Dr. Kris Radcliff

Dr. Kris Radcliff is a board-certified spine surgeon with a Harvard education and Jefferson fellowship training who is an international expert in fixing complex surgical problems using innovative surgical techniques.

Pioneering Motion-Preserving Spine Care

His work is dedicated exclusively to spine surgery, focusing on artificial disc replacement and minimally invasive spine surgery, including endoscopic discectomy and the revolutionary TOPS (Total Posterior Spine) system. Dr. Radcliff is recognized for delivering highly personalized spine care that combines meticulous surgical precision with advanced motion-preserving techniques—offering patients safe, innovative solutions that often eliminate the need for traditional spinal fusion.

Dr. Radcliff has performed thousands of spine surgeries, integrating thoughtful clinical decision-making with advanced surgical techniques to treat conditions ranging from degenerative disc disease to complex spinal trauma. His philosophy blends conservative treatment planning with refined surgical skill, ensuring every procedure respects the patient’s specific condition, anatomy, and lifestyle goals.

Distinguished Academic Foundation

Dr. Radcliff graduated with honors from Harvard College and earned his medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine on a prestigious Dean’s Tuition Scholarship. His surgical training includes an orthopedic residency at the renowned Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and a clinical spine surgery fellowship at the internationally respected Thomas Jefferson University.

Currently a Professor in both the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Department of Neurological Surgery at Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Dr. Radcliff continues to train the next generation of spine specialists, passing on his expertise in minimally invasive, motion-preserving, and complex reconstructive techniques.

Advanced Specialties

Artificial Disc Replacement: Restores natural spine movement using next-generation implants designed to prevent the stiffness and limitations of traditional fusion. Dr. Radcliff has written over 18 articles on artificial disc replacement and is a leading author on some of the most commonly cited cervical and lumbar research articles.
TOPS System: An innovative alternative to fusion that preserves the full range of motion in the lower back while stabilizing damaged joints.

Endoscopic Spine Surgery: Performs delicate spinal repairs through an incision so small that a single stitch can cover it.
Minimally Invasive Techniques: Achieves the same corrective goals as open surgery with less tissue disruption, reduced pain, and dramatically shorter recovery times.
Complex Spinal Reconstruction: Provides highly customized surgical solutions for severe deformities, failed prior surgeries, or multi-level spinal instability.

The Radcliff Difference

With a reputation for delivering technically sophisticated care with compassion and clarity, Dr. Kris Radcliff has earned the trust of patients, peers, and the global spine community. His mission is to restore function, preserve mobility, and enhance quality of life—through surgical excellence backed by decades of training, research, and innovation.

International Recognition

Recognized worldwide for his scholarly contributions, Dr. Radcliff is a frequent speaker at national and international spine conferences, where he educates fellow surgeons on advanced surgical techniques, complication avoidance, and the latest developments in spine care.

He serves as course director for an elite international spine surgery think tank held annually in Cabo San Lucas, hosting over 130 leading spine surgeons from around the globe to collaborate on the future of spinal innovation.

Global Thought Leadership and Innovation

As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Radcliff has served as principal investigator in numerous FDA clinical trials, including research on:

Cervical and lumbar disc replacement
Bone growth stimulation
Basivertebral nerve ablation for chronic back pain

Additionally, he has authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications, more than 20 textbook chapters, and a widely acclaimed book on spinal instrumentation that has been translated into four languages. In fact, Dr. Radcliff’s published work has been cited over 8000 times by other researchers. He is an expert among experts. His research contributions include seminal work on cervical and lumbar artificial disc replacement, innovative conservative management strategies for disc-related back pain, and biologic therapies for neurogenic pain syndromes.

Education

A.B., Harvard University
M.D., Duke University School of Medicine
Residency, Orthopaedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine
Fellowship, Spine and Spinal Cord Injury, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Titles & Certifications

Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Neurological Surgery, Sidney Kimmel Medical College
Board Certified, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Surgical Specializations

Lumbar Fusion
Sacroiliac Joint Fusion
Cervical Fusion
Cervical Laminoplasty
Microdiscectomy
Endoscopic Spine Surgery
Spinal Stenosis Treatment
Spinal Fracture Stabilization
Disc Replacement
Lumbar Laminectomy

Professional Associations

Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery
North American Spine Society
International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (2020 Course Chairman)
American Orthopaedic Association

Why Patients Trust Dr. Radcliff

Personalized Problem-Solving: Each treatment plan is built around the patient’s unique condition, lifestyle, and goals, ensuring care as individual as the person receiving it.
Advanced Recovery Focus: His surgical techniques are designed to reduce downtime, helping patients return to their normal activities sooner and with greater comfort.
Early Access to Innovation: Through his role in clinical research, Dr. Radcliff connects patients with promising new treatments before they become widely available.
Global Professional Reputation: Surgeons worldwide seek insights on the latest techniques, trusting his expertise and leadership in the field.
Decisions Backed by Data: Every recommendation is supported by firm clinical evidence and outcome tracking, ensuring the highest likelihood of lasting success.

Publications (Peer Reviewed)

Two-Year Results of the Prospective Spine Treatment Outcomes Study: An Analysis of Complication Rates, Predictors of Their Development, and Effect on Patient-Derived Outcomes at Two Years of Surgical Management of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy. Gerling MC, Radcliff K, Isaacs R, Bianco K, Jalai CM, Worley NJ, Parmar J, Poorman GW, Horn SR, Moon JY, Arnold PM, Vaccaro AR, Passias P. World Neurosurg Oct 2017 PMID 28673888
Outcome of a Resident Spine Surgical Skills Training Program. Calio BP, Kepler CK, Koerner JD, Rihn JA, Millhouse P, Radcliff KE. Clin Spine Surg Oct 2017 PMID28937469
Which Domains of the ODI Best Predict Change in Physical Function in Patients after Surgery for Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis. Murphy HA, Warnick E, McGintee R, Nicholson K, Hollern DA, Stawicki C, Tarazona D, Schroeder GD, Woods BI, Kurd MF, Rihn JA, Anderson GD, Kepler CK, Hilibrand AS, Vaccaro AR, Radcliff KE. Spine 2017 Oct. PMID 29028759
Two-Year Results of the Prospective Spine Treatment Outcomes Study: Analysis of Postoperative Clinical Outcomes Between Patients with and without a History of Previous Cervical Spine Surgery. Radcliff K, Jalai C, Vira S, Yang S, Boniello AJ, Bianco K, Oh C, Gerling M, Poorman G, Horn SR, Buza JA 3rd, Isaacs RE, Vaccarro AR, Passias PG. World Neurosurg Sept 2017 PMID 28962949
Novel Index to Quantify the Risk of Surgery in the Setting of Adult Spinal Deformity: A Study on 10,912 Patients from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Diebo BG, Jalai CM, Challier V, Maraschalchi BJ, Horn SR, Poorman GW, Bono OJ, Cherkalin D, Worley N, Oh J, Naziri Q, Spitzer A, Radcliff K, Patel A, Lafage V, Paulino CB, Passias PG. Clini Spine Surg Aug 2017 PMID 28169941
The Effect of Hospital Ownership on Health Care Utilization in Orthopaedic Surgery. Schroeder GD, Kurd MF, Kepler CK, Radcliff KE, Maltenfort MG, Murphy H, Rihn JA, Anderson DG, Hilibrand AS, Vaccarro AR. Clin Spine Surg Aug 2017 PMID 28787282
Are patient-reported outcomes predictive of patient satisfaction 5 years after anterior cervical spine surgery? Schroeder GD, Coric D, Kim HJ, Albert TJ, Radcliff KE. Spine J July 2017 PMID 28254671

Honors, Awards, and Memberships

1996-2000 Harvard College Faculty Scholarship
1996 National Merit Scholarship, National Merit Finalist
2000-2004 Duke University Dean’s Tuition Scholarship
2002-2003 Research Fellowship, Stanley J. Sarnoff Endowment for Science
2007 Baylor College of Medicine Outstanding Resident Educator House Staff Award 2008 AOA Resident Leadership Forum Representative
2009 AOA Emerging Leaders Forum Member
2011 Leonard Goldstein Award Winner. The incidence of lumbar adjacent segment disease: A comparison of single level fusion procedures. Scoliosis Research Society
2011 Best Poster Award Scoliosis Research Society: “Does Multilevel Laminectomy Increase Risk of Adjacent Segment Spinal Disease”
2011 Best Paper Section North American Spine Society “Do Epidural Steroid Injections Affect the Outcome of Lumbar Stenosis?”
2011 Best Paper Section North American Spine Society “Predictors of Reoperation: A Subgroup Analysis of SPORT?”
2011 Best Poster Section North American Spine Society “Neurological Injury Following Odontoid Nonunion”
2014 Best Paper Cervical Spine Research Society “Costs of Cervical Disc Replacement versus Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion for Treatment of Single-Level Cervical Disc Disease: An Analysis of the Blue Health Intelligence Database for Acute and Long-Term Costs and ”
2016 North American Spine Society Best Paper “Does Sagittal Balance Influence the Surgical Outcomes of Patients with Cervical Myelopathy?”
2016 North American Spine Society Best Paper “Correlating Patient-Reported Outcomes to Patient Satisfaction in Patients’ with a Lumbar Disc Herniation”
2016 North American Spine Society Best Paper “The Total Cost to the Health Care System for the Treatment of Cervical Myelopathy”
2018 Top 40 under 40, North American Spine Society
2019 CSRS 1st Place Clinical Research Award Winner Presentation #66 The Real Costs of ACDF: A Time-Driven Activity-Based Costing Analysis
2020 ISASS Best Paper Award Nominee: Patient Outcomes Following Short-segment Lumbar Fusion Are Not Affected by PI-LL Mismatch
2021 ISASS Top Article: Final Long-Term Reporting from a Randomized Controlled IDE Trial for Lumbar Artificial Discs in Single-Level Degenerative Disc Disease: 7-Year Results
2022 Top Doc