Vikas Patel, MD
Orthopedic Surgery of the Spine
Locations
Practice Locations
UCHealth Spine Center - Anschutz Medical Campus
720-848-1980
UCHealth Highlands Ranch Hospital
720-516-1000
UCHealth Orthopedics - Highlands Ranch Hospital
720-516-1000
UCHealth Orthopedics
UCHealth Cherry Creek Medical Center
720-516-9417
Provider Expertise
Care Philosophy
I currently serve as the Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery. As an academic spine surgeon, it is my responsibility to stay involved in the latest spine care research findings, techniques, and technologies. As a clinician, I must also use the latest diagnostic technologies to first find the source of discomfort and disability in my patients. I then look to my training and experience to educate my patients on treatment options and together judge which might be the best treatment for each individual patient without increasing the risk of complications. We can thus choose the best technology together based on their condition and expectation from surgical treatment. Surgery, however, is a last resort to be chosen only if conservative measures fail to provide sufficient relief. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and worked as an engineer before earning both a Master's of Arts and a Doctor of Medicine degree at Washington University in St. Louis. My orthopedic spine surgery training took place at the University of California (San Francisco), and my specialized fellowship training was at St. John’s Hospital in Santa Monica.
Specialties
- Orthopedic Surgery of the Spine (2006)
Conditions & Treatments
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Bones, Joints and Muscles
Back Pain, Fractures, Neck Disorders and Injuries, Scoliosis, Spine Injuries
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Symptoms and Manifestations
Pain
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Spine
Cervical disc herniation, Cervical spinal stenosis, Degenerative Disc Disease, Degenerative Scoliosis, Lumbar disc herniation, Lumbar spinal stenosis, Myelopathy, Radiculopathy, Sacroiliac Joint, Sciatica, Scoliosis, Slipped Disc, Spondylolisthesis, Spondylolysis
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Brain and Nervous System
Spine Diseases and Conditions
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Infections
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Spinal Deformity
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Failed Prior Surgery
Interests & Activities
Personal Interests
When I am not working I enjoy traveling with my wife and two children.
Education & Training
Medical Schools
MA, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (1997)
MD, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine (1997)
Undergraduate Schools
BS, University of Illinois–Urbana-Champaign (IL) (1991)
Internships
University of California (San Francisco) Program (1998)
Residency Program
University of California (San Francisco) Program (2003)
Fellowships
St. John's Hospital Spine Fellowship (Cedars Sinai Program) (2003)
Professional Memberships
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, Member
AO North America, Member
Colorado Medical Society (CMS), Member
International Association for the Study of Pain, Member
Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), Member
Society of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Member
Spine Arthroplasty Association, Member
Western Orthopaedic Association (WOA), Member
Research & Grants
Grants
Post market Surveillance of Clinical and Functional Outcomes with Post-Operative Adjunctive use of Cervical-Stim aor Spinal Stim (2006)
The effect of auto claving on metal memory (2007)
EBI'S Lumbar Anterior Plate System (2007)
Activ-L Artificial Disc. CT (2007)
Facet force relative to disc degeneration and disc replacement (2007)
BMP Diffusion from a Novel Bone Graft Substitute (2007)
Facet Force Disc Degen/Metal Memory (2007)
Fellowship Grant in Spine Care (2008)
Nubac Disc Arthroplasty (2009)
EPhysical Capacity Outcomes Study PD-L and ALIF (2009)
Rabbit Study Protocol CR-055: P-15 ABM Formulations in a Rabbit Femur Drill Hole Healing Study (2009)
ISSIS Clinical Trial (2009)
Fellowship Grant in Spine Care (2010)
Evaluation of Blood Platelet Concentrate Methodology with ABM/P-15 (2010)
Biomechanical Cervical Disc Replacement Facet Force (2011)
Fellowship Grant in Spine Care (2011)
Fellowship Grant in Spine Care (2011)
Retrospective Multicenter Clinical Evaluation of Fusion and Complications for Single Lvl AxiaLIF and ALIF Subjects (2011)
Three dimensional accuracy of Stealth Surgical Navigation with O-Arm Imaging (2011)
Biomechanical Evaluation of Anterior Cage-Plate Fixation (ALIF cage and ATB Plate or Synfix ) Versus Iliac Screws with TLIF (2012)
Synthes AO Spine (2012)
The Relationship between Sagittal Plane Correction and Quality of Life in Adult Deformity Patients Treated with Posterior Instrumentation-CT (2012)
Effects of vitamin D deficiency on lumbar spine fusion and the role of rhBMP-2 (2012)
Validation of a New Sacroiliac-Joint Specific Disability Questionnaire (2012)
Investigation of Sacroiliac Fusion Treatment – INSITE - CT (2012)
Skull to sacrum course (2013)
Fellowship Grant in Spine Care (2013)
Cervical Stim Retrospective (CDA – Orthofix Cervical Stim Retrospective Protocol) (2014)
Porous, Patient Specific Interbody Fusion Cages with Enhanced Loading Characteristics (2014)
DuraSeal TM Exact Spine Sealant System Post Approval Study (2014)
Revitalization of Bone Allograft with Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Enhance Spinal Fusion (2014)
Retrospective Study Evaluating the Efficacy of the Orthofix Spinal-Stim Bone Growth Stimulator in Patients Who Have Undergone Lumbar Fusion Surgery with Adjunctive Use of the Spinal-Stim Device (2015)
A Phase 2b Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo Study to Evaluate the Safety and Efficacy of Staphylococcus (2015)
Prospective, Concurrently Controlled, Multi-Center Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of the Spinal Kinetics M6-C Artificial Cervical Disc Compared to ACDF for the Treatment of Symptomatic Cervical Radiculopathy (2015)
Fellowship Grant in Spine Care (2015)
Odontoid: Safety and Efficacy of Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields (Cervical Stim) as an Adjunct to Enhanced Union (2015)
A Double Blind, Placebo-Controlled Crossover Study Comparing the Analgesic Efficacy of Cannabis versus Oxycodone (2016)
Clinical Study Protocol to Assess the Safety and Effectiveness of the Premia Spine TOPS System (2017)
ReActive Implantable Neurostimulation System for Chronic Low Back Pain (ReActiv8-B) (2017)
SALLY: Study of bone growth in the Sacroiliac Joint after minimally invasive surgery with titanium implants. (2017)
M6-C Artificial Cervical Disc IDE Post-Approval Study (2019)
Clinical Study Protocol To Assess The Safety And Effectiveness Of The Premia Spine TOPSTM System (2019)
Clinical Study Protocol to Assess the Safety and Effectiveness of the Premia Spine TOPS System (2020)
ReActiv8 Stimulation Therapy vs Optimal Medical Management: A Randomized Evaluation (RESTORE) (2021)
M6-C Artificial Cervical Disc IDE Post-Approval Study (2021)
An Interventional, Multi-Center Investigation of Single-Level Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF) Stabilized with Pedicle Screws (2021)
A Multi-Center Post-Market Retrospective Data Collection Protocol to Evaluate the Real World Performance of Orthofix Spine Stim Devices Compared to Control (RWE Spine Study) (2022)
A 2 and 5 Year Evaluation of Clinical Outcomes in the Treatment of Degenerative Spinal Stenosis with Concomitant Low Back Pain by Decompression With and Without Additional Stabilization Using the coflex(R) Interlaminar Technology for FDA Actual Condi (2023)
Advanced Cervical Fixation (2023)
M6-C™ Artificial Cervical Disc Two-Level IDE Pivotal Study: A Prospective, Concurrently Controlled, Multi-Center Study to Evaluate the Safety and Effectiveness of the Spinal Kinetics M6-C™ Artificial Cervical Disc Compared to Anterior Cervical Disce (2023)
Research Interests for Patients
Currently, my research focus entails spinal non-fusion technologies, cervical and lumbar disc replacement, dynamic stabilization, alternative bone graft materials for fusion, minimally invasive surgical techniques and computer-assisted surgery. My basic science research includes the study of cell therapies, spinal biologics, spinal biomechanics, and the evaluation of pain. Additional research includes assessing the efficacy of marijuana based pain treatment.
information for referring providers
Referral Contact Phone
Referral Contact Fax
720-848-2019
Referring Patients Link
Clinical Interests for Referring Providers
Minimally invasive spine surgery of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine with a conservative-first approach and motion preservation whenever possible. I also treat complex spine problems including failed back and neck surgery and conditions which patients may have been told can't be treated.
Research Interest for Referring Providers
Spinal non-fusion technologies, cervical and lumbar disc replacement, dynamic stabilization, alternative bone graft materials for fusion, minimally invasive surgical techniques, computer-assisted surgery, cell therapies, spinal biologics, spinal biomechanics, and the evaluation of pain. Additional research includes assessing the efficacy of marijuana based pain treatment.