Originally published in Becker's Orthopedic, Spine & Pain Management Review by Rachel Fields | June 16, 2010
Dr. Ken Pettine, co-founder of Colorado's Rocky Mountain Associates in Orthopedic Medicine and The Spine Institute, has one piece of advice for his patients: "Friends don't let friends get fused." This phrase, which he trademarked as the tagline for The Spine Institute, communicates his belief that disc and facet replacement devices provide better treatment for spinal injuries and degeneration than traditional spinal fusion.
Dr. Pettine is the chief investigator for 13 different FDA studies on nonfusion technology, as well as an active researcher. He has an extensive background in spinal surgery, research and rehabilitation and is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the North American Spine Society and the Spine Arthroplasty Society. In February he was named to Becker's ASC Review's list of "50 of the Best Spine Specialists in America".
Dr. Pettine completed his residency and master's degree in orthopedic surgery at Mayo Clinic and received his medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine. After completing his spine fellowship training at the Institute for Low Back Care in Minneapolis, he partnered with E. Jeffrey Donner, MD, to found RMA Ortho in 1991 and The Spine Institute in 2004. Along with W. Carlton Reckling, MD, Drs. Donner and Pettine have completed hundreds of spine procedures, making them three of the most experienced spine surgeons in the country. They are also some of the only surgeons nationwide qualified to implant artificial discs and spine stabilization devices.
Dr. Pettine is the co-designer and co-inventor of the MaverickTM Artificial Disc, a patented disc replacement device for the neck and back. The disc is currently the subject of a clinical trial, but while they wait, Dr. Pettine and his co-workers are venturing into other research territory. The Spine Institute plans to explore the possibility of adult stem cell therapy for bone fractures and spine disease, as well as the regeneration of damaged cartilage and invertebral discs.
"It's about staying ahead of the curve and always looking for new and better ways to help patients," Dr. Pettine told Style Magazine. "This was the vision from the beginning. It's so exciting, I've lost sleep thinking about it."
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