The leader of a new spinal cord injury center and nine more spine surgeons to know:
Douglas Blaty, DO. Northwest Specialty Hospital (Post Falls, Idaho). Dr. Blaty became interested in spine surgery and anatomy as a youth athlete. During his residency at Twin Cities Spine Center in Minneapolis, he led research on lateral-access lumbar spine fusions.
Scott Falci, MD. Falci Institute for Spinal Cord Injuries (Englewood, Colo.). Dr. Falci has more than 29 years of experience treating spinal cord injuries. He launched the Falci Institute for Spinal Cord Injuries in October.
Nitin Khanna, MD. Orthopedic Specialists of Northwest Indiana (St. John). Dr. Khanna is a minimally invasive spine specialist and developed several techniques, including maximum access surgery posterior lumbar interbody fusion, or MAS PLIF. He received three awards from Vitals in 2021, including the Compassionate Doctor Award.
Timothy Kuklo, MD. Denver International Spine Center. Dr. Kuklo's research has focused on spine conditions in soldiers and athletes. He served as residency director of orthopedic surgery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.
Daren McCalla, MD. Houston Scoliosis and Spine Institute. Dr. McCalla is a dedicated mentor for medical, college and high school students from underrepresented backgrounds. He treats conditions including cervical degenerative disc disease, sciatica and spondylolisthesis.
Frank Phillips, MD. Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (Chicago). Dr. Phillips is one of the first spine surgeons to use minimally invasive techniques in Chicago. The North American Spine Society awarded him the 2021 Leon Wiltse Award
Gregory Przybylski, MD. JFK NJ Neuroscience Institute (Edison). Dr. Przybylski earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Woodbury, N.J. and completed his residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. He's a member of the North American Spine Society and received its 2021 Past President Award.
Faheem Sandhu, MD, PhD. MedsStar Health (Columbia, Md.). Dr. Sandhu is director of spine surgery at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington D.C. He's performed more than 6,000 procedures.
Arya Shamie, MD. David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles. Dr. Shamie has been on UCLA's faculty since 2000. He's a qualified medical evaluator for the state of California and was elected as an expert reviewer for the state's medical board.
K. Brandon Strenge, MD. Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky (Paducah). Dr. Strenge is a founding member of the Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky. He's active in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the North American Spine Society, the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and the Southern Orthopaedic Association.
Note: This is not an exhaustive list. Surgeons are listed in alphabetical order. To nominate a surgeon for future lists, please contact Carly Behm at cbehm@beckershealthcare.com.