Steven R. Garfin, MD is Distinguished Professor and Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of California San Diego Health System. He is a co-author of Rothman-Simeone and Herkowitz’s The Spine, 7th Edition.

Dr. Garfin earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School, and completed his fellowship in disorders of the spine at Pennsylvania Hospital under Drs. R.H. Rothman and F.A. Simeone. He is board certified in general orthopedics and specializes in the adult spine.

Dr. Garfin has been involved in the design and assessment of new surgical techniques and instrumentation to treat spinal disorders. These include lumbar and cervical anterior plating systems, kyphoplasty to treat osteoporotic vertebral fractures, artificial discs, and biologic alternatives to bone grafts. His work has contributed to the development of current international standards in surgical care of the spine.

Consistently elected as a Top Doctor in San Diego Magazine’s Physicians of Exceptional Excellence annual survey, Dr. Garfin has also received multiple awards for research, teaching, and clinical care. He has published more than 260 articles, authored 123 book chapters, and edited nine books. He is also committed to education and has presented hundreds of lectures and exhibits at professional medical meetings.

Dr. Garfin is a member of most national and international spine societies, including American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Orthopaedic Association, Cervical Spine Research Society, North American Spine Society, International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery, and more. For several of these societies he has served as president, board member, or program chairman.