Division of Spine Surgery

The Division of Spine Surgery provides state of the art spine care, performing evaluation and diagnostics, therapeutic injection procedures, and advanced surgical procedures on the spine. Our team of seven board certified spine surgeons and two board certified physiatrists contribute to Scripps Clinic’s recognition as a Center of Excellence for spine care, addressing many types of back injuries and neck and spine conditions, including neck pain, lower back pain, sciatica, scoliosis, herniated disc and spinal stenosis. Our focus is on relieving pain arising from the spine by decompressing and stabilizing the spine, using minimally-invasive procedures when possible. We collaborate extensively with our colleagues in neurosurgery and anesthesiology pain management to provide the highest level of care for our patients. We also work in partnership with Scripps MD Anderson Cancer Center to provide high-level spine oncologic and tumor care through a multidisciplinary approach, including surgical resection and reconstruction when appropriate. Through our extensive research in clinical care, biomechanical solutions and biomaterial science, including the discovery and validation of novel nonsurgical pathways such as stem cell use in degenerative disk disorders, we care for our patients at the leading edge of advanced spinal treatments.

Robert Eastlack, MD  (Division Head)

  • Co-Director, Spine Fellowship Training Program
  • Cervical, Minimally Invasive, and Complex Deformity Spine Surgery

Ramin Bagheri, MD

James Bruffey, MD

  • Associate Department Head
  • Spine Care Line Chief

Jamie Glenn, MD

Hai Yan Li, MD

Gregory Mundis Jr., MD

  • Co-Director, Spine Fellowship Training Program

Nayna Patel, MD

Timothy A. Peppers, MD

Roger Thorne, MD

Featured Services

  • Minimally invasive spine surgery

  • Spinal fusion

  • Artificial disc replacement

  • Robotic spine surgery

  • Disk arthroplasty

  • Discectomy

  • Foraminotomy

  • Kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty

  • Complex reconstruction

  • Pediatric & adult deformity correction

  • Cervical spine surgery

  • Complex spine surgery

  • Tumors of the spine

  • Trauma of the spine

  • Injections of the spine

  • Pain management

  • Laminoplasty

  • Laminectomy

  • Pediatric spine surgery

  • Robotic spine surgery

  • Spine surgery revision

  • Non-surgical pain relief

  • Cervical deformity surgery

  • Sacroiliac joint fusion

The Division of Spine actively trains board eligible/certified neurosurgeons and orthopaedic spine surgeons to pursue a career as advanced-level spine surgeons. We also educate Navy orthopaedic surgery residents in order to better prepare them for careers in orthopaedic and spine surgery. Finally, there are ongoing observational opportunities for high school, college, and medical students who desire exposure to a specialized field of medicine, and we routinely have the presence of the students in our clinics, operating rooms, and labs.

For more information or to apply, please visit the Graduate Medical Education page.

  • Our Division performs extensive clinical research in partnership with leading institutions across the country and globe, including Hospital for Special Surgery, UCSF, NYU, Duke, Japan, and the European Union. This allows us to be on the leading edge of expertise in caring for our patients with optimal success and technological advancement.
  • Spine Division partners are also faculty members for the San Diego Spine Fellowship Training Program through San Diego Spine Foundation (SDSF). Many of our research projects are a joint effort between Scripps and SDSF. To see a list of our publications and presentations, please visit the SDSF webpage.
SEE ALL SCMG RESEARCH