Orthopedic Spine Surgeon
Dr. Gunnar Andersson is a retired orthopedic surgeon who has more than 30 years of experience specializing in spine surgery. He has served on the Veritas Health Medical Advisory Board for 20 years.
- Dr. Andersson is a member of 15 editorial boards, a Deputy Editor for Spine, Editor-in-Chief of Contemporary Spine Surgery and an Associate Editor of Clinical Biomechanics.
- He has authored over 360 original publications, over 170 books and book chapters and over 555 abstracts in journals which include Spine, the Journal of Back and Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation, and the Journal of the Clinical Orthopaedic Society.
- He has written, edited, and contributed chapters to numerous medical textbooks, including Lumbar Spine Syndromes, Evaluation and Treatment, Occupational Biomechanics, Musculoskeletal Disorders In The Workplace: Principles and Practice, Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, and Disability Evaluation.
Experience
Dr. Gunnar Andersson is a retired, world-renowned spine surgeon. He practiced at Rush University Medical Center, where he also served as Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the President of the Medical Staff. Dr. Andersson has taught courses and presented research papers at national and international conferences and meetings.
Board Certifications
- The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Spine Medicine Leadership
- Member, Academic Orthopaedic Society
- Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Member, American Orthopaedic Association
- Member, North American Spine Society
- Member, National Institutes of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases at NIH
- Chairman, Research Committee at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Chairman Emeritus of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center
- Chairman of the Board of Directors of International Advocates for Spine Patients
- Past Chairman, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Rush University Medical Center
- Past President of Medical Staff, Rush University Medical Center
- Past President, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine
- Past President, Orthopaedic Research Society
Select Medical Research
- Influence of Disc Degeneration on Lumbar Lordosis
- Diagnostic Considerations in Patients with Back Pain
- Progressive disc degeneration at C5–C6 segment affects the mechanics between disc heights and posterior facets above and below the degenerated segment: A flexion–extension investigation using a poroelastic C3–T1 finite element model
- Sexual Dimorphism in Degenerative Disorders of the Spine
- Reduction in segmental flexibility because of disc degeneration is accompanied by higher changes in facet loads than changes in disc pressure: a poroelastic C5–C6 finite element investigation
- Biomechanical effects of anterior, posterior, and combined anterior-posterior instrumentation techniques on the stability of a multilevel cervical corpectomy construct: a finite element model analysis
- Corpectomy versus discectomy for the treatment of multilevel cervical spine pathology: a finite element model analysis
- Matrix replenishment by intervertebral disc cells after chemonucleolysis in vitro with chondroitinase ABC and chymopapain
- Biomechanics of adjacent segments after a multilevel cervical corpectomy using anterior, posterior, and combined anterior-posterior instrumentation techniques: a finite element model study
- A prospective cohort analysis of adjacent vertebral body bone mineral density in lumbar surgery patients with or without instrumented posterolateral fusion: a 9 to 12 year follow-up
- Intradiscal injections of osteogenic protein-1 restore the viscoelastic properties of degenerated intervertebral discs
- Screw angulation affects bone-screw stresses and bone graft load sharing in anterior cervical corpectomy fusion with a rigid screw-plate construct: a finite element model study
- Effects of Axial Torsion on Disc Height Distribution: An In Vivo Study
- Influence of Disc Degeneration on Lumbar Lordosis
- Ligamentum Flavum Hyperthropy Related to Disc Degeneration
- Management of Degenerative Disk Disease and Chronic Low Back Pain
- Relative contributions of strain-dependent permeability and fixed charged density of proteoglycans in predicting cervical disc biomechanics: A poroelastic C5–C6 finite element model study
Professional Awards and Recognition
- Muybridge Medal
- ISSLS Stryker Spine Lifetime Achievement Award
- Kappa Delta Award from the AAOS/ORS
- Freedom of Movement Award from the Arthritis Foundation
- Trustee Medal from Rush University Medical Center
Education
- Cand Med – University of Zurich, Switzerland
- MD – University of Göteborg, Sweden
- PhD – University of Göteborg, Sweden
- Residency – Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sahlgren University Hospital, Sweden
- Fellowship – Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The London Hospital
About Veritas Health
Veritas Health publishes original, unbiased, and comprehensive resources to help millions of people each month make informed decisions about their health. Our rigorous editorial process is modeled after medical journals and ensures articles are reviewed with integrity and objectivity. The Veritas Health platform—including Spine-health.com, Arthritis-health.com, and Sports-health.com—is a trusted authority on back pain, arthritis, sports injuries, and chronic pain conditions.
Profile last updated: January 21, 2020.