In early July, the Julius Wolff Institute in Berlin hosted a workshop on the biomechanics of the spine for the fourth time. Under the title "Spine Loading and Deformation," internationally renowned scientists gather every four years to exchange information on the latest developments in research on the mechanics of the healthy and diseased spine, to establish new contacts, and to discuss old and new controversies. This year, our two colleagues, Kati Nispel and Tanja Lerchl, were part of it and took the opportunity to present their current research with a focus on simulation.
However, after these informative and demanding days, the two had little time for regeneration. The next conference was already on the horizon at the end of July. The "International Society of Biomechanics" celebrated its 20th anniversary this year and, after a forced break due to the pandemic, invited participants to attend in person once again. For this purpose, they traveled all the way to Fukuoka, Japan, this year. In strong contrast to the thematically focused and concise days in Berlin, a conference with over 2000 participants and about 1000 contributions awaited them here, covering the complete range of biomechanical research.