Orthopaedic Spine Fellowship

About Us

Steven C. Ludwig, M.D.
Program Director

Daniel E. Gelb, M.D
Vice-Chairman

Vincent D. Pellegrini, Jr., M.D.
Department Chairman

The University of Maryland spine fellowship in orthopaedics is committed to education in a diverse academic environment that encourages critical inquisitive thinking and supports the professional as well as personal growth of the fellow.

The University Of Maryland Medical System (UMMS) includes a diverse collection of institutions, including the oldest public teaching hospital in the nation, which provides a variety of clinical settings for orthopaedic education and prepares the fellow to practice in most any environment. University Center includes University Hospital, the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, and the Baltimore VA Medical Center, all contiguously located on the same campus. Collectively, these hospitals provide exposure to a variety of spinal disorders in a quaternary facility, complex polytrauma, with the advantage of some autonomy in education afforded by the VA. University Hospital is the home for the inpatient elective spinal procedures and consultation spinal services. The UMMS Cancer Center provides continuous exposure to patients with primary and metastatic tumors to the spine. Outpatient spinal procedures including minimally invasive procedures are performed at Kernan Hospital which is located within a 13 mile radius of the University Hospital. The R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, one of the busiest level one trauma centers in America will allow the Spine fellow to be exposed to the peri-operative management of patients with traumatic spinal cord injuries.

Not with standing this broad menu of diverse clinical opportunities, the proximity of the sites and their oversight within the University system affords fellow protected time from clinical duties to participate in the core curriculum each Friday from 6:30-7:30 am as well as the department-wide teaching conference on Thursdays from 6:30-8:00 am. The fellow curriculum follows a one year cycle. In addition, the spine service has weekly case review and preparation conferences for the fellow and residents on the spine service. Our fellow will spend 4 hours each week in a didactic setting that systematically approaches the clinical and scientific basis of orthopaedic spine practice.

The Department of Orthopaedics now has an orthopaedic basic science research lab in the new research building. Fellows and residents have access to the resources of this laboratory. The lab will include biomechanical testing equipment, complementing the facilities currently available at the University of Maryland College Park campus. The fellow will be required to present a research project at the end of each year as part of their requirements

Spine Faculty Practice Detail

Fellows will have dedicated rotations with each faculty member.

Steven Ludwig, M.D.

clinical exposure both operative and non-operative to patients with spinal disorders
primary clinical practice focus on: degenerative conditions of the cervical and lumbar spine, tumor reconstruction, MIS procedures, primary focus on cervical disorders and traumatic SCI, motion preservation procedures
research focuses on biomechanics, patient outcomes

Daniel Gelb, M.D.

clinical exposure to both operative & non-operative patients with spinal disorders
clinical practice focuses on: Adult and pediatric spinal deformity, traumatic SCI, post-traumatic spinal reconstruction, tumor reconstruction and degenerative conditions of the lumbar spine
research focuses on biomechanics, patient outcomes

This page was last updated on: October 16, 2009.

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