Spine Universe Editorial Board

Doctor Randal Betz holds hospital positions as Chief of Staff at Shriners Hospitals for Children and Medical Director of Shriners' Spinal Cord Injury Unit. Additionally, Dr. Betz is on staff at Temple University Children's Medical Center and is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Temple University School of Medicine.

Dr. Betz earned a Medical Degree from Temple University School of Medicine and was awarded the Alpha Omega Alpha honor. His Internship in general surgery and Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery were at Temple University Hospital. Dr. Betz's Fellowship in Pediatric Orthopaedics was at the Alfred I duPont Institute. Since his graduate work, Dr. Betz has had postdoctoral fellowship experiences with ABC Traveling Fellowship, North American Traveling Fellowship, and the Berg-Sloat Traveling Fellowship.

Many National and international professional societies count Dr. Betz as a member including: the Academic Orthopaedic Society, American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, American Paraplegia Society, American Spinal Injury Association, British Scoliosis Society, International Functional Electrical Stimulation Society, North American Spine Society, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, Scoliosis Research Society, and Spinal Deformity Education Group. For many of these organizations, Dr. Betz has fulfilled the roles of Board of Director Member and Committee Member.

In addition to active hospital practice in pediatric spinal surgery, research is an important area of Dr. Betz's career. He is a recipient of many research grants and he has six patents including one involving research in spinal deformities: Methods and apparatus for fusionless treatment of spinal deformities. Dr. Betz is author of several medical texts and book editor. He has contributed 31 chapters to medical books and written 153 peer-reviewed or invited articles. Worldwide, Dr. Betz has delivered hundreds of paper presentations and invited lectures. Dr. Betz is on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, he is an Associate Editor of Spinal Frontiers, and a Reviewer for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics, and Spine.

Randal R. Betz, MD is on the Spine Universe Editorial Board.

SpineUniverse articles from Randal R. Betz, MD

• Advances in the Surgical Management of Idiopathic Adolescent Scoliosis
  Thoracoscopic anterior release and fusion is an advanced surgical technique for correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). In this procedure, the thoracic spine is accessed through small incisions on the side of the chest.
• An Analysis of Anterior versus Posterior Instrumented Fusion for Thoracic Adolescent Idiopathic (AIS)Curves 70-80 Degrees: Are There Advantages of One Over the Other?
  An abstract from the SRS 2004 Annual Meeting on anterior versus posterior fusion for AIS.
• Anterior Thoracoscopic Instrumentation: A Matched Comparison to Anterior Open and Posterior Open Instrumentation
  An exhibit from the 2002 SRS Annual Meeting comparing the results of three instrumentation approaches.
• Effects of Continued Posterior Spinal Growth on Sagittal Contour After Anterior Spinal Fusion with Instrumentation of Different Sizes for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
  An abstract from the SRS 2003 Annual Meeting designed to to compare patients who were fused anteriorly with solid rods to those from the previous study using the flexible rod, and assess for the effect of maturity on progressive kyphosis.
• Incidence of Vascular Complications Associated with Anterior Thoracic Instrumentation for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
  A poster from the 2002 SRS Annual Meeting looking at vascular complications following anterior thoracic instrumentation surgery for AIS.
• Incidence of Vascular Complications Associated with Anterior Thoracic Instrumentation for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
  An abstract from the 2002 SRS Annual Meeting that reviews the incidence of vascular injury perioperatively and postoperatively.
• Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
  A case study on isolated L2-L3 lumbar degenerative disc disease from Temple University Hospital
• Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease - Figure 1
• Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease - Figure 1b
  Fig. 2 of Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease case study.
• Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease - Figure 2
  View a large version of Figure 2 of Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease Case Study.
• Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease - Figure 3
  A large view of Figure 3 of Case Study Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
• Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease - Figure 4
  A large view of Figure 4 of the case study entitled - Isolated L2-L3 Lumbar Degenerative Disc Disease
• Limitations of Anterior Instrumentation for Correction of Thoracic Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in the Immature (Risser 0) Patient
  An exhibit from the 2002 SRS Annual Meeting looking at the results of anterior and posterior instrumentation in immature patients with thoracic AIS.
• New Surgical Treatments for Scoliosis: Vertebral Body Stapling and Wedge Osteotomies
  Vertebral stapling avoids the need to fuse the spine to correct the curvature. Therefore, movement and flexibility can be maintained, allowing for preserved motion and less chance for back pain in adulthood.
• Nursing Care for Scoliosis Patients
  Sarah is a 12 year old junior high school student who was screened by the school nurse for scoliosis. Follow her through diagnosis, surgery and recovery for scoliosis.
• Perioperative Complications of Spinal Fusion for Thoracic Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
  An abstract from the 2002 SRS Annual Meeting analyzing the perioperative complications of patients with AIS treated with either anterior spinal fusion or posterior spinal fusion.
• Perioperative Complications of Spinal Fusion for Thoracic Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
  A poster from the 2002 SRS Annual Meeting looking at perioperative complications of spinal fusion.
• Reliability and Validity of a Spine Deformity Radiographic Scoring System
  A poster from the 2002 SRS Annual Meeting looking at the accuracy and interobserver & intraobserver reliability of a previously published spine deformity radiographic scoring system.
• Rib Resection and Rib Deformity Correction: Evaluation by Scoliometer
  An abstract from the SRS 2004 Annual Meeting on the use of the scoliometer to compare the change in rib asymmetry in AIS.
• The Effect of Bracing on Paralytic Scoliosis Secondary to Spinal Cord Injury
  An abstract from the SRS 2004 Annual Meeting on early bracing of children with SCI as a means of preventing or delaying surgical fusion to allow for growth of the spine.
• Thoracoscopic Anterior Instrumentation For Scoliosis
  Correcting a patient with Scoliosis using Thoracoscopic Anterior Instrumentation.
• Vertebral Wedge Osteotomies for the Fusionless Treatment of Paralytic Scoliosis: Two-Year Follow-up**
  An abstract from the SRS 2005 Annual Meeting designed to evaluate clinical efficacy and functional impact of a fusionless treatment for paralytic scoliosis at two-years follow-up.
• Video-Assisted Mini-Open Approach for Insertion of Anterior Thoracic Instrumentation in AIS
  A poster from the 2002 SRS Annual Meeting describing mini-thoracotomies assisted by the thoracoscope to safely and effectively instrument the thoracic spine.