusiasm can arise when scientists who work on seemingly similar topics, yet rarely meet in the daily life of research, come together.

Warm welcomes to the attendees were granted by Wolfgang Sperl – Rector of PMU, Barbara Kofler – Vice Rector for Research at PMU, Wolfgang Kummer – Chair of Leopoldina Section 11 “Anatomy and Anthropology”, Friedrich Paulsen – Secretary General of the Anatomische Gesellschaft, Martin Englund – President, of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI); and Herbert Resch – our first rector and to me also an important mentor

The Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina is the oldest continuously operating scientific academy — it stands for “science serving society”. Its symposia are different, because they foster dialogue across disciplines and create spaces where cross-fertilization drives new ideas. They reach out to the public; and we expanded the format to include a “Young Investigator Session”, fostering exchange also across generations.

“Skeletal Interfaces” was our topic of choice, as we felt it was broad enough to create trans-disciplinary momentum, yet sufficiently focused to enable productive learning from each other. Interfaces are fascinating entities: they separate — but they also connect. They represent places of interaction, communication, and transformation. If we understand them — between cells, tissues, or disciplines — and start studying their morphology, we can begin to understand how these complex systems function, or malfunction in disease.

As the concept unfolded, there was a particular atmosphere— the mix of expert presentations, in-depth discussion, informal exchange, and quality time with colleagues. Mixed with the Austrian Gastfreundschaft and Gemütlichkeit — a culture of hospitality that I have been fortunate to enjoy for over 20 years. But although hosting a symposium is like setting a table, this means little without generous guests who appreciate the food and drink — and who enjoy to meet in an open spirit, valuing each other’s company. And little without a great team of talented cooks who prepare elegant “courses” — the presentations — with inspiring ideas and tasty content, and the team who supports.

Thanks to our speakers: Malcolm Logan, Tanja Stamm, Matthias Schieker, Akshay Chaudhari, Ralph Mueller, Gundula Schulze-Tanzil, Gerard Ateshian, Martin Englund, Tonia Vincent, Frank Roemer, Henning Madry, Sven Geissler, Andreas Traweger, Rainer Burgkart, Peter Mandl, and Andrew Pitsillides. Please visit the Leopoldina symposium speaker videos on our LinkedIn chanel.

Heartfelt thanks also to our sponsors, who made this symposium financially viable, keeping registration fees low without compromising on hospitality and quality:
Novartis, Sanofi, BICL, Formation Bio, NBCD, Scanco, and TRB Chemedica

To me, this event was a reminder that science thrives where knowledge, generosity, curiosity, collegiality and friendship meet at one table. Thanks to all who were part of it. But the story did not end on October 11^th: Thanks to editor in chief (EIC) Friedrich Paulsen, we had the chance to create a “Special Issue” that is being published in Annals of Anatomy, the official journal of the Anatomische Gesellschaft, with the great majority of the speakers having prepared “Perspective Articles”.

As a prelude, Felix Eckstein and Reinhard Putz have written an introductory & summary article that ties together the work that was presented at the symposium and sets the stage. It is meant to serve as the 30.000 foot view that was also taken during the post-conference tour to Mt Untersberg from above the clouds, and that aims to achieve a higher level perspective.

And as most of the articles of the Special Issue have already been published (see below), please dwelve into the current state and into the fascinating “facettes” of this highly diverse topic. Get prepared for shaping a future in which skeletal interfaces are not viewed as barriers, but as places of integration, where “worlds” meet and domains interact under physiological and pathological conditions. Enjoy the read!

✅Introduction and Summary:
Felix Eckstein, Reinhard Putz: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41547460/

✅ Public Evening Lecture:
Ralph Mueller: → in revision

✅ Cartilage and Meniscus Interfaces:
Gerard Ateshian, Haoyu Zhang, Clark Hung: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41344413/
Sandeep Silawal, Gundula Schulze-Tanzil: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41610962/

✅ Bone Cartilage and Immunology Interfaces:
Tonia Vincent: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41391669/  
Frank W. Roemer: → in press
Henning Madry: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41554344/
Sven Geissler: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41506553/

✅ Tendon, synovial, and epiphyseal interfaces:
Nevra Cesur, Renate Gehwolf, Andreas Traweger: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41453421/
Rainer Burgkart: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41360206/
Peter Mandl: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41692357/
Andrew Pitsillides: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41724409/