Spine Universe Editorial Board

Curtis W. Slipman, MD

Director, The Penn Spine Center
University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
Philadelphia, PA
(215) 662-3298

Doctor Curtis W. Slipman currently holds several prestigious positions at the University of Pennsylvania Health System's Department of Rehabilitation Medicine in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Slipman is the Director of the Penn Spine Center, Director of the Interventional Physiatry Fellowship program, Chief of the Division of Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, and an Associate Professor.

Dr. Slipman completed his Medical Degree at Baylor College of Medicine, located in Houston, TX. He completed his residency at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center's Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in New York, NY. Dr. Slipman is board certified by the American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Slipman is an active member of many professional and scientific societies including the International Association for the Study of Pain, International Spine Injection Society, North American Spine Society, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, American Back Society, American Pain Society, Association of Academic Physiatrists, Physiatric Association of Spine, Sports and Occupational Rehabilitation, American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and American Academy of Pain Medicine.

Further, Dr. Slipman is Editor-in-Chief of Pain Physician; Reviewer for Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Spine; Medical Editor for Time Life Medical; and, on the Editorial Boards of The Spine Journal, Seminars in Integrative Medicine, and Pain Medicine.

Dr. Slipman has an active schedule that includes professional presentations and lecturing nationally and internationally. He is the author of one book, 48 peer reviewed research journal articles, more than 50 scientific abstracts, and has contributed editorials, reviews, and chapters to 40 publications.


Curtis W. Slipman, MD is on the Spine Universe Editorial Board.

SpineUniverse articles from Curtis W. Slipman, MD

  • The Discography Controversy
    Discography, also called 'provocative disk injection', has been used as a diagnostic modality for spine pain since the middle of the 20th century. This article summarizes the beliefs in lumbar and cervical discography.
  • The Discography Controversy: Conclusions
    Pre-operative discography has been used as an aid to spine surgery planning. The authors state that discography may prevent patients from undergoing unnecessary surgery in many cases, and this is a very important consideration.
  • The Discography Controversy: Discussion
    Risks of discography include discitis, neurologic and visceral injury, dye reactions, and spinal headache. Spinal cord injury, vascular injury, prevertebral abscess, and subdural empyema have been reported post-discography.