Profile

SPYRIDON PNEVMATICOS MD, PhD

ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON

  1. General
  • Education & Academic Titles

    Undergraduate Training

    • 9/82-6/84: The John’s Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

    Medical Education

    • 9/84-10/89 Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece (MD Degree)

    Post-Graduate Training

    • 5/90-3/91: Intern, Department of Surgery, General Air Force Hospital, Athens, Greece, Chief Director: Colonel G. Alexiou, MD
    • 9/91-5/93: Assistant in the University Laboratory for Experimental Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece.  Professor and Chairman, Gregorios Skalkeas, MD
    • 1/92-3/93: Resident in the Department of Surgery, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece, Professor and Chairman, Gregorios Skalkeas, MD
    • 3/92-8/92: Visiting physician in the Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
    • 6/93-6/94: Intern (1st year resident) in General Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
    • 7/94-6/99: Resident in Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
    • 8/99-7/00 Spine Fellowship, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, U.S.A.
    • 10/97: AO Fellowship. Surgical Clinic, Kantonspital, Chur, Switzerland
      Professor and Chairman: Dr. Thomas Ruedi. October 6-31, 1997
    • 11/97: AO Fellowship. Orthopaedic Clinic, Felix-Platter Spital, Basel, Switzerland. Professor and Chairman: Dr. Walter Dick. November 3-28, 1997
  • Doctoral Thesis
    10/89-6/93: «The Role of Antiestrogens in the Pathogenetic Mechanism of Atheromatosis», Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece (presented 6/97)
  • Professional Experience
    • 8/99-7/00: Clinical Instructor Orthopaedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine
    • 8/00-12/00: Assistant Professor Orthopaedic Surgery, Non-tenure Track, Baylor College of Medicine
    • 1/01-5/03: Assistant Professor Orthopaedic Surgery, Tenure Track, Baylor College of Medicine
    • 6/03-9/09: Adjunct Assistant Professor Orthopaedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine
    • 7/02-5/09: Assistant Professor Orthopaedic Surgery Medical School, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
    • 5/09-7/14: Associate Professor Orthopaedic Surgery Medical School, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
    • 9/09-present: Adjunct Professor Orthopaedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine
    • 7/14–present: Professor Orthopaedic Surgery, Medical School, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
    • 09/14-01/15: Professor, Non-tenure Track, Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX

    License Information

    • 01/1990: Athens, Greece
    • 04/1998: Texas State Board of Medical Examiners. Licence # K4777
  • Clinical Interest
    Experience in Clinical Trials (8), Phases II, III, IV on Osteoporosis and Orthopaedics & Traumatology
  • Awards & Distinctions
    • 6/1995: The Paul Harrington Award. (Award for Academic Excellence) Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine
    • 6/1999: The Leonard Marmur Surgical Arthritis Foundation Award (Award for Academic Excellence). Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine

    Certifications

    • 9/1998: Obtaining medical specialty, Greece (certification)
    • 7/1999: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (Part Ι)
    • 7/2002: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (Part 11)
    • 7/2002: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (certification)
    • 7/2012: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (recertification)
  • Recent Publications

    Α. 165 ARTICLES IN PEER REVIEWED JOURNALS

    Β. H Index: 35, Citations 4598

    Γ. Significant Publications:

    1. Murphy GA, Pneumaticos SG, Kamaric E, Noble PC, Trevino SG, Baxter DE: Biomechanical consequences of sequential plantar fascia release. Foot and Ankle International 1998; 19(3): 149-52.
    2. Pneumaticos SG, Noble PC, McGarvey WC, Mody DR, Trevino SG, MD: Open versus Closed repair of the Achilles Tendon: An Experimental Animal Study. Foot and Ankle International 1999; 20(5): 307-313.
    3. Pneumaticos SG, Noble PC, McGarvey WC, Mody DR, Trevino SG: The Effects of Early Mobilization in the Healing of Achilles Tendon Repair. Foot and Ankle International 2000; 21(7) : 551-557.
    4. Pneumaticos SG, Chatziioannou SN, Moore WH, Johnson M: The Role of Radionuclides in Musculoskeletal Tumors beyond the “Bone Scan (Review). Critical Reviews in Hematology/Oncology 2001; 37(3):217-226.
    5. Pneumaticos SG, Noble PC, Chatziioannou SN, Trevino SG: The effects of Rotation on Radiographic Evaluation of the Tibio-fibular Syndesmosis. Foot and Ankle International 2002; 23(2):107-111.
    6. Pneumaticos SG, Reitman CA, Lindsey RW: Lumbar Discography. Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2006;14(1): 46-55.
    7. Pneumaticos SG, Chatziioannou AN, Hipp J, Chatziioannou SN. Prediction of Successful Discectomy using MRI Quantitation of Dural Sac and Herniated Disc Dimensions. International Journal of Clinical Practice 2010; 64(1): 13-18.
    8. Pneumaticos SG, Triantafyllopoulos GK, Basdra EK, Papavassiliou AG. Segmental bone defects: from cellular and molecular pathways to the development of novel biological treatments. J Cell Mol Med 2010; Mar 25.
    9. Pneumaticos SG, Chatziioannou SN, Savvidou C, Pilichou A, RontogiannI D, Korres DS. Routine needle biopsy during vertebral augmentation procedures. Is it necessary? Eur Spine J. 2010; Apr 7.
    10. Pneumaticos SG, Triantafyllopoulos GK, Chatziioannou S, Basdra EK, Papavassiliou AG. Biomolecular strategies of bone augmentation in spinal surgery. Trends Mol Med. 2011 Apr;17(4):215-22.
    11. Ioannou S, Karadima D, Pneumaticos S, Athanasiou H, Pontikis J, Zormpala A, Sipsas NV. Efficacy of prolonged antimicrobial chemotherapy for brucellar spondylodiscitis. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2011 May;17(5):756-62.
    12. Pneumaticos SG, Zafeiris CP, Chronopoulos E, Kassi E, Lyritis GP. Vitamin D deficiency resulting to a subsequent vertebral fracture after kyphoplasty. J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact. 2011 Mar; 11(1): 81-83.
    13. Zafeiris CP, Lyritis GP, Papaioannou NA, Gratsias PE, Galanos A, Chatziioannou AN, Pneumaticos SG. Hypovitaminosis D as a risk factor of subsequent vertebral fractures after kyphoplasty. Spine J. 2012; 12(4):304-12.
    14. Keramaris NC, Kaptanis S, Moss HL, Loppini M, Pneumaticos S, Maffulli N. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in bone healing. Curr Stem Cell Ther. 2012; 7(4):293-301.
    15. Pneumaticos SG, Triantafyllopoulos GK, Evangelopoulos DS, Hipp JA, Heggeness MH. Effect of vertebroplasty on the compressive strength of vertebral bodies. Spine J. 2013 Dec;13(12): 1921-7.
    16. Tsirimonaki E, Fedonidis C, Pneumaticos SG, Tragas AA, Michalopoulos I, Mangoura D. PKC Signaling Activates ERK1/2, and Regulates Aggrecan, ADAMTS5, and miR377 Gene Expression in Human Nucleus Pulposus Cells. Plos One 2013 Nov 28;8(11).
    17. Vasiliadis ES, Pneumaticos SG, Evangelopoulos DS, Papavassiliou AG. Biologic treatment of mild and moderate intervertebral disc degeneration. Mol Med. 2014 Sep 18;20: 400-9.
    18. Vasiliadis ES, Kaspiris A, Grivas TB, Khaldi L, Lamprou M, Pneumaticos SG, Nikolopoulos K, Korres DS, Papadimitriou E. Expression of macrophage elastase (MMP12) in rat tail intervertebral disc and growth plate after asymmetric loading. Bone Joint Res. 2014 Sep;3(9): 273-9.
    19. Pneumaticos SG, Karampinas PK, Triantafilopoulos G, Koufos S, Polyzois V, Vlamis J. Evaluation of TLICS for thoracolumbar fractures. Eur Spine J. 2015 Mar 26 [Epub ahead of print].

    Author in 21 Book Chapters

  • Membership in Societies and Editorial Boards
    • Fellow American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (active member)
    • North American Spine Society (active member)
    • European Spine Society (active member)
    • Cervical Spine Research Society European Section (active member)
    • ΑΟ Spine (member)
    • ΑΟ Trauma (member)
    • Medical Association of Athens, Greece (member)
    • Hellenic Association of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology (member)
    • Hellenic Spine Society (member)      

    Journal Reviewer for

    • The Spine Journal
    • Injury
    • Bone and Joint Journal
    • European Radiology
    • lnternational Journal of Clinical Practice
    • Journal of Muscular and Neuronal lnteractions
    • BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders
    • Journal ο/ Clinical Medicine
    • lnternational Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology
    • The Clinical Journal of Pain
    • European Journal of Medical Research
    • European Spine Journal
  • Research
    • Spine Surgery (Adult and Pediatric)
    • Orthopaedic Trauma Surgery
    • Grant Support
      3 Grants as a Principal Investigator
      2 Grants as a Co-Investigator