Curtis Dickman

Curtis Dickman (born August 4, 1959) is an American researcher, author, and retired Neurosurgeon. He is recognized internationally for his pioneering work in the fields of Spinal Surgery, Surgery of the Craniocervical Junction, Spinal Biomechanics, and Thoracoscopic Neurosurgery.

He was the Founder of the Spinal Biomechanics Research Laboratory, the Director of Spine Research, the Associate Chief of the Spine Section, and the Volker Sonntag Endowed Chair of Spinal Surgery at Barrow Neurological Institute (BNI). He was also the Professor of Neurosurgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute, The University of Arizona, and Creighton University.

Education
Dickman received his B.S. in Psychology from Arizona State University in 1981 and his M.D. from the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, in 1985.

Between 1986 and 1992, Dickman received Residency Training in Neurological Surgery at Barrow Neurological Institute. After completing his training, Dickman joined the faculty of the Department of Neurosurgery, specializing in neurosurgery of the spine.

In 1991, he completed a fellowship in Spinal Neurosurgery at the University of Florida.

In 1995, he earned board certification from the American Board of Neurological Surgery and also from the National Board of Medical Examiners.

Neurosurgery
In the early 1990s, Dickman initiated the development and popularization of endoscopic-assisted spine procedures within neurosurgery. He pioneered the field of thoracoscopic neurosurgery, becoming one of the first neurosurgeons to use endoscopes for treating diseases of the thoracic spine via a minimally invasive method.

In 1998, he treated the baseball pitcher Billy Wagner and made national headlines in 2003 when he helped save an 18-year-old patient Marcos Parra whose skull was ripped from his cervical spine in an automobile accident. One of his most acclaimed surgeries was that of David Cooper, the baseball player who got thoracic disc herniation while playing in a match in 2013. Dickman successfully repaired his disc. Within a year, Cooper was able to play in the field. Dickman adopted the technique of minimally invasive thoracoscopic spinal discectomy and fusion surgery for Cooper's treatment which gained recognition.

In addition to his work on Thoracoscopic procedures, Dickman has published several textbooks and research papers on the craniocervical junction. He is well known for the Sonntag-Dickman Fusion, a special method of fusing the upper cervical spine.

He was as a Scientific Reviewer and Chairman of the Scientific Program Committees of the North American Spine Society (NASS) and the Joint Spine Section of the AANS and CNS (1996). In 2015, Dickman retired from practicing medicine. He writes, produces diverse artwork, and aids humanitarian and philanthropic organizations.

Art
In 2009, Dickman founded his company Curtis Dickman Fine Art, an Art Gallery in Paradise Valley, AZ.

Athlete
Dickman had been a bicyclist, swimmer, and Ironman triathlete. On July 10, 1994, he participated in the Ironman Triathlon in Roth, Germany, and became the finisher of Ironman Europe (1994).

Patents

 * Plating system for stabilizing a bony segment, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006
 * Intervertebral disc replacement, 2002, 2006, 2007
 * Spinal plating and intervertebral support systems and methods, 2006
 * Anterior planting system and method, 2003, 2005

Philanthropy
Dickman founded a band, Crosstown Traffic, that helped raise more than $9 million for Arizona charities.

His artworks have been auctioned at the Childhelp Drive the Dream events to benefit the foundation through charity. His auctioned artworks include the mixed media canvas of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, entitled 3 Faces of the Naked Soul of Muhammad Ali (2015).

Medical Books

 * Dickman CA, Fehlings M, Gokaslan ZL: Spinal Cord and Spinal Column Tumor. Thieme Medical Publishers
 * Dickman CA, Spetzler RF, Sonntag VKH: Surgery of the Craniovertebral Junction. Thieme Medical Publishers, 1998
 * Dickman CA, Rosenthal D, Perin N: Thoracoscopic Spine Surgery. Thieme Medical Publishers, 1999.
 * Dickman CA, Kim D, Henn J, Vaccaro A: Surgical Anatomy and Techniques to the Spine

Medical Scientific Papers (Peer-Reviewed)

 * Clark, J. C., Oppenlander, M. E., & Dickman, C. A. (2016). "Thoracoscopy: a minimally invasive approach to the anterior thoracic spine." Barrow Q, 26, 13-19.
 * Hartl R, Theodore N, Dickman CA, Sonntag VKH (2004). "Technique of Thoracic Pedicle Screw Fixation for Trauma. Operative Techniques in Neurosurgery," (7) 1,22-30.
 * Annes CP, Smith JS, Preul MC, Crawford NR, Kim GE, Nottmeier E,Chamberlain R, Speiser B, Sonntag VKH, Dickman CA., (2004). "Effect of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 in an Experimental Model of Spinal Fusion in a Radiated Area." Spine(30) 23, 2585-2592
 * Karahalios, D.G., Apostolides, P.J., Vishteh, A.G. and Dickman, C.A., (1997). "Thoracoscopic spinal surgery. Treatment of thoracic instability. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America," 8(4), pp. 555–573. doi:10.1016/S1042-3680(18)30300-0
 * Romanelli DA, Dickman CA, Porter RW, Haynes RJ, (1996). "Comparison of Initial Injury Features In Cervical Spine Trauma C3-C7: Predictive Outcome with Halo Vest Management." J Spinal Disorders 9 (2): 146-149
 * Dickman, C.A., Papadopoulos, S.M., Sonntag, V.K., Spetzler, R.F., Rekate, H.L. and Drabier, J., (1993). "Traumatic occipitoatlantal dislocations." Clinical Spine Surgery, 6(4), pp. 300–313. Dickman, C.A., Hadley, M.N., Browner, C. and Sonntag, V.K., (1989). "Neurosurgical management of acute atlas-axis combination fractures: a review of 25 cases." JournaNeurosurgeryrgery, 70(1), pp. 45–49. doi: 10.3171/jns.1989.70.1.0045
 * Hartl R, Theodore N, Dickman CA, Sonntag VKH (2004). "Technique of Thoracic Pedicle Screw Fixation for Trauma. Operative Techniques in Neurosurgery," (7) 1,22-30.
 * Annes CP, Smith JS, Preul MC, Crawford NR, Kim GE, Nottmeier E,Chamberlain R, Speiser B, Sonntag VKH, Dickman CA., (2004). "Effect of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 in an Experimental Model of Spinal Fusion in a Radiated Area." Spine(30) 23, 2585-2592
 * Karahalios, D.G., Apostolides, P.J., Vishteh, A.G. and Dickman, C.A., (1997). "Thoracoscopic spinal surgery. Treatment of thoracic instability. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America," 8(4), pp. 555–573. doi:10.1016/S1042-3680(18)30300-0
 * Romanelli DA, Dickman CA, Porter RW, Haynes RJ, (1996). "Comparison of Initial Injury Features In Cervical Spine Trauma C3-C7: Predictive Outcome with Halo Vest Management." J Spinal Disorders 9 (2): 146-149
 * Dickman, C.A., Papadopoulos, S.M., Sonntag, V.K., Spetzler, R.F., Rekate, H.L. and Drabier, J., (1993). "Traumatic occipitoatlantal dislocations." Clinical Spine Surgery, 6(4), pp. 300–313. Dickman, C.A., Hadley, M.N., Browner, C. and Sonntag, V.K., (1989). "Neurosurgical management of acute atlas-axis combination fractures: a review of 25 cases." JournaNeurosurgeryrgery, 70(1), pp. 45–49. doi: 10.3171/jns.1989.70.1.0045
 * Hartl R, Theodore N, Dickman CA, Sonntag VKH (2004). "Technique of Thoracic Pedicle Screw Fixation for Trauma. Operative Techniques in Neurosurgery," (7) 1,22-30.
 * Annes CP, Smith JS, Preul MC, Crawford NR, Kim GE, Nottmeier E,Chamberlain R, Speiser B, Sonntag VKH, Dickman CA., (2004). "Effect of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 in an Experimental Model of Spinal Fusion in a Radiated Area." Spine(30) 23, 2585-2592
 * Karahalios, D.G., Apostolides, P.J., Vishteh, A.G. and Dickman, C.A., (1997). "Thoracoscopic spinal surgery. Treatment of thoracic instability. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America," 8(4), pp. 555–573. doi:10.1016/S1042-3680(18)30300-0
 * Romanelli DA, Dickman CA, Porter RW, Haynes RJ, (1996). "Comparison of Initial Injury Features In Cervical Spine Trauma C3-C7: Predictive Outcome with Halo Vest Management." J Spinal Disorders 9 (2): 146-149
 * Dickman, C.A., Papadopoulos, S.M., Sonntag, V.K., Spetzler, R.F., Rekate, H.L. and Drabier, J., (1993). "Traumatic occipitoatlantal dislocations." Clinical Spine Surgery, 6(4), pp. 300–313. Dickman, C.A., Hadley, M.N., Browner, C. and Sonntag, V.K., (1989). "Neurosurgical management of acute atlas-axis combination fractures: a review of 25 cases." JournaNeurosurgeryrgery, 70(1), pp. 45–49. doi: 10.3171/jns.1989.70.1.0045
 * Romanelli DA, Dickman CA, Porter RW, Haynes RJ, (1996). "Comparison of Initial Injury Features In Cervical Spine Trauma C3-C7: Predictive Outcome with Halo Vest Management." J Spinal Disorders 9 (2): 146-149
 * Dickman, C.A., Papadopoulos, S.M., Sonntag, V.K., Spetzler, R.F., Rekate, H.L. and Drabier, J., (1993). "Traumatic occipitoatlantal dislocations." Clinical Spine Surgery, 6(4), pp. 300–313. Dickman, C.A., Hadley, M.N., Browner, C. and Sonntag, V.K., (1989). "Neurosurgical management of acute atlas-axis combination fractures: a review of 25 cases." JournaNeurosurgeryrgery, 70(1), pp. 45–49. doi: 10.3171/jns.1989.70.1.0045