The results of the research line on spina bifida of the http://bit.ly/2xzT9Gl research group in Reconstructive Surgery of the Locomotor System of Vall d'Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) were recently presented at the first World Congress of Paediatric Orthopaedics getting the prize for the best scientific work. The work, which showed the results of research into spina bifida which is being done in the VHIR, was presented by César Galo Garcia Fontecha, doctor in medicine and head of the Reconstructive Surgery Locomotor System research group of VHIR, Marga Codinach Cruces, PhD in biotechnology and a member of the same group, and José Luís Peiró Ibáñez, doctor of medicine and a member of the research group CIBBIM-nanomedicine, Bioengineering, Cell Therapy and Surgery in Congenital Malformations.For the authors, "this award represents the global recognition of the quality of the research that we do in our centre in such complex pathologies such as spina bifida and situates us as pioneers in this field". For the first time in history the European Paediatric Osthopaedic Society (EPOS) and the Pediatric Orthopedic Society of North America (POSNA) have teamed up to organize a scientific meeting in paediatric orthopaedics worldwide, the 1st EPOSNA Congress, which was held in Barcelona last May, and which was attended by more than 2,000 professionals.The spina bifida The spina bifida is a congenital malformation in which there is defective spinal closure where the spinal cord is exposed to the exterior. This causes a progressive neurological injury during gestation and a progressive loss of cerebrospinal fluid in that area. The consequences at birth can be severe and irreversible, with paraplegia, incontinence of bowel, skeletal deformities and brain disorders.Research on spina bifida in VHIR A line of research in prenatal surgery of spina bifida in order to repair the malformation by intrauterine surgery and slow down the progressive neurological lesions during gestation was launched in 2004. Result of this research have developed surgical techniques first with surgery by opening the uterus, then with fetoscopic techniques that have allowed this fix and to improve the neurological and functional situation of the new-born. In the last few years, additional strategies with regenerative medicine have been developed to improve local tissue reconstruction managing to create bone coverage in the affected area.