The Spine Pod

In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Dr. Kevin Rutz, an orthopedic spine surgeon based in St. Louis who brings over two decades of experience in spine care, including nearly 2,000 disc replacement procedures.  With this breadth of experience in motion preservation, Dr. Rutz shares his insights and knowledge on the best applications for when to use motion preserving surgeries for the best possible patient outcomes.

Dr. Rutz isn’t just a surgeon who treats spine conditions; he’s experienced one himself. After he experienced pain and numbness radiating down...

In this episode of The Spine Pod, co-hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf head to Shreveport, Louisiana to sit down—scrubbed in and ready—with one of the true leaders in modern spine care, Dr. Pierce Nunley. Founder of the Spine Institute of Louisiana, Dr. Nunley brings decades of surgical experience, a passion for research, and a hands-on approach to patient care that’s shaping the future of the field.

In this episode, we step inside the operating room to talk about what it means to build a comprehensive, research-driven, spine practice. From his early days fixing motorcy...

In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Dr. Jason Cuéllar, a fellowship-trained orthopaedic spine surgeon based in Palm Beach Gardens, FL, whose practice is built on a simple but powerful goal—restoring motion and function to every patient possible.
 
With over two decades of education and training—earning his MD, PhD, and completing educational stints at prestigious institutions including UC-Davis, Stanford, NYU, and Cedars-Sinai—Dr. Cuéllar brings a rare mix of scientific depth, surgical expertise, and personal experience. Having also undergone spine surgery himself, he understands what it m...

In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Dr. Jonathan Stieber, Director of the Spine Center at both OrthoManhattan and OrthoEnglewood, Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Mount Sinai and Clinical Associate Professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Practicing in the heart of New York City for more than 17 years, Dr. Stieber brings a uniquely comprehensive perspective on how spine care has evolved—and where it’s headed.

Having trained during the early surge of motion preservation, Dr. Stieber shares his firsthand experience participating in some of the...

Struggling with leg and/or back pain and overwhelmed by confusing MRI results? You’re not alone—and this episode is for you.

In this special episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf rejoin forces with Dr. Ahilan Sivaganesan (Dr. Siva), a neurosurgeon building an all-encompassing spine program with Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) at NCH in Naples, Florida. After creating a successful practice at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Dr. Siva has taken a bold step into a new frontier—starting from scratch and building a spine program designed to treat t...

Ep 17 Founder Series Pt 2: A 20-Year Journey to Make Motion Preservation the New Standard in Spine, Scott Hodges, DO

In Part 2 of our Founder Series, co-hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with fellowship-trained, orthopedic spine surgeon Dr. Scott Hodges. Well known by several titles, including Medical Director at 3Spine, co-inventor of MOTUS, and leading advocate for motion preservation in spine surgery, Dr. Hodges shares his behind-the-scenes journey to bringing motion preservation to the forefront of spine care. His enthralling story includes the more than 20-year process of bringing a novel spine implant to m...

Ep 16 Founder Series Pt 1: A Lifetime of Spine Surgery, Motion Advocacy & Giving Back, Craig Humphreys, MD

In this first episode of our two-part Founder Series, co-hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Dr. Craig Humphreys, a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, innovator, and pioneer in spine surgery, to discuss the evolution of motion preservation and the rewarding journey behind MOTUS—the first lumbar total joint replacement for the low back. From his early career in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to building a transformative spine practice in Soldotna, Alaska, Dr. Humphreys shares the journey of how he co...

Ep. 15 From Ideas to Action: How Spine Surgery is Evolving for Better Patient Outcomes, Lali Sekhon, MD

Welcome to Season 2 of the Spine Pod! In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Dr. Lali Sekhon, a neurosurgeon dedicated to improving patient outcomes through patient-centric treatment options. Operating out of Reno, NV at the Reno Orthopedic Center, Dr. Sekhon is driving the future of spine care forward by utilizing the most cutting-edge technologies and surgical approaches. Aside from his commitment to surgical solutions, Dr. Sekhon founded the non-profit T...

Ep 14 The Hip-Spine Connection: What Every Patient & Surgeon Needs to Know, Russell Bodner, MD

In this special episode of The Spine Pod, we break from tradition by welcoming our first sports medicine orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Russell Bodner, a renowned hip-spine expert with over 35 years of experience. Known for his groundbreaking research and contributions to hip and spine biomechanics, Dr. Bodner is advancing a new perspective on how these interconnected systems work together to help the body function properly. 

In this episode, Dr. Bodner describes the body as a kinetic linkage system, emp...

Ep. 13 Teaching the Future of Spine: Research, Motion Preservation, & Improving Care, Jeffrey A. Goldstein, MD

In this episode of The Spine Pod, co-hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Dr. Jeffrey A. Goldstein, a globally recognized expert in orthopedic spine surgery and Director of the Spine Surgery Fellowship and Education programs at NYU Langone. With over 30 years of clinical and research experience, Dr. Goldstein is a staunch advocate for conservative, patient-first treatment plans. His patient-centered philosophy focuses on functional outcomes and prioritizing long-term health of every patient he treats.

Dr...

Join hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf for a special live episode of The Spine Pod, recorded from the floor of the North American Spine Society (NASS) 2024 conference in Chicago. This episode explores the latest advancements in spine surgery, with conversation spanning the spectrum of motion preservation, navigation, robotics, and minimally invasive surgery (MIS). You’ll get to hear from an array of thought leaders across spine care, both industry experts and surgeons, including Pierce Nunley, MD, Louis Nel, MD, Choll Kim, MD, Avinash Patwardhan, PhD, Ted Bird, and William Lavelle, MD. Join us as we sit down to talk...

Ep. 11 A Spine Surgeon Who Refuses to Quit: A Battle for Better Spine Care, Evalina Burger, MD

In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Dr. Evalina Burger, an orthopedic spine surgeon at the UCHealth Spine Center - Anschutz Medical Campus. Dr. Burger recounts her transformative journey from South Africa to the United States, where she has established herself as a leader and innovator at the forefront of spine care. She goes on to share about her own spinal cord injury and how that has changed her p...

Ep. 10 Motion Preservation First: A Spine Surgeon’s Journey to a Fusion-Free Practice, J. Alex Sielatycki, MD 

In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Dr. Alex Sielatycki, an orthopedic spine surgeon dedicating his career to revolutionizing spine surgery through motion preservation. Operating out of Steamboat Springs, CO at the Steamboat Orthopedic & Spine Institute (SOSI), Dr. Sielatycki is at the forefront of a significant shift in spine care—one that prioritizes preserving mobility and improving patient outcomes. Dr. Sielatycki continually proves his commitment to research through clinical trials...

Ep. 09 Mentorship Meets Innovation in Spine Surgery: Creating a Path to Better Care, Richard V. Chua, MD, FAANS, FACS

In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf explore the transformative power of technology in spine surgery with Dr. Richard Chua. As a leading neurosurgeon and professor at Banner University Medical Center in Tucson, AZ, Dr. Chua discusses how minimally invasive surgery (MIS), robotics, and motion preservation are changing the landscape of spine care, offering patients quicker recoveries and improved long-term outcomes. He shares his personal journey into medicine, from his early years...

Ep. 08 - The World of Motion Surgery: A Vocation to Motion Preservation & Global Spine Care, Jared Ament, MD, MPH, FAANS

In this episode of The Spine Pod, co-hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf explore the world of spine surgery through the lens of Dr. Jared Ament, fellowship trained neurosurgeon and co-director of the Spine Neurosurgery at the Neurosurgery & Spine Group. Dr. Ament’s practice is deeply rooted in the principles of holistic care and motion preservation, a philosophy that extends beyond a Los Angeles operating room to his global health initiatives abroad. From leading innovative clinical trials to...

In this episode of The Spine Pod, orthopedic surgeon Dr. Christopher Good, President and CEO of the Virginia Spine Institute (VSI), sits down with hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf to discuss his multi-faceted and holistic approach to spine care. Dr. Good explains how his practice integrates multiple specialties under one roof to offer comprehensive, patient-centered spine treatment. Inspired in his early childhood years by family experiences, Dr. Good has become a leader in the spine industry, driving innovative approaches in spine surgery, encompassing minimally invasive techniques, motion preserving implants, regenerative medicine, navigation and robotics. He discusses how these...

Ep 06 - What Do Spine Surgeons & Professional Athletes Have in Common? - Choll Kim, MD, PhD

In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Courtney Schutze and Brady Riesgraf sit down with Choll Kim, MD, PhD, from the Excel Spine Center in San Diego, CA. A leading expert in Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) and endoscopic spine surgery, Dr. Kim shares his journey to becoming a pioneering spine surgeon, merging novel techniques and devices to provide the highest quality spine care to his patients. Dr. Kim delves into the importance of minimally invasive techniques and motion-preserving implants, discussing...

Ep. 05 - The Intersection: Motion Preservation & Complex Spine Surgery, Alan Daniels, MD & Bassel Diebo, MD

On this episode of The Spine Pod, we dive into the synergistic nature of complex spine surgery and motion-preserving techniques driving innovative options and enhanced patient outcomes. Dr. Alan Daniels and Dr. Bassel Diebo, renowned complex spine surgeons at University Orthopedics in Rhode Island, sit down and share their compelling journeys to becoming leaders in spine care, blending academic excellence and practical innovation to drive the highest-quality care in their practice. As members of the ISSG (International Spine Study Group) a...

Ep 04 - Who’s The Best? Surgeon Rankings, Malaligned Incentives, & Cost Transparency: Ahilan "Siva" Sivaganesan, MD Part 2

If you missed part I with Dr. Ahilan Sivaganesan: Where’s The Money? Health Economics, Motion Preservation, & Value-Based Care you can find it here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-spine-pod/id1745442311?i=1000657800891

In this episode of The Spine Pod, hosts Brady Riesgraf and Courtney Schutze sit back down with Dr. Ahilan “Siva” Sivaganesan to analyze the health economics that are driving cost decisions and surgical options in the operating room. This is the second par...

Ep 03 - Where’s The Money? Healthcare Economics, Motion Preservation, and Value-Based Care, Part 1: Ahilan "Siva" Sivaganesan, MD

In this episode of The Spine Pod, we dive deep into the complex landscape of spine surgery with Dr. Ahilan "Siva" Sivaganesan, a minimally-invasive / endoscopic neurosurgeon and health economics expert at Thomas Jefferson University. Join us as we explore the cutting-edge advancements in motion preservation surgery and patient-centric care models, and how these innovations are transforming health economics in spine care.

Dr. Siva shares his unique journey from a background in statistics to becoming a pio...

Join us on this episode of the Spine Pod with Dr. Avinash Patwardhan as we discuss the fundamental components of spine biomechanics and the driving principles behind why restoring natural motion in the spine is the key to long-term successful outcomes and improved quality of life for patients seeking spine care.

Dr. Avinash Patwardhan is a professor at the Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine and a world-renowned biomechanical engineer and researcher who has made significant contributions to the field of spine surgery. His work on sagittal balance and alignment, motion preservation, spinal kinematics and the follower...

Join us on The Spine Pod as we delve into a behind-the-scenes look at spine surgery with Dr. Armen Khachatryan, a world-renowned orthopedic spine surgeon known for his expertise in motion preservation and cervical disc replacement procedures. Founder of The Disc Replacement Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, Dr. Khachatryan is pioneering patient care with advanced surgical techniques in motion surgery.

In this episode, Dr. Khachatryan shares his insights on the concept of promoting functional spine surgery, emphasizing the significance of preserving natural range of motion in the spine. Learn about how his surgical approach c...

Welcome to The Spine Pod, hosted by Courtney Schutze & Brady Riesgraf. Whether you’re a patient seeking alternatives to spinal fusion for leg and back pain, a surgeon eager to learn from top experts, or an industry professional keeping up with the latest innovations, this podcast is for you. Explore the latest in motion preservation technologies and join discussions that challenge the conventional reliance on fusion. Dive deep into the innovations driving a new standard of care in spine and discover how these advancements are transforming spine health for everyone.