Spine Leader to Know: Dr. Kenneth Pettine of The Spine Institute

Written by  Bob Spoerl | April 17, 2012 | Becker's Spine Review

Kenneth Pettine, MD, is co-founder of Rocky Mountain Associates in Orthopedic Medicine and The Spine Institute in Loveland, Colo. In addition, he co-invented and co-designed the Maverick Artificial Disk as well as the Prestige Cervical Artificial Disc.

Throughout his career, Dr. Pettine has focused on innovation and was among the first spine surgeons to perform a minimally invasive lumbar disc procedure using the Mesoblast Limited technology. The procedure was performed in a Phase 2 clinical trial of the adult Mesenchymal Precursor Cell product for treating patients with low back pain and degenerative disc disease.

He performs outpatient spine surgery in a surgery center and has predicted that over the next several years, 50 percent of spine procedures could move into the outpatient setting. He also provides cash pay for spine surgery at his center.

"We were noticing many patients were considering going to Germany or India where they could pay cash for an ADR," Dr. Pettine says. "We felt we could offer these patients a cash price similar to what they would pay overseas but allow them to have their surgery close to home by a surgeon they know and trust. Follow up is easier and more efficacious."

Dr. Pettine's background is in spinal surgery, research and rehabilitation. His spine fellowship was at the Institute for Low Back Care in Minneapolis, and he complete residency and a master's degree in orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. He earned a medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dr. Pettine holds 14 awards from medical school and residency, has been published 22 times and presented at 45 events and conferences around the world. He recently founded the Society for Ambulatory Spine Surgery, which he launched last November with Access MediQuip. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society and Arthroscopy Association of North America.

ASC Industry Leader to Know: Dr. Kenneth Pettine of Loveland Surgery Center

Written by Taryn Tawoda | March 29, 2012 | Becker's ASC Review

Kenneth Pettine, MD, is a spine surgeon and the founder of the Spine Institute and Loveland (Colo.) Surgery Center and Rocky Mountain Associates in Orthopedic Medicine.

When considering surgery center trends for 2012, Dr. Pettine told Becker’s ASC Review, "I think there's going to be a very renewed interest in ASCs. It is profitable to do spine surgery at an ASC for both the spine surgeon and other owners, and implant costs can be a source of additional passive income. Include 12-minute turnaround times and overall efficiency, patient satisfaction and this situation is too good for a spine surgeon not to desire. I have no intention of changing my ownership structure. In fact, I just want to own more."

Dr. Pettine is board certified and a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the North American Spine Society and the Arthroscopy Association of North America. He received his fellowship training at the Institute for Low Back Care in Minneapolis, completed his residency and his master's degree in orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and was awarded his MD from the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Dr. Pettine previously served as a staff orthopedic surgeon and chief of the sports medicine clinic at Eisenhower Army Medical Center in Fort Gordon, Ga.; associate clinical professor at the Medical College of Georgia; and visiting consultant at the Veteran's Administration Hospital in Augusta, Ga.

Positive Signs for Gene Therapy in Slowing the Course of Disc Degeneration

Spinal News International - Issue 22, March 2012 -- view as PDF

A new study, which was presented at the annual meeting of the North American Spine Society (NASS; 2–5 November 2011, Chicago, USA) and subsequently published online in The Spine Journal, has found that gene therapy has the potential to delay disc degeneration.

Lead author Steven Leckie, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pennsylvania, USA, and co-investigators reviewed the use of the adeno-associated virus sero-type 2 (AAV2) vector carrying genes for either bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) or tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 1 (TIMP1) to manage degenerative disc disease in New Zealand white rabbits. Explaining the purpose of the study, Leckie, who presented the data at NASS, said: “BMP2 is known to induce proteoglycan production in the intervertebral disc and TIMP1 is anti-anabolic in that it prevents the breakdown of proteoglycan. The problem with growth factors is that they are transient, so the philosophy of gene therapy is that we might be able to induce a sustained response from the host.” He added that, in their study, which won the 2011 outstanding Paper: Basic Science award at NASS, they used AAV2 because it has been shown to be safer than other vectors used in previous studies.

The 34 skeletally mature rabbits used in the study were divided into five groups: non-surgical (negative controls; six), sham procedure (negative controls; four), puncture surgery (underwent puncture surgery but did not receive any subsequent therapy, positive controls; eight), puncture surgery followed by treatment with AAV2-BMP2 (eight), and puncture surgery followed by treatment with AAV2- TIMP1 (eight). Puncture surgery was performed with a 16-gauge needle, which has been reliably shown to induce degeneration, in L2-L3, L3-L4, and L4-L5 discs. Leckie said: “The outcomes that we measured included MRI, histology, biomechanics, and biochemistry.”

After 12 weeks, rabbits in the non-surgical and the sham procedure groups did not show any evidence of disc degeneration on MRI but all rabbits in the puncture surgery group did have evidence of disc degeneration (on MRI, images of nucleus pulpous in the affected area darkened and decreased over the 12 weeks of the study). About the treatment groups, Leckie said: “Although they did have some degree of
disc degeneration, they appeared to have less degeneration than the puncture group.” In The Spine Journal paper, Leckie et al reported that the nucleus pulpous of the treated groups “retained their size and did not darken as much as the punctured discs.”

Leckie said that he and his fellow investigators also collected serum biomarkers for C-telopeptide II, which he explained is the breakdown product of C-terminus of collagen II and could be measured in the serum. He added: “At 12 weeks, the control rabbits had a slight increase [the rabbits in the non-surgical group], the
puncture rabbits had significantly higher serum values, and the treatment groups had values that fell well below those of the puncture group.”

As well as the MRI data and the biomarker data, there was also histological data. Leckie said: “The discs of the control and sham rabbits appeared to be normal. The punctured discs appeared relatively acellular and more fibrotic, and the discs that were treated with AAV2-BMP2 or AAV2-TIMP1 gene therapy had a relative maintenance of cellularity and relative preservation of their architecture.”

Leckie concluded by saying: “We have MRI evidence, serum biomarker evidence, biomechanics evidence, and histology evidence that gene therapy treatment with AAV2-BMP2 or AAV2-TIMP1 might help slow the course of disc degeneration in a rabbit model.”

For Back, Neck Pain, Artificial Disc Replacement Has Cost, Outcome Advantages Over Fusion Surgery

ScienceDaily (Mar. 22, 2011) —

When physical therapy and drugs fail to relieve back or neck pain, patients often turn to spinal fusion surgery as a last resort, but two new studies show that in certain situations, especially when several discs are involved, artificial disc replacement may give better long-term results at lower cost.

Hospital costs for artificial disc replacement were 49 percent lower, and four years out from surgery, artificial disc patients were four times less likely to need additional surgery than those who had fusion operations, according to two recently published studies.

"Back pain is the fifth leading cause of hospital admission and the third most common reason for surgery," said orthopaedic surgeon Rick B. Delamarter, M.D., co-director of the Cedars-Sinai Spine Center. "Estimates vary and are probably understated, but health care expenditures for back pain top $91 billion a year, not including indirect and societal costs such as time lost from work and worker's compensation.It is crucial that we develop surgical procedures that are cost effective without sacrificing high-quality results."

Delamarter is a lead author of the two studies, which were published recently in the SAS Journal of the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery and the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery.

Both studies compared disc replacement surgery with the more common fusion operation to treat degenerative disc disease -- deterioration caused by aging and wear and tear. One study looked at 209 patients with damaged neck discs who received either minimally invasive disc replacement or the more complex spinal fusion surgery. These patients were followed at regular intervals for four years. A separate group of 136 who received an artificial disc two years after the first group also were part of the study. All patients were assessed on their satisfaction with the results of the procedure. The other study focused on 53 patients suffering from three-level, lower back disc disease and looked at cost comparisons for length of hospital stay, resources used and other factors

Discs act as cushions between the bones (vertebrae) of the spine. When healthy, the discs have enough "give" to allow the back to be flexible but are firm enough to provide stability. With age or injury, they lose their pliability and density. Nerves may become pinched between the bones, causing pain not just in the spine but in other parts of the body.

Fusion surgery seeks to relieve symptoms of the degenerative disease by removing the damaged disc and replacing it with bone. Studies show this procedure often can be effective but there can be drawbacks: in some cases, fused spinal sections can lose flexibility, impeding normal movement and stressing adjacent discs, often leading later to more fusion surgery. Artificial disc replacement, which has been performed in the United States since 2000, tends to cause less tissue injury than fusion surgery, and the discs are designed to maintain natural spine movement and reduce need for follow-up surgery.

In their study of patients suffering neck (cervical) disc disease, Delamarter and his colleagues found both disc replacement and fusion surgery acceptable options providing good long-term outcomes. But four years out from surgery, fusion patients were four times more likely to need more surgery. Half of these secondary operations were needed to treat new disc problems occurring adjacent to fused sections.

Patients in the study had imaging scans to measure before-and-after flexibility and range of motion; were evaluated for physical and neurological improvement; and completed self-assessment questionnaires on neck disability, neck and arm pain intensity. Improvements were seen in all categories, regardless of the surgical procedure, but results tended to be at least slightly better in patients with disc replacements.

An important area, according to Delamarter, was patient satisfaction with the procedure. Four years after surgery, nearly 88 percent of disc replacement patients reported that they were very to completely satisfied, compared with 76 percent of fusion patients. When asked if they would undergo the same surgery again, 89 percent of disc replacement patients and 81 percent of fusion patients said yes.

"While the results of this 13-center study are preliminary, it appears that artificial disc replacement surgery compares favorably as an effective procedure, is preferred by patients and slows the rate of adjacent-level disease," Delamarter said.

Spinal fusion has been recognized as one of the more expensive surgical procedures. The second study looked at costs and is believed to be the first to compare those of three-level disc replacement with three-level fusion. It evaluated itemized billing records of 53 patients undergoing surgery for three consecutive discs of the low back (lumbar spine) at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif., where Delamarter practiced before joining Cedars-Sinai.

Total hospital costs for patients undergoing disc replacement surgery averaged 49 percent lower than those for fusion patients.

The number of fusions for low back pain is rising rapidly, but Delamarter urges hospitals, insurers and surgeons to consider alternatives, including total disc replacement.

"After safety and effectiveness of a procedure have been documented, cost is an important consideration," he said. "Artificial disc replacement technology appears to offer a promising, cost-saving alternative to fusion, especially for patients with disease at three levels."

The artificial discs implanted in these studies -- the ProDisc-C and ProDisc-L -- were manufactured by Synthes USA Products. Delamarter and his colleagues have evaluated outcomes and written about the devices since the FDA approved them for research and limited use in the United States. Delamarter is a consultant for Synthes and receives royalties on the ProDisc devices. However, he does not receive royalties on devices used for his patients or any other patients at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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Becker's ASC Review June Meeting to Gather 700 Industry Leaders to Discuss Orthopedics, Spine, ASC Profitability

Becker's ASC Review will host more than 700 surgery center industry leaders at its annual meeting June 14-16, 2012, at the Westin on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

Chicago, Illinois (PRWEB) March 25, 2012 

Becker's ASC Review will host more than 700 surgery center industry leaders at its annual meeting June 14-16, 2012, at the Westin on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.

The orthopedic, spine and pain-focused ASC conference brings together surgeons, physician leaders, administrators and ASC business and clinical leaders to discuss how to improve your ASC and its bottom line and how to manage challenging clinical, business and financial issues.

The conference will feature 30 presentations from physician leaders, including: 

• Everything You Need to Know to Successfully Perform Spine Surgery in an ASC – Ken Pettine, MD, Founder of The Spine Institute and Loveland Surgery Center
• Evolving Clinical Developments in Interventional Pain Management – Mark Coleman, MD, CEO, National Spine and Pain Centers, LLC
• Hand Surgery – Key Business Issues for ASCs and Physician-Owned Hospitals – R. Blake Curd, MD, Board Chairman, Surgical Management Professionals
• Emerging Orthopedic Procedures in ASCs – Business and Clinical Issues – Michael Redler, MD, The OSM Center

Attendees will also have the chance to see a variety of presentations on improving profitability, featuring speakers such as Nancy Boyd of Crane Creek Surgery Center; Luke Lambert, of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America; Jeff Leland of Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners; Tom Mallon of Regent Surgical Health; Kenny Hancock of Meridian Surgical Partners; Andrew Hayek of Surgical Care Affiliates; Robert Zasa of ASD Management; Charles Peck of Health Inventures; Steve Arnold, MD, of Access MediQuip; and Larry Taylor of Practice Partners.

Keynote speakers for the conference include Lou Holtz, legendary football coach and analyst for ESPN; Tucker Carlson, contributor to FOX News and editor-in-chief of The Daily Caller; and Sam Donaldson, ABC News veteran.

To register, visit: 10th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference10th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference

For information on sponsorship opportunities, contact Jessica Cole at Jessica(at)beckershealthcare(dot)com or call (312) 929-3621.

About Becker’s ASC Review
Becker's ASC Review features general business, legal and clinical guidance for surgery center administrators, physicians and industry leaders. Each of the magazine’s nine annual print issues reaches a qualified audience of more than 25,000 key business leaders and focuses on topics such as joint ventures, development and expansion, regulatory and compliance issues and methods to increase surgery center profitability. Every surgery center in the nation receives Becker’s ASC Review.

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The Most Interesting 2.5 Days in the ASC & Spine Business Are Coming — The 10th Annual Orthopedic, Spine and Pain Management-Driven ASC Conference

by the Staff at Becker's ASC Review

This conference includes great spine, orthopedic and pain management physician leaders as speakers. These include speakers such as Charles Gordon, MD, of Texas Spine and Joint Hospital; David Rothbart, MD, of Spine Team Texas; Richard Wohns, MD, of South Sound Neurosurgery; Scott Glaser, MD, of Pain Specialists of Greater Chicago; Kenneth Pettine, MD, of The Spine Institute and Loveland Surgery Center; Brian Cole, MD, of Rush University Medical Center; Laxmaiah Manchikanti, MD, of the American Society for Interventional Pain Management Physicians; John Caruso, MD, of Parkway Surgery Center; John Peloza, MD, of the Center for Spine Care; and James T. Caillouette, MD, of Hoag Orthopaedic Institute will all lead informative sessions about the biggest ideas, challenges and trends in spine, orthopedics and pain management. 

The conference also includes incredible speakers on improving profitability in ASCs such as Nancy Boyd of Crane Creek Surgery Center; Luke Lambert, of Ambulatory Surgical Centers of America; Jeff Leland of Blue Chip Surgical Center Partners; Tom Mallon of Regent Surgical Health; Kenny Hancock of Meridian Surgical Partners; Andrew Hayek of Surgical Care Affiliates; Robert Zasa of ASD Management; Charles Peck of Health Inventures; Steve Arnold, MD, of Access MediQuip; Larry Taylor of Practice Partners in Healthcare; Larry Teuber, MD, of Medical Facilities Crop.; Michael J. Lipomi of Surgical Management Professionals; Gregory DiConciliis of Boston Out-Patient Surgical Suites; John Seitz of Ambulatory Surgical Group; and Edward Hetrick of Facility Development & Management. 

The conference will be held in Chicago, June 14 through June 16, at the Westin Hotel on Michigan Avenue. Key note speakers are legendary football coach Lou Holtz, editor-in-chief of The Daily Caller and Fox News contributor Tucker Carlson and ABC News veteran Sam Donaldson.

To learn more and register, click here.

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Dr. Kenneth Pettine Named to Becker's list of Spine and Neurosurgeon Inventors to Know

20 Spine and Neurosurgeon Inventors to Know

Written by Laura Miller | February 08, 2012 | Becker's Orthopedic, Spine, and Pain Management Review


Here are 20 spine and neurosurgeons currently in practice who invented spinal devices, techniques and systems.

Edward Benzel, MD (Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland). Dr. Benzel holds at least nine patents for devices, including a cervical spine stabilization method and system and a spinal column retaining apparatus. He is chairman of the Cleveland Clinic's department of neurosurgery. His clinical interests focus on spinal disorders, complex spine instrumentation and spine tumors. He is one of the founding members of the Lumbar Spine Research Society, which formed in 2007. He is chairman of the review board for the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine and has reviewed for Spine, The Spine Journal and other publications. Dr. Benzel is medical co-director of the Cleveland Clinic Foundation Spine Research Laboratory. Dr. Benzel earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, where he also completed his residency in neurosurgery. He received fellowship training in spine surgery and spinal cord injury at VA Medical Center in Albuquerque.

Scott Boden, MD (Emory Healthcare, Atlanta). Dr. Boden holds at least six different patents for medical devices and his research focuses on spine fusion, spinal disorders and bone regeneration. He is the director of Emory Healthcare's orthopedics and spine center as well as chairman and founder of the National Spine Network. More than 150 of Dr. Boden's journal articles have been published, and he has authored or edited more than 42 book chapters and nine books on spine topics. His research on the fundamental mechanisms of bone growth and regeneration has been awarded by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society, International Society for Study of the Lumbar Spine and other professional organizations. He earned his medical degree at University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, completed an internship at George Washington University Medical Center in Washington, DC, and received fellowship training at Case Western Reserve University Hospital in Cleveland.

Robert S. Bray, Jr., MD (Diagnostic and Interventional Spinal Care, Marina del Rey, Calif.). Dr. Bray has contributed to more than 20 patents, including a cervical dynamic stabilization system, SmartPlate spinal implant and a slidable bone plate system. He is the founding director and CEO of his practice, Diagnostic and Interventional Spine Care. He was chief of neurosurgery for the U.S. Air Force at David Grant Medical Center in 1989 and the founding director of the Institute for Spinal Disorders at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Dr. Bray has served as spine consultant for the U.S. Men's volleyball team and the Oakland Raiders, among other professional athletic organizations. After he received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Dr. Bray completed his residency at Baylor Affiliated Hospitals, also in Houston.

James Lloyd Chappuis, MD (Spine Center Atlanta). Dr. Chappuis is in private practice at Atlanta Spine Center and holds patents for several spine devices, including an internal pedicle screw insulator apparatus and facet fusion system. Additional patents are pending for devices such as the Doppler retractor and a modular lumbar interbody fixation system. Dr. Chappuis is a member of several professional societies, including North American Spine Society and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Chappuis has authored several papers on spinal surgery and served as a clinical instructor at The Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. Dr. Chappuis earned his medical degree at The Medical College of Ohio in Toledo and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Campbell Clinic/University of Tennessee. His additional training includes the AO Spine Fellowship where he studied in Karlsbad, Germany.

Kingsley R. Chin, MD (Institute for Modern & Innovative Spine Surgery, Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.). Dr. Kingsley is the founding spine surgeon at the Institute for Modern & Innovative Spine Surgery and inventor of the FacetFuse Minimally Invasive Screw System and MANTIS minimally invasive pedicle screw system for spinal fusion. During his career, Dr. Chin served as the chief of spine surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and has published several articles in professional journals. He is a diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners and American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons. He earned his medical degree at Harvard University in Boston and completed the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency with Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. His additional training includes a fellowship in adult reconstructive surgery at Harvard and a fellowship in spine surgery at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Charles R. Gordon, MD (Texas Spine and Joint Hospital, Tyler). Dr. Gordon has contributed to the development of several patented devices, including an artificial functional spinal unit system and an expandable articulating intervertebral implant. He founded the device company Flexuspine along with his practice, Gordon Spine Associates, based in Tyler, Texas. He is a co-founder of Texas Spine and Joint Hospital and a member of the North American Spine Society and American Association of Neurological Surgeons, among other professional organizations. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed his residency and fellowship at The Medical College of Virginia.

Regis W. Haid, Jr., MD (Atlanta Brain and Spine Care, Atlanta). Dr. Haid holds multiple patents for implants used during cervical lateral mass plating, anterior cervical plating, posterior and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion and cervical arthroplasty. He is a founding partner of Atlanta Brain and Spine Care and medical director of the Piedmont Spine Center and neuroscience service line at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta. Dr. Haid has traveled internationally to present at spine conferences, including visits to Italy, Russia and Switzerland. He was previously the staff neurosurgeon for the U.S. Air Force at Wilford Hall Medical Center in San Antonio. Dr. Haid earned his medical degree from West Virginia University in Morgantown, where he also completed his neurosurgical residency. He received fellowship training in spinal disorders at the University of Florida College of Medicine.

Ken Y. Hsu, MD (St. Mary's Spine Center, San Francisco). Dr. Hsu is co-inventor – with James F. Zucherman, MD, also at St. Mary's — of the X Stop Interspinous Process Decompression System, which alleviates the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis. The process, FDA-approved in 2005, was first in the category of interspinous process devices. Dr. Hsu, who holds 43 patents, has been the director of spine surgery at St. Mary's Medical Center since 1988 and is a member of the clinical faculty at Stanford University. He received his medical degree from State University of New York, completed a residency in general surgery at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco and an orthopedic surgery residency at St. Mary's. He completed a fellowship in spine and pediatric orthopedic surgery at the University of Hong Kong.

A. Jay Khanna, MD (Johns Hopkins Medical Center, Baltimore). Dr. Khanna is an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery and biomedical engineering at the Johns Hopkins University and holds patents for an orthopedic screw system and universally deployable and expandable bone and screw anchor assembly. He currently serves on the clinical teams of BOSS Medical and Cortical Concepts, two companies that he co-founded with his colleagues and biomedical engineering students from Johns Hopkins to foster the development of new orthopedic technologies. Dr. Khanna previously served as the Clinical Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Bioengineering, Innovation and Design (CBID) which prepares graduate and undergraduate biomedical engineering students to become leaders in the medical device industry and creates collaborations between clinicians and engineers at Hopkins to develop new technologies and companies. Dr. Khanna has a special interest in treating patients with cervical spinal disorders and the use of minimally invasive techniques for the treatment of lumbar spinal disorders. He is a member of North American Spine Society and American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Khanna has research interests in minimally invasive spine surgery and spinal biomechanics. He earned his medical degree at the Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., and completed his residency at Johns Hopkins. His additional training includes a fellowship spine surgery in the departments of in orthopedic and neurosurgery at the Cleveland Clinic.

Jeffrey A. Kozak, MD (Foundren Orthopedic Group, Houston). Dr. Kozak is a spine surgeon with Foundren Orthopedic Group and has a special interest in performing anterior procedures. He helped design several spinal implants and holds a patent for a spinal fixation device he invented. During his career, Dr. Kozak served on the Texas Workers' Compensation Task Force and authored several professional articles on spine surgery. He is a founding member and past president of the Texas Spine Society and member of the North American Spine Society. Dr. Kozak earned his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, where he also completed his residency in orthopedic surgery. His additional training includes spinal fellowships in England, France and Germany.

Casey K. Lee, MD (Spine Care and Rehabilitation, Roseland, N.J.). Dr. Lee is a spine surgeon with Spine Care and Rehabilitation and founder of Nexgen Spine, which developed the Physio-L Artificial Disc. He serves as chairman and chief medical officer of Nexgen Spine and continues his interest in the development of artificial disc prostheses. During his career, Dr. Lee has served as president of the North American Spine Society and New Jersey Orthopaedic Society as well as co-founder of the Korean American Spine Society. He has authored several papers published in spine text books and peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Lee earned his medical degree from Kyungpook National University Medical School in Korea and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Carney Hospital/Boston City Hospital in Boston. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Lee spent time as a professor of surgery at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey-New Jersey Medical School in Newark.

Isador Lieberman, MD (Texas Back Institute, Plano). Dr. Lieberman holds multiple patents for his technological innovations, including SpineAssist, a robotic tool he recently co-developed for use during minimally invasive spine surgery. He has held appointments with Cleveland Clinic as staff surgeon and professor of surgery at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. His developments have been recognized with awards from Cleveland Clinic and the Spine Society of Europe. He recently co-founded the Uganda Charitable Spine Surgeon Mission, with which he accompanies a team of surgeons to visit Uganda each year to treat the underprivileged with spine conditions. He earned his medical degree from the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, and completed his residency at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto. He also completed residency programs in orthopedic surgery at two Toronto hospitals along with a clinical fellowship in spine and trauma surgery at The Toronto Hospital.

David W. Lowry, MD (The Brain+Spine Center, Holland, Mich.). Dr. Lowry is a neurological spine surgeon with The Brain+Spine Center and co-founder of TransCorp Spine. He continues to serve as a board member of the company. During his career, Dr. Lowry invented a new spine surgery technique, the TransCorporal Micro Discectomy, for patients suffering from spinal stenosis. He holds two patents for his work and continues his efforts in research and development in areas such as the cervical spine. Dr. Lowry is a member of North American Spine Society and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He also serves on the board of trustees for Hope College, his alma mater. Dr. Lowry earned his medical degree at Johns Hopkins Medical School in Baltimore and completed additional training at the University of Pittsburgh.

Robert Masson, MD (NeuroSpine Institute, Orlando). Dr. Masson is the founder and president of NeuroSpine Institute and a retired Lieutenant Commander of the United States Naval Reserve. He has a professional interest in minimally invasive spine surgery and developer of the iMAS surgical principles, techniques and products for Synthes Spine. The iMAS is an interpedicular minimal access surgery of the lumbar spine. During his career, Dr. Masson has treated several professional athletes, including football and basketball players. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Masson is a member of the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. He was also featured on a Discovery Health documentary as a neurological surgery expert. Dr. Masson earned his medical degree at the University of Florida and completed his neurological surgery residency in Gainesville, Fla. His additional training includes a fellowship in skull base surgery and neurotology at the House Ear Clinic in Los Angeles.

Seth Neubardt, MD (Seth Neubardt, M.D. & Jack Stern, M.D., Ph.D., White Plains, N.Y.). Dr. Neubardt is the sole inventor of several medical patents, including one for a spinal procedure to safely insert screws which is now used at more than 25 hospitals in 15-plus countries. He has a professional interest in developing technology for minimally invasive spine surgery, such as an electrically insulated surgical probing tool and an apparatus and method for locating defects in bone tissue. He is a fellow with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and member of the North American Spine Society. Dr. Neubardt earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Montefiore medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City. His additional training includes an orthopedic and neurological spine fellowship at New York University Medical Center in New York City.

Kenneth A. Pettine, MD (Rocky Mountain Associates, Loveland, Colo.). Dr. Pettine is co-inventor and co-designer of the Maverick Artificial Disc, a disc replacement device for the neck and back. He is a co-founder of Rocky Mountain Associates and a surgeon at Loveland (Colo.) Surgery Center. During his career, Dr. Pettine has been chief investigator for eight FDA studies involving non-fusion spine technology. He is a distinguished speaker at national and international symposiums and the author of nearly 20 research publications. He received his medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver. He completed his residency and his master's degree in orthopedic surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., and completed a fellowship at the Institute for Low Back Care in Minneapolis.

David G. Schwartz, MD (OrthoIndy Northwest, Indianapolis). Dr. Schwartz is the inventor of the Anteres Spinal Instrumentation System, which is used for the treatment of spinal fractures, scoliosis and tumors. During his career, Dr. Schwartz's clinical interests include spinal deformities, kyphosis, scoliosis and low back pain. He is the director of OrthoIndy's Spine Fellowship and an assistant clinical professor in the department of orthopedic surgery at Indiana University in Bloomington. He earned his medical degree from Loyola University in Chicago, completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at Northwestern University in Chicago and received fellowship training in spine surgery at the Leatherman Spine Center, Kosair Childrens Hospital and the University of Louisville, all located in Louisville, Ky.

Jeffrey Wang, MD (UCLA Comprehensive Spine Center, Los Angeles). Dr. Wang practices with the UCLA Comprehensive Spine Center and is the director of the UCLA Spine Surgery Fellowship. He is the inventor of an artificial disc, which he used in a spine surgery for Governor Benigno R. Fitial, who was suffering from spinal stenosis. During his career, Dr. Wang has served on the editorial boards for several professional journals, including editor-in-chief for Global Spine Journal and deputy editor for The Spine Journal. He has served on the board of directors for the Cervical Spine Research Society and North American Spine Society as well as held leadership positions with the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Wang runs a basic science laboratory. His research interests include gene therapy for spinal disorders, minimally invasive spine surgery and bone growth biological proteins. He earned his medical degree at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Wang's additional training includes a spine and spinal cord injury fellowship at University Hospitals of Cleveland.

Anthony T. Yeung, MD (Desert Institute for Spine Care, Phoenix). Dr. Yeung developed the FDA-approved Yeung Endoscopic Spine System, and was one of the first spine surgeons to utilize endoscopically-guided laser for degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine. During his career, Dr. Yeung has authored more than 70 scientific publications on his technique. He is currently the president of the World Congress of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgeons and has held leadership positions within numerous other national and international spine organizations. Dr. Yeung received his medical degree from University of New Mexico School of Medicine in Albuquerque, completed his residency at Maricopa County General Hospital in Phoenix and served in the U.S. Navy Medical Corp in Subic Bay, Philippines.

Jim Zucherman, MD (San Francisco Orthopaedic Surgeons). Dr. Zucherman is a senior spine partner at San Francisco Orthopaedic Surgeons Medical Group and inventor and co-developer of the X-Stop, an interspinous process device for treating lumbar spinal stenosis. He is also in the process of developing the Starflex motion preservation minimally invasive spine stabilization device through Spartek. During his career, Dr. Zucherman has pioneered several surgical techniques and developed one of the first laparoscopic lumbar spinal fusions and percutaneous cervical discectomy procedures in the United States. He has been a principle investigator for the Prodisc and Flexicore FDA lumbar disc replacement trials as well as the Prestige and Cervicore cervical disc replacement trials. Dr. Zucherman earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and completed his residency in orthopedic surgery through the San Francisco Orthopaedic Residency Program. His additional training includes a pediatric and orthopedic spine surgery fellowship at the Duchess of Kent Children's Orthopaedic Hospital of the University of Hong Kong.