Eugene Carragee

Clinical Focus

• Orthopaedic Surgery

Administrative Appointments

• Director, Orthopaedic Spine Center at Stanford, Stanford University Clinics , (1990– present )
• Director, Medical Student Education; Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine , (1990– present )
• Spine Consultant for Varsity and NCAA Teams, Stanford University , (1993– present )

Honors and Awards

• Outstanding Paper Award, North American Spine Society (07, 06, 01, 00, 99, 98, 97)
• Clinical Research Award, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (2006)
• Best Paper Award, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (2005)
• Presidential Citation for Excellence in Teaching, American Avademy of Disability Evaluating Physicians (2003)
• Outstanding Research Award, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (2003)
• Volvo Clinical Research Award, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (2000)
• Excellence in Teaching Award, Stanford University School of Medicine (1996, 1997, 2004)
• Summa Cum Laude, State University of New York at Albany (1977)

Professional Education

• Board Certification: Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (1994)
• University Of Hong Kong (1990) China
• SUMC - Graduate Medical Education (1988) CA
• SUMC - Graduate Medical Education (1984) CA
• SUMC - Graduate Medical Education (1983) CA
• Stanford University School of Medicine (1982) CA
• M.D., Stanford Univ. School of Med. (1982)
• B.S., State Univ. of New York, Albany Biology (1977)

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Orthopedic Surgery

Community & International Work

• Command Surgeon, 351 Civil Affairs Command More »
• Low Back Pain Guidelines Panel More »
• Neck Pain Task Force, Toronto, Canada More »
• Medical Officer, US Army Reserve More »
• Health Volunteers International, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam More »
• Viet Nam Rehabilitation Project, Workshop Director, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam More »
• Arbor Free Medical Clinic, Faculty Consultant More »
• Project Leader, Health Volunteer International, Viet Nam More »
• UN Medical Corps/Refugee Volunteer, Hong Kong More »
• Hong Kong Refugee Camp Volunteer, Hong Kong More »

Industry Relationships

Stanford is committed to ethical and transparent interactions with our industry partners. It is our policy to disclose payments of $5,000 or more, equity valued at $5,000 or more in a publicly traded company, or any equity in a privately held company, to physicians and scientists employed by Stanford University from companies or other commercial entities with which they interact as part of their professional activities. 

• Consulting: Medical legal consulting, Medtronic
• Equity: Bioassetts, Cytonics, Intrinsic Orthopaedics

Research Interests

Dr. Carragee's research interests lie in outcomes assessment of surgical and rehabilitative treatment for cervical and lumbar intervertebral disk herniation; diagnosis and treatment of spine infections, instrumentation of the degenerative spine and spinal deformities and low back pain syndromes, pain and pain management.

Publications

• Is the self-reported history accurate in patients with persistent axial pain after a motor vehicle accident? Don AS,  Carragee EJ.  Spine J.  2009 Jan-Feb; 9 (1): 4-12
• Does Discography Cause Accelerated Progression of Degeneration Changes in the Lumbar Disc: A Ten-Year Matched Cohort Study. Carragee EJ,  Don AS, Hurwitz EL, Cuellar JM, Carrino J, Herzog R.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2009;
• Pseudomorbidity in iliac crest bone graft harvesting: the rise of rhBMP-2 in short-segment posterior lumbar fusion. Carragee EJ,  Bono CM, Scuderi GJ.  Spine J.  2009; 9 (11): 873-9
• Lifetime asymptomatic for back pain: the validity of self-report measures in soldiers. Carragee EJ,  Cohen SP.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2009; 34 (9): 978-83
• Continuing debate: validity and utility of magnetic resonance imaging of the upper cervical spine after whiplash exposure. Carragee EJ,  Spine J.  2009; 9 (9): 778-9
• Surgery for low back pain: a review of the evidence for an American Pain Society Clinical Practice Guideline. Chou R,  Baisden J, Carragee EJ, Resnick DK, Shaffer WO, Loeser JD.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2009; 34 (10): 1094-109
• Lumbar spine: reliability of MR imaging findings. Carrino JA,  Lurie JD, Tosteson AN, Tosteson TD, Carragee EJ, Kaiser J, Grove MR, Blood E, Pearson LH, Weinstein JN, Herzog R.  Radiology.  2009; 250 (1): 161-70
• Interventional therapies, surgery, and interdisciplinary rehabilitation for low back pain: an evidence-based clinical practice guideline from the American Pain Society. Chou R,  Loeser JD, Owens DK, Rosenquist RW, Atlas SJ, Baisden J, Carragee EJ, Grabois M, Murphy DR, Resnick DK, Stanos SP, Shaffer WO, Wall EM.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2009; 34 (10): 1066-77
• Treatment of neck pain: injections and surgical interventions: results of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders. Carragee EJ,  Hurwitz EL, Cheng I, Carroll LJ, Nordin M, Guzman J, Peloso P, Holm LW, Côté P, Hogg-Johnson S, van der Velde G, Cassidy JD, Haldeman S.  J Manipulative Physiol Ther.  2009; 32 (2 Suppl): S176-93
• Clinical research: is the spine field a mine field? Carragee EJ,  Deyo RA, Kovacs FM, Peul WC, Lurie JD, Urrútia G, Corbin TP, Schoene ML.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2009; 34 (5): 423-30
• Validity of self-reported history in patients with acute back or neck pain after motor vehicle accidents. Carragee EJ,  Spine J.  2008 Mar-Apr; 8 (2): 311-9
• A brief overview of evidence-informed management of chronic low back pain with surgery. Don AS,  Carragee E.  Spine J.  2008 Jan-Feb; 8 (1): 258-65
• Treatment of neck pain: injections and surgical interventions: results of the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders. Carragee EJ,  Hurwitz EL, Cheng I, Carroll LJ, Nordin M, Guzman J, Peloso P, Holm LW, Côté P, Hogg-Johnson S, van der Velde G, Cassidy JD, Haldeman S.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2008; 33 (4 Suppl): S153-69
• Reliability of magnetic resonance imaging readings for lumbar disc herniation in the Spine Patient Outcomes Research Trial (SPORT). Lurie JD,  Tosteson AN, Tosteson TD, Carragee E, Carrino JA, Carrino J, Kaiser J, Sequeiros RT, Lecomte AR, Grove MR, Blood EA, Pearson LH, Herzog R, Weinstein JN.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2008; 33 (9): 991-8
• The authors' reply to the letter to the editor by Paul Dreyfuss et al. Carragee EJ,  Hurwitz EL, Cheng I, Carroll LJ, Nordin M, Guzman J, Peloso P, Holm LW, Cýýtýý P, Hogg-Johnson S, van der Velde G, Cassidy JD, Haldeman S.  Eur Spine J.  2008;
• Does Acute placement of instrumentation in the treatment of vertebral osteomyelitis predispose to recurrent infection: long-term follow-up in immune-suppressed patients. Carragee E,  Iezza A.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2008; 33 (19): 2089-93
• Reliability of readings of magnetic resonance imaging features of lumbar spinal stenosis. Lurie JD,  Tosteson AN, Tosteson TD, Carragee E, Carrino JA, Carrino J, Kaiser J, Sequeiros RT, Lecomte AR, Grove MR, Blood EA, Pearson LH, Weinstein JN, Herzog R.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2008; 33 (14): 1605-10
• The pyrite standard: the Midas touch in the diagnosis of axial pain syndromes. Carragee EJ,  Haldeman S, Hurwitz E.  Spine J.  2007 Jan-Feb; 7 (1): 27-31
• Are first-time episodes of serious LBP associated with new MRI findings? Carragee E,  Alamin T, Cheng I, Franklin T, van den Haak E, Hurwitz E.  Spine J.  2006 Nov-Dec; 6 (6): 624-35
• Surgical treatment for unstable low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis in adults: a prospective controlled study of posterior instrumented fusion compared with combined anterior-posterior fusion. Swan J,  Hurwitz E, Malek F, van den Haak E, Cheng I, Alamin T, Carragee E.  Spine J.  2006 Nov-Dec; 6 (6): 606-14
• A gold standard evaluation of the "discogenic pain" diagnosis as determined by provocative discography. Carragee EJ,  Lincoln T, Parmar VS, Alamin T.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2006; 31 (18): 2115-23
• A prospective controlled study of limited versus subtotal posterior discectomy: short-term outcomes in patients with herniated lumbar intervertebral discs and large posterior anular defect. Carragee EJ,  Spinnickie AO, Alamin TF, Paragioudakis S.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2006; 31 (6): 653-7
• Low-pressure positive Discography in subjects asymptomatic of significant low back pain illness. Carragee EJ,  Alamin TF, Carragee JM.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2006; 31 (5): 505-9
• Does minor trauma cause serious low back illness? Carragee E,  Alamin T, Cheng I, Franklin T, Hurwitz E.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2006; 31 (25): 2942-9
• The surgical treatment of disc degeneration: is the race not to the swift? Carragee EJ,  Spine J.  2005 Nov-Dec; 5 (6): 587-8
• Discographic, MRI and psychosocial determinants of low back pain disability and remission: a prospective study in subjects with benign persistent back pain. Carragee EJ,  Alamin TF, Miller JL, Carragee JM.  Spine J.  2005 Jan-Feb; 5 (1): 24-35
• Clinical practice. Persistent low back pain. Carragee EJ,  N Engl J Med.  2005; 352 (18): 1891-8
• Prospective controlled study of the development of lower back pain in previously asymptomatic subjects undergoing experimental discography. Carragee EJ,  Barcohana B, Alamin T, van den Haak E.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2004; 29 (10): 1112-7
• Diagnostic evaluation of low back pain. Carragee EJ,  Hannibal M.  Orthop Clin North Am.  2004; 35 (1): 7-16
• Clinical outcomes after lumbar discectomy for sciatica: the effects of fragment type and anular competence. Carragee EJ,  Han MY, Suen PW, Kim D.  J Bone Joint Surg Am.  2003; 85-A (1): 102-8
• Provocative discography in volunteer subjects with mild persistent low back pain. Carragee EJ,  Alamin TF, Miller J, Grafe M.  Spine J.  2002 Jan-Feb; 2 (1): 25-34
• Indications for lumbar microdiskectomy. Carragee E,  Instr Course Lect.  2002; 51 223-8
• Discography. a review. Carragee EJ,  Alamin TF.  Spine J.  2001 Sep-Oct; 1 (5): 364-72
• Psychological and functional profiles in select subjects with low back pain. Carragee EJ,  Spine J.  2001 May-Jun; 1 (3): 198-204
• Changes in posterior disc bulging and intervertebral foraminal size associated with flexion-extension movement: a comparison between L4-5 and L5-S1 levels in normal subjects. Fredericson M,  Lee SU, Welsh J, Butts K, Norbash A, Carragee EJ.  Spine J.  2001 Jan-Feb; 1 (1): 10-7
• Psychological screening in the surgical treatment of lumbar disc herniation. Carragee EJ,  Clin J Pain.  2001; 17 (3): 215-9
• Can discography cause long-term back symptoms in previously asymptomatic subjects? Carragee EJ,  Chen Y, Tanner CM, Hayward C, Rossi M, Hagle C.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2000; 25 (14): 1803-8
• Is lumbar discography a determinate of discogenic low back pain: provocative discography reconsidered. Carragee EJ,  Curr Rev Pain.  2000; 4 (4): 301-8
• 2000 Volvo Award winner in clinical studies: Lumbar high-intensity zone and discography in subjects without low back problems. Carragee EJ,  Paragioudakis SJ, Khurana S.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2000; 25 (23): 2987-92
• The rates of false-positive lumbar discography in select patients without low back symptoms. Carragee EJ,  Tanner CM, Khurana S, Hayward C, Welsh J, Date E, Truong T, Rossi M, Hagle C.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2000; 25 (11): 1373-80; discussion 1381
• Provocative discography in patients after limited lumbar discectomy: A controlled, randomized study of pain response in symptomatic and asymptomatic subjects. Carragee EJ,  Chen Y, Tanner CM, Truong T, Lau E, Brito JL.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  2000; 25 (23): 3065-71
• Activity restrictions after posterior lumbar discectomy. A prospective study of outcomes in 152 cases with no postoperative restrictions. Carragee EJ,  Han MY, Yang B, Kim DH, Kraemer H, Billys J.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  1999; 24 (22): 2346-51
• Pain control and cultural norms and expectations after closed femoral shaft fractures. Carragee EJ,  Vittum D, Truong TP, Burton D.  Am J Orthop.  1999; 28 (2): 97-102
• False-positive findings on lumbar discography. Reliability of subjective concordance assessment during provocative disc injection. Carragee EJ,  Tanner CM, Yang B, Brito JL, Truong T.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  1999; 24 (23): 2542-7
• The clinical use of erythrocyte sedimentation rate in pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis. Carragee EJ,  Kim D, van der Vlugt T, Vittum D.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  1997; 22 (18): 2089-93
• Instrumentation of the infected and unstable spine: a review of 17 cases from the thoracic and lumbar spine with pyogenic infections. Carragee EJ,  J Spinal Disord.  1997; 10 (4): 317-24
• Single-level posterolateral arthrodesis, with or without posterior decompression, for the treatment of isthmic spondylolisthesis in adults. A prospective, randomized study. Carragee EJ,  J Bone Joint Surg Am.  1997; 79 (8): 1175-80
• A prospective analysis of magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with sciatica and lumbar disc herniation. Correlation of outcomes with disc fragment and canal morphology. Carragee EJ,  Kim DH.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  1997; 22 (14): 1650-60
• Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis. Carragee EJ,  J Bone Joint Surg Am.  1997; 79 (6): 874-80
• The clinical use of magnetic resonance imaging in pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis. Carragee EJ,  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  1997; 22 (7): 780-5
• Wound care after posterior spinal surgery. Does early bathing affect the rate of wound complications? Carragee EJ,  Vittum DW.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  1996; 21 (18): 2160-2
• Are postoperative activity restrictions necessary after posterior lumbar discectomy? A prospective study of outcomes in 50 consecutive cases. Carragee EJ,  Helms E, O'Sullivan GS.  Spine (Phila Pa 1976).  1996; 21 (16): 1893-7
• Increased rates of complications in patients with severe ankle fractures following interinstitutional transfers. Carragee EJ,  Csongradi JJ.  J Trauma.  1993; 35 (5): 767-71
• Pudendal nerve palsy after femoral intramedullary nailing. Kao JT,  Burton D, Comstock C, McClellan RT, Carragee E.  J Orthop Trauma.  1993; 7 (1): 58-63
• Early complications in the operative treatment of ankle fractures. Influence of delay before operation. Carragee EJ,  Csongradi JJ, Bleck EE.  J Bone Joint Surg Br.  1991; 73 (1): 79-82
• Repetitive trauma and nerve compression. Carragee EJ,  Hentz VR.  Orthop Clin North Am.  1988; 19 (1): 157-64