Prof. Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli is the ideal selection for a surgeon for any patient considering surgery. He is what as known in medicine as a surgeon's sugeon. He has an impeccable academic and research background focused on motion preservation of the spine. Combined with his manual skills, his engineering background, English abilities, good bedside manner and extremely well-organized and experienced OR team, we simple do not know of better a spine surgeon anywhere in the world. This is recognized not only by EMT, but medical boards, and wolrd-renowned institutions in the US and other countries. So well-recognized is he other surgeon seek his medical treatment from all over the world.
European Medical Tourist is very pleased and honored to recommend Prof. Dr. Bertagnoli. This recommendation stands after shepparding hundreds of patients through surgery with Prof. Dr. Bertagnoli. And although Prof. Dr. Bertagnoli focuses on arificial disc replacement his skills go far beyond just one type of surgery. This is good for the patient, because the patient wants the best solution applied, not the only solution the doctor knows. Indeed we have seen him successfully complete surgeries no surgeon in the US would touch.
Education
1980 - 1984 Medical School of the University of Vienna - Vienna, Austria
1984 - 1985 Resident, Institute of Anatomy, University of Vienna (Director: Prof.Dr.W.Firbas) Vienna, Austria
1985 - 1985 Resident, Dept. of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Emergency Hospital Lorenz Böhler (Director: Prof. Dr. J. Poigenfürst) Vienna, Austria
1985 - 1986 Resident, Dept. of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery Emergency Hospital (Director: Dr. med. univ. R. Streli) Linz, Austria
1987 - 1987 Resident, German Center for Spine Surgery (Director: Dr. med. K. Zielke) Bad Wildungen, Germany
Medical Posts
1987 - 1989 Supervising Surgeon, German Center for Spine Surgery (Director: Dr. med. K. Zielke) Bad Wildungen, Germany
1989 - 1994 Assistant Professor, Chief of Spinal Department, Orthopedic Univ. Hospital, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany. (Director: Prof. Dr. H.G. Willert)
1994 – 2004 Orthopedic Consultant St. Elisabeth Clinic, Orthopeadic Associates (OGP Dres. Ebner, Fett, Eichhorn, Strobel, Bertagnoli) Straubing, Germany
1994 - Depatment Head of Spine Center St.Elisabeth Clinic, Straubing/Bogen, Germany
1994 - Department Head of St. Wolfgang Spine Center, St. Wolfgang Clinic Bad Griesbach, Germany
1994 - Department Head of Spine Unit at Johannesbad Clinic Bad Füssing - Bad Füssing, Germany
2005 - Chief Executive Officer Pro Spine (First European Center for Spine Arthroplasty and Associated Non Fusion Technologies (ECSA)) Straubing/Bogen, Germany
with the following facilities:
- Specialized departments for Conservative and Operative Spine Therapy at St. Elisabeth Klinikum Straubing and KKH Bogen, Germany until 2011
- Department for Conservative Spine Therapy and Pain Therapy at Johannesbad Klinik Bad Füssing, Germany andSt.-Wolfgang Klinik Bad Griesbach, Germany
- Outpatient Clinic, Center of excellence with direct affiliation to KKH Hospital Bogen, Germany
- Outpatient Clinic for Invasive Pain Therapy at KKH Hospital Bogen, Germany
- Scientific Department “Medical Consulting” ProSpine, Bogen, Germany
- Alpha Klinik - Spine Department - Dr. Horst Dekkers Munich, Germany until 2009
Memberships in Professional Organizations
- SAS - Spine Arthroplasty Society: President 2004 /2005, Founding Member, Board Member, Member of Past President Board
- SEN - Spine Evolution Nucleus Europe e.V.: President
- ISMISS - International Society for Minimal Intervention in Spinal Surgery: German Representative
- IMAST - International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques: Faculty Member
- Orthopedics Today International: Editorial Advisory Board Member
- NASS - North American Spine Society: Member
- SSE - Spine Society of Europe: Member
- AOSpine International: Member
- Deutsche Gesellschaft für Wirbelsäulenchirurgie e.V.: Member
- Deutscher Orthopäden - Verband e.V.: Member
- Berufsverband der Fachärzte für Orthopädie e.V.: Member
- GICD - Europe: Groupe International Cotrel - Dubousset: Member
- SSI - Swiss Spine Institute: Member
As a sought after physician, researcher and teacher, it is not surprising that Prof. Dr. Bertagnoli, has become a prolific author with a total impact factor of 28.3. Please review the list of some of his publications below.
Motion Preservation Surgery of the Spine
Editorial Board: Yue, Bertagnoli, McAfee, An
Chapter Contributions: Lumbar Lateral ALPA, Coflex, Interspineous Implants, Autologous Chondrocte Disc Transplant (ACDT): Early Results, Multilevel Disc Arthroplasty
ISBN 978-14160-3994-5
El Dolor (Spanish) / Rückenschmerz (German)
Author: Rudolf Bertagnoli Dr.med.univ.
Bestseller in Spanish and German
Total Disc Replacement
Authors: Rudolf Bertagnoli Dr.med.univ., R. Marnay, MD
Published by Spine Solutions 2003
Total Disc Replacement
Authors: Rudolf Bertagnoli, Dr. med. Univ., R. Marnay MD
Published by Synthes 2005 - 2nd edition
Nonfusion Technologies in Spine Surgery (2007)
Chapter Contributions: Motion Preservation, Disc Replacement for the Lumbar, Degenerative Disorders with the ProDisc L Prosthesis
Chapter Contributions in Nucleus Arthroplasty Technology
Vol I Fundamentals:
Authors: M. Cunningham; F. Girardi; R. Bertagnoli; Viscogliosi:
Nucleus Arthroplasty
Authors: R. Bertagnoli; F. Girardi; R. Davis:
Nucleus Replacement, Complications and Salvage Procedures
Vol II Biomechanics Development
Authors: F.Girardi; A. Smama; Cammissa F.; R. Bertagnoli
Integration of Nucleus Arthroplasty Technology into the Continuum of Care
Vol III Surgical Techniques & Technologies
Authors: A. Sama; R. Bertagnoli; F. Girardi:
Examination, Radiologic and Diagnostic Evaluation and Patient Selection
Orthopedic Clinics Of North America Nonfusion Technology in Spinal Surgery (2005)
Guest Editor: R. Bertagnoli, Dr. med. Univ. Contributing Chapter: Lumbar Partial Disc Replacement
Progress in Neural Surgery Vol. 16 2003: Advances in Spinal Stabilization
Contributing Chapter: Interbody Carbon Fibre
Spinal Restabilization Procedures (2002)
Contributing Chapter: Review of Modern Treatment Options for Degenerative Disc Disease
Dynamic Reconstruction of the Spine
Contributing Chapter: Indications for Total Lumbar Disk Replacement
Original Publications
Adjacent Segment Syndrome
The Spine Journal 2 (2002): 460-453
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Artificial Intervertebral Discs and Beyond: A North American Spine Society Annual Meeting Symposium
The Spine Journal 2 (2002): 460-453
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Non Fusion Arthroplasty (2004)
SpineLine
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Lumbar Partial Disc Replacement
Ortop Clin N Am 36 (2005): 341 - 347
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Early Results After ProDisc C Cervical Disc Replacement
J Neurosurg: Spine 2 (2005): 403 - 410
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Cervical Total Disc Replacement, Part Two: Clinical Results
Orthop Clin N Am 36 (2005): 355 - 362
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Hybrid Constructs Orthop Clin N Am 36 (2005) : 379 - 388
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The Treatment of Disabling Single Level Lumbar Discogenic Low Back Pain with Total Disc Arthroplasty Utilizing the Prodisc Prosthesis
Spine Vol 30 No.19 (2005): 2230 - 2236
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The Treatment of Disabling Multilevel Lumbar Discogenic Back Pain with Total Disc Arthroplasty Utilizing the ProDisc Prosthesis
Spine Vol 30 No.19 (2005): 2192 - 2199
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Lumbar Total Disc Arthroplasty in Patients Older Than 60 Years of Age: A Prospective Study of the ProDisc Prosthesis with 2-year Minimum Follow-up
J Neurosurg Spine 4 (2006): 85 - 90
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Lumbar Total Disc Arthroplasty Utilizing the Prodisc Prosthesis in Smokers versus Nonsmokers:
A Prospective Study with 2-year Minimum Follow-up
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Publications since 2007
Bertagnoli R; Meisel H; Reinhardt A; Weber F;Libera J; Herdmann O; Josimovic-Alasevic O.
Eurodisc Study- Assessment of efficacy and safety of sequestromy plus autologuous disc chondrocytes-second analysis
of a subgroup Spine J 2007; 7 (5): 56S-57S
Bertagnoli R; Yue J.
Cervical disc arthroplasty in DDD with the the ProDisc C Prosthesis Spine J 2007; 7 (5): 89S
Bertagnoli R; Yue J.
Motion preservation in lumbar DDD with the ProDisc L Prosthesis: 2 - 5 years results Spine J 2007; 7 (5): 89S-90S
Bertagnoli R.
Coflex interspineous implant: Motion preservation treatment in lumbar degenerative stenosis patients – minimum 1 year results Spine J 2006 6 (5) 143S
Bertagnoli R; Yue J; Kershaw T; Shah RV, Pfeiffer F; Fenk-Mayer A, Nanieva R; Karg A; DS. Husted and Emerson JW.
Lumbar Total Disc Arthroplasty Utilizing the ProDisc Prosthesis in Smokers versus Non-Smokers:
A Prospective Study with 2 Year Minimum Follow-Up.
Spine 2006; 31(9): 992-7.
Bertagnoli R; Yue J; Fenk-Mayer A; Eerulkar J and Emerson JW.
Treatment of symptomatic adjacent-segment degeneration after lumbar fusion with total disc arthroplasty by using the ProDisc prosthesis:
a prospective study with 2-year minimum follow up.
J Neurosurg: Spine 2006; 4:91-7.
Bertagnoli R; Yue J; Nanieva R; Fenk-Mayer A; Husted DS; Shah RV and Emerson JW.
Lumbar total disc arthroplasty in patients older than 60 years of age: a prospective study of the ProDisc prosthesis with 2-year minimum follow-up period.
J Neurosurg: Spine 2006; 4: 85-90
Bertagnoli R; Yue J; Shah RV; Nanieva R; Pfeiffer F; Fenk–Mayer A; Kershaw T and Husted S.
The treatment of disabling single-level lumbar discogenic low back pain with total disc arthroplasty utilizing the Prodisc prosthesis:
a prospective study with 2 year minimum follow-up. Spine 2005; 30;19: 2230-6.
Bertagnoli R; Yue J; Shah RV; Nanieva R; Pfeiffer F; Fenk–Mayer A; Kershaw T and Husted S.
The treatment of disabling multi-level lumbar discogenic low back pain with total disc arthroplasty utilizing the Prodisc prosthesis:
a prospective study with 2 year minimum follow-up. Spine 2005; 30;19: 2192-9.
Bertagnoli R; Sabatino CT; Edwards J; Gontarz G; Prewett A; Parsons J.
Mechanical testing of a novel hydrogel nucleus replacement implant.
Spine J 2005; 5(6):672-681.
Bertagnoli R; Karg A; Voigt S.
Lumbar partial disc replacement. Orthop Clin N Am 2005; 36 (3):341-7
Bertagnoli R; Duggal N; Gwynedd EP; Wigfield CC; Gill SS; Karg A; Voigt S.
Cervical total disc replacement, Part two: Clinical results.
Orthop Clin N Am 2005; 36 (3):355-362
Bertagnoli R; Tropiano R; Zigler J; Karg A; Voigt S.
Hybrid constructs.
Orthop Clin N Am 2005; 36 (3):379-388.
Bertagnoli R; Zigler J; Karg A; Voigt S.
Complications and strategies for revision surgery in total disc replacement. Orthop Clin N Am 2005; 36 (3):389-395.
Bertagnoli R; Yue J; Pfeiffer F; Fenk-Mayer A; Lawrence JP; Kershaw T; Nanieva R.
Early results after Prodisc-C cervical disc replacement.
J Neurosurg: Spine 2005; 2: 403-410.
Bertagnoli R. Disc surgery in motion.
SpineLine 2004; 6:23-28.
Bertagnoli R and Vazquez RJ.
The AnteroLateral transPsoatic Approach (ALPA): a new technique for implanting prosthetic disc-nucleus devices.
J Spinal Disord Tech 2003; 16(4):398-404.
Bertagnoli R. Osteoinductive bone regeneration substance Colloss in spinal fusion
Eur Spine J 2002; 11: 189-190
Bertagnoli R and Kumar S.
Indications for full prosthetic disc arthroplasty: a correlation of clinical outcome against a variety of indications.
Eur Spine J 2002; 11 Suppl 2:S131-6.
Bertagnoli R and Schönmayr R.
Surgical and clinical results with the PDN prosthetic disc-nucleus device.
Eur Spine J 2002; Oct;11 Suppl 2:S143-8.
Bertagnoli R. Indikationen für die rekonstruktive Wirbelsäulenchirurgie.
Implant Ausgabe 1/02; 5-7
Bertagnoli R. Continuum of care in degenerative disc disease.
Back Up 1 - 2001
Publications as Coauthor
Rabin D; Bertagnoli R; Whorton R; Gwynedd EP; Duggal N.
Saggital balance influences range of motion: An in vivo study with the Prodisc C
Spine J 2009 9(2): 128-133
Yue J; Bertagnoli R; Jamarillo J; Oetgen M.
Does vertebral endplate morphoplogy influence clinical and radiographic outcomes in lumbar disc arthroplasty? An initial assessment of a novel classification system of lumbar endplate morphology.
Spine J 2007 7(5): 98S-99S
Yue J; Bertagnoli R; Fenk-Mayer A; Lee J; Kirk J; Karg A; Mc Rae M.
The treatment of symptomatic adjacent segment degeneration after cervical fusion with 2 year follow-up.
Spine J 2006 6 (5) 44S
Joseph V; Sekhon L; Duggal N; Shenouda E; D.Choi; Bertagnoli R; Massicotte E; Fehlings M. Revision strategies for cervical arthroplasty: Results of a multi surgeon international survey Spine J 2006 6 (5) 44S
Yue J; Bertagnoli R; Fenk-Mayer A; Lee J; Kirk J; Karg A; Mc Rae M.
The concurrent use of lumbar total disc arthroplasty and adjacent level lumbar fusion: Hybrid lumbar disc arthroplasty – a prospective study.
Spine J 2006 6 (5) 152S
Rousseau MA; Bradford DS; Bertagnoli R; Hu SS; Lotz, J.C., Disc arthroplasty design influences intervertebral kinematics and facet forces.
Spine J, 2006 6(3), 258-266, 2006.
Lehman RA; Vacarro AR; Bertagnoli R; Kuklo TR.
Standard and minimally invasive approaches to the spine.
Orthop Clin N Am 2005; 36 (3):281-292.
Palussiere J; Berge J; Gangi A; Cotten A; Pasco A; Bertagnoli R; Jaksche H; Carpeggiani P; Deramond H.
Clinical results of an open prospective study of a bis-GMA composite in percutaneous vertebral augmentation.
Eur Spine J 2005 14: 982 - 991
Yue J; Bertagnoli R; Husted D; Shah R; Kershaw T.
The treatment of disabling multilevel lumbar discogenic low back pain with total disc arthroplasty utilizing the prodisc prosthesis: a prospective study with 2 year minimum follow-up.
Spine J 2004 6 (5) 49S- 50S
Zelle B; König F; Enderle A; Bertagnoli R and Dorner J.
Circumferential fusion of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine using a carbon fiber ALIF cage implant versus autogenous bone graft: a comparative study.
J Spinal Disord Tech 2002;15(5):369-76.
Blumenthal SL; Ohnmeiss DD; Guyer R; Hochschuler S; McAfee P; Garcia R; Salib R; Yuan H; Lee C; Bertagnoli R; Bryan V. Artificial intervertebral discs and beyond: a North American Spine Society annual meeting symposium
Spine J 2002; 2(6):460-3.
Früh HJ; Liebetrau A; Bertagnoli R
Fusionsimplantate aus kohlenstoffverstärktem Kunststoff.
Orthopäde 2002 Mai;31(5):454-8.
Bader RJ; Steinhauser E; Rechl H; Mittelmeier W; Bertagnoli R; Gradinger R.
Mechanische Untersuchungen von lumbalen interkorporellen Fusionimplantaten.
Orthopäde 2002 Mai;31(5):459-65.
Steinhauser E; Bader R; Rechl H; Bertagnoli R; Mittelmeier W; Gradinger R.
Mechanische Untersuchung von interkorporellen Wirbelsäulenimplanten . Besonderheiten und Grenzen einer normgerechten Testung.
Biomed Tech 2001 Nov (11):325-32.
Götz W; Bertagnoli R; Herken R.
Struktur und Zusammensetzung der extrazellulären Matrix normaler menschlicher Nuclei pulposi. In: Wilke HJ; Claes LE. (Hrsg). Die traumatische und degenerative Bandscheibe. (Hefte zu "Der Unfallchirurg" ). Berlin, Heidelberg:
Springer 1999:Heft 271 3-15.
Götz W; Barnert S; Bertagnoli R; Miosge N; Kresse H; Herken R.
Immunohistochemical localization of the small proteoglycans decorin and biglycan in human intervertebral discs.
Cell Tissue Res 1997; 289(1):185-90.
Gratz S; Braun HG; Behr TM; Meller J; Herrmann A; Conrad M; Rathmann D;
Bertagnoli R; Willert HG and Becker W.
Photopenia in chronic vertebral osteomyelitis with technetium-99m-antigranulocyte antibody (BW 250/183).
J Nucl Med 1997; 38(2):211-6.
Reeh A; Bertagnoli R; W.Götz. Immunohistochemical detection of growth factors in human intervertebral discs. In: Kühnel W, Hrsg. Verhandlungen der Anatomischen Gesellschaft.
Annals of Anatomy Jena, Stuttgart, New York; 1996;178 (suppl):137-138
Bailey SI, Bartolozzi R, Bertagnoli R; Boriani S; van Beurden FA; Cross AT; Friedl HP;Gurr KR; Halm H; Kruls JA; Metz-Stavenhagen P;Schulze KJ.
The BWM spinal fixator system. A preliminary report of a 2-year prospective, international multicenter study in a range of indications requiring surgical intervention for bone grafting and pedicle screw fixation.
Spine 1996 21(17):2006-15.
Aharinejad S; Bertagnoli R; Wicke K; Firbas W; Schneider B.
Morphometric analysis of vertebrae and intervertebral discs as a basis of disc replacement.
American Journal of Anatomy 1990;189:69-76.