Prof. Bernhard Moser

Prof. Bernhard Moser is a senior orthopedic and spine surgeon at Schulthess Klinik in Zurich, an institution widely regarded as Europe's largest and most specialised orthopedic hospital. With more than 28 years of clinical experience, he has dedicated his career to advancing the surgical treatment of spinal disorders, with a particular focus on motion-preserving technologies such as cervical and lumbar disc arthroplasty.

Schulthess Klinik's reputation as a centre of orthopedic excellence draws patients from across Switzerland and from countries throughout Europe, the Middle East, and beyond. Prof. Moser works within a highly specialised spine surgery team that manages the full spectrum of degenerative, deformity, and traumatic spinal conditions. His practice is built on a philosophy of matching the least invasive surgical option to each patient's individual anatomy, pathology, and functional goals.

Prof. Moser is particularly known for his expertise in total disc replacement — both in the cervical and lumbar spine — as an alternative to spinal fusion for carefully selected patients with symptomatic disc disease. He has contributed extensively to the long-term evidence base for disc arthroplasty, tracking patient outcomes over years to demonstrate the durability of motion preservation and the advantages over fusion in terms of adjacent segment degeneration.

In addition to motion-preserving surgery, he performs complex spinal fusions, multilevel decompression procedures, and correction of adult spinal deformity including scoliosis. His minimally invasive approach reduces hospital stay, blood loss, and recovery time, and is the preferred technique wherever anatomically appropriate. Prof. Moser is a sought-after speaker at European spine surgery congresses and contributes to the training of the next generation of spine surgeons through his academic role at Schulthess Klinik.

Prof. Moser completed his medical degree at a Swiss university medical faculty, followed by specialist training in orthopedic surgery and traumatology at major Swiss teaching hospitals. He pursued advanced spine surgery fellowship training at centres in Europe and North America, acquiring expertise in both open and minimally invasive spinal techniques as well as motion-preserving disc replacement technologies.

He holds a doctoral degree (PhD) reflecting his commitment to academic medicine and research alongside clinical practice. He is a Fellow of the European Board of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (FEBOT), a credential that attests to specialist competence at the highest European level. He is an active participant in AOSpine's educational and research programmes, contributing to international curriculum development for spine surgery training.

Prof. Moser's surgical practice encompasses the full range of cervical and lumbar spine procedures. His particular expertise in disc arthroplasty makes him one of Switzerland's leading practitioners of motion-preserving spine surgery, offering cervical and lumbar total disc replacement as alternatives to fusion in suitable candidates with symptomatic degenerative disc disease.

For patients with spinal stenosis causing neurological compromise, he performs decompressive laminectomy and foraminotomy, with fusion added when instability requires stabilisation. He manages adolescent and adult scoliosis using posterior spinal fusion with pedicle screw instrumentation, adapting surgical planning to each patient's curve characteristics and bone quality. Minimally invasive approaches — including tubular discectomy and percutaneous pedicle screw fixation — are integrated throughout his practice. He also performs revision spinal surgery for patients with persistent pain or complications following previous spinal operations.

Prof. Moser has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters focused on spinal surgery outcomes, particularly the long-term results of cervical and lumbar total disc replacement compared with spinal fusion. His longitudinal studies on disc arthroplasty have contributed important evidence supporting the durability and clinical benefit of motion preservation technology in appropriately selected patients.

He has presented his research at EuroSpine, AOSpine, and the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS) annual meetings. His work on adjacent segment disease following cervical fusion versus arthroplasty has informed current clinical practice guidelines. He serves as a reviewer for leading spine surgery journals and contributes to the educational programmes of AOSpine International.

Schulthess Klinik has a well-established international patient programme, regularly receiving patients from across Europe, the Gulf region, and beyond for specialist orthopedic and spine consultations. Prof. Moser consults in German and English, making him accessible to the majority of international patients seeking spinal care in Switzerland.

The klinik's international team assists with travel logistics, hotel recommendations, insurance pre-authorisation, and transparent cost communication before any decision is made. Video consultations for preliminary assessment allow patients to share imaging — ideally MRI and standing X-rays — so that a preliminary surgical opinion can be provided without requiring an immediate journey. For patients travelling for surgery, the klinik offers post-operative physiotherapy and rehabilitation services on-site or in coordination with home providers.

Prof. Moser has received recognition from both Swiss and European orthopedic communities. He is the recipient of the EuroSpine Distinguished Researcher Award, acknowledging his contributions to evidence-based spine surgery. The Swiss Society of Orthopedics and Traumatology (SGOT) has honoured him with its Excellence Award for sustained scientific and clinical contributions. Schulthess Klinik awarded him its internal Research Prize for his long-term outcome work on disc arthroplasty. He is a fellow member of AOSpine and serves on EuroSpine's scientific programme committee, helping to shape the direction of spine surgery education and research in Europe.