Complex spine fellowship

Surgical techniques

As a Complex Spine Fellow there are numerous procedures you'll be able to be involved with. They range from the minimally invasive to complex deformity surgeries. The techniques you'll have a chance to learn about include...

• Endoscopic Spine Surgery
• MIS Deformity/Fusions
• Spine Robotics
• Advanced Lateral Techniques (Anterior-to-Psoas, Lateral ALIF)
• Adult Thoracolumbar Deformity Correction
• Cervical Deformity
• PSO
• VCR
• En Bloc and Intralesional Tumor Resection
• Spine Trauma
• Revision Spine surgery and Reconstruction
• Degenerative Spine Disease
• Peripheral Nerve Repair

Research opportunities

There are clinical and translational research labs you can be involved with that focus on investigating novel ways to measure and track surgical outcomes as well as to develop novel surgical devices and perform biomechanical studies. Dr. Ozturk also has a basic science laboratory that investigates spinal oncology. Spine fellows will have opportunities to be an integral member of our research labs and represent us at national meetings by giving podium presentations and running cadaver courses at national society meetings.

Length of fellowship

Your time as a Complex Spine Fellow will last a total of 1 full year.

Welcome to the Complex Spine Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania!

My goal is to expose our fellows to a great variety of cases within the field of spine surgery. Together with our world-renowned faculty, fellows will have an opportunity to learn and advance their skills throughout the entire spectrum of spine surgery. Training will encompass simple and complex degenerative spine disease, minimally invasive spine surgery, deformity, spinal oncology, and trauma. Fellows will have opportunities to learn complex deformity surgical techniques such PSO, VCR, minimally invasive surgical techniques such as endoscopic spine surgery, advanced lateral techniques (anterior-to-psoas, lateral ALIF), spine robotics, complex oncologic tumor resections, and others. At the University of Pennsylvania, we perform over 2000 spine surgeries yearly, and are staffed by 10 board-certified spine-focused orthopedic and neurosurgeons.

In addition to robust clinical training, the fellows will be expected to participate in rigorous clinical and translational research in spine surgery. I lead the clinical and translational research lab that focuses on investigating novel ways to measure and track surgical outcomes as well as to develop novel surgical devices and perform biomechanical studies. During the fellowship year, we want our fellows to develop as clinician-scientists and thought-leaders on the national and international stage. Fellows will have the opportunity to be an integral member of our research lab and represent us at national meetings by giving podium presentations and running cadaver courses at national society meetings.

At the University of Pennsylvania, we are training the next generation of leaders in spine surgery. This is an exciting time at the department of Neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania and especially in the division of spine surgery. We look forward to hearing from you all!

My very best,

Ali K. Ozturk, MD, FAANS

Current fellow

Please send an email to Dr. Ozturk and Susan Small with your CV expressing your interest in joining the Complex Spine Fellowship. They will send you instructions on the proper guidelines to follow for applying.

Dr. Ozturk

Director

Email: Ali.Ozturk@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Susan Small

Residency Program Coordinator

Email: Susan.Small@pennmedicine.upenn.edu