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- English, German
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Biography
Prof. Dr. Rudolf Bertagnoli is an orthopaedic surgeon and internationally renowned spine specialist, recognized as one of the world’s leading experts in motion-preserving spine surgery and disc arthroplasty. With over 10,000 cervical and lumbar disc replacements, he ranks among the most experienced spine surgeons globally.
A pioneer in his field, Prof. Bertagnoli has performed numerous first-in-class spine procedures and contributed significantly to the development of advanced surgical techniques, implants, and instrument systems.
He trained at the University of Vienna Medical School, the Institute of Anatomy, the Lorenz Böhler Trauma Center, and the Trauma Center Linz, before continuing his career in Germany at the German Center for Spine Surgery, University Hospital Göttingen, St. Elisabeth Hospital Straubing, Asklepios Klinik Bad Griesbach, and Alphaclinic Munich.
Prof. Bertagnoli is the Founder and CEO/CMO of ProSpine Germany, the First European Center for Spine Arthroplasty and Associated Non-Fusion Technologies (ECSA), and, since 2025, Founder and CEO/CMO of ProSpine-UAE, the First Middle East Center for Spine Arthroplasty and Associated Non-Fusion Technologies (MCSA).
He is a founding member and past president of the Spine Arthroplasty Society (now part of ISASS), author of 81 scientific publications, co-editor and contributor to major textbooks including Motion Preservation Surgery of the Spine, holder of 37 patents, and has served as principal or co-investigator in 16 clinical studies.
Through 280+ surgical training courses and international proctoring, he has trained over 3,500 spine surgeons from 55+ countries and delivered 600+ lectures at major international scientific meetings.
Speciality
Consultant Orthopedic Spine Surgeon
Areas of Expertise
- Motion-preserving spine surgery
- Cervical and lumbar disc arthroplasty (disc replacement)
- Minimally invasive and percutaneous spine procedures
- Non-fusion spinal technologies
- Complex degenerative spine conditions
- Revision spine surgery
- Spinal deformity correction
- Spinal implant and instrument design
- Conservative spine injection therapies
Education & Training
Doctor of Medicine (MD) – University of Vienna Medical School, Vienna, Austria
Specialized Training in Anatomy – Institute of Anatomy, University of Vienna, Austria
Trauma and Orthopaedic Training – Lorenz Böhler Trauma Center, Vienna, Austria
Trauma and Orthopaedic Training – Trauma Center Linz, Austria
Advanced Spine Surgery Training – German Center for Spine Surgery, Bad Wildungen, Germany
Clinical Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery – University Hospital Göttingen, Germany
Orthopaedic Surgery Practice – St. Elisabeth Hospital, Straubing, Germany
Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery Practice – Asklepios Klinik Bad Griesbach, Germany
Orthopaedic and Spine Surgery Practice – Alphaclinic Munich, Germany
Academic & Professional Achievements
Founding Member & Former President, Spine Arthroplasty Society (now ISASS)
Author of 81 scientific publications
Co-editor and author of major spine surgery textbooks, including Motion Preservation Surgery of the Spine
Principal investigator / investigator in 16 clinical studies
Holder of 37 international patents (spinal implants & instrument systems)
Conducted 280+ surgical training courses
Trained 3,500+ spine surgeons from over 55 countries
Delivered 600+ international lectures
Publications
2002
Indications for full prosthetic disc arthroplasty: a correlation of clinical outcome against a variety of indications
European Spine Journal 11 (Suppl 2): S131–S136
2002
Surgical and clinical results with the PDN prosthetic disc-nucleus device
European Spine Journal 11 (Suppl 2): S143–S148
2003
Artificial intervertebral discs and beyond: a North American Spine Society annual meeting symposium
The Spine Journal 2 (2002): 460–463
2005
The treatment of disabling single-level lumbar discogenic low back pain with total disc arthroplasty utilizing the ProDisc prosthesis: a prospective study with 2-year minimum follow-up
Spine 30(19): 2230–2236
2005
The treatment of disabling multilevel lumbar discogenic low back pain with total disc arthroplasty utilizing the ProDisc prosthesis: a prospective study with 2-year minimum follow-up
Spine 30(19): 2192–2199
2005
Early results after ProDisc-C cervical disc replacement
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine 2: 403–410
2005
Cervical total disc replacement, Part Two: Clinical Results
Orthopedic Clinics of North America 36(3): 355–362
2005
Lumbar partial disc replacement
Orthopedic Clinics of North America 36(3): 341–347
2006
Lumbar total disc arthroplasty utilizing the ProDisc prosthesis in smokers versus nonsmokers: Prospective study with 2-year minimum follow-up
Spine 31(9): 992–997
2006
Lumbar total disc arthroplasty in patients older than 60 years of age: a prospective study of the ProDisc prosthesis with 2-year minimum follow-up
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine 4: 85–90
2006
Treatment of symptomatic adjacent-segment degeneration after lumbar fusion with total disc arthroplasty by using the ProDisc prosthesis: a prospective study with 2-year minimum follow-up
Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine 4: 91–97
2008
Does vertebral endplate morphology influence outcomes in lumbar disc arthroplasty? Part I: An initial assessment of a novel classification system
International Journal of Spine Surgery 2(1): 16–22