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Howard S. An, MD

Director, Spine Fellowship Program
The Morton International Professor of Orthopedic Surgery, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, RUSH Medical College
Education

MD, Medical College of Ohio

Research Areas

Biological repair and regeneration of the intervertebral disc, biomechanical and kinematic factors contributing to intervertebral disc degeneration, the etiology of spinal pain, clinical outcome studies of patients with spinal disorders

Contact Info:

1611 W. Harrison St.
Suite 400
Chicago, IL 60612
Phone: (877) 891-8234
Fax: (708) 409-5179
han@rushortho.com
Links:
Biography

Howard An, MD, is a renowned spine surgeon and researcher for disorders of the spine. As one of the leading authorities on spinal surgery, An has published more than 320 peer-reviewed articles, 100 book chapters and 20 textbooks on spinal surgery and instrumentation. An holds the inaugural Morton International Endowed Chair position at Rush University Medical Center since 1997, and is currently Director of Spine Surgery Fellowship Program at Rush. An had previously served as Director of Spine Surgery at the Medical College of Wisconsin and of Spine Surgery at Rush.

As a medical graduate from the Medical College of Ohio in 1982, An stayed at the school to complete his internship and residency in orthopedic surgery. He followed his internship and residency with a spine surgery fellowship at Rothman Institute-Pennsylvania Hospital and Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia.

An is a recipient of the 1990 North American Traveling Fellowship from the American Orthopaedic Association and the 1995 Scoliosis Research Society Traveling Fellowship, Kappa Delta Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award from Orthopaedic Research Society in 2011 and served as the President of International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine in 2010. In addition to an active surgical practice in all aspects of spinal disorders, especially of the cervical spine, An is currently involved in research in the fields of spinal biomechanics and tissue engineering with funding from NIH, industries, and foundations.

Honors and Activities
  • Kappa Delta Elizabeth Winston Lanier Award, Orthopaedic Research Society, 2011
  • President, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, 2010
  • Traveling Fellowship, Scoliosis Research Society, 1995
  • North American Traveling Fellowship, American Orthopaedic Association, 1990 
Publications

Dr. Howard An’s full PubMed list.

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications:

  1. Louie PK, Paul JC, Markowitz J, Bell JA, Basques BA, Yacob A, An HS. Stability-preserving decompression in degenerative versus congenital spinal stenosis: demographic patterns and patient outcomes. Spine J. 17:1420, 2017
  2. Hong JT, Tomoyuki T, Jain A, Orias AE, Inoue N, An HS. Which salvage fixation technique is best for the failed initial screw fixation at the cervicothoracic junction? A biomechanical comparison study. Eur Spine J, 2017
  3. Chee A, Shi P, Cha T, Kao TH, Yang SH, Zhu J, Chen D, Zhang Y, An HS. Cell therapy with human dermal fibroblasts enhances intervertebral disk repair an decreases inflammation in the rabbit model. Global Spine J. 6:771-9, 2016
  4. Zhang Y, Lenart BA, Lee JK, Chen D, Shi P, Ren J, Muehleman C, An HS. Histological features of endplates of the mammalian spine: from mice to men. Spine 39: E312-7, 2013.
  5. Weinstein JN, Toseteson TD, Lurie J, Tosteson A, Blodd E, Hanscom B, Herkowitz H, Cammisa F, Albert, T, Boden SD, Hilibrand A, Goldberg H, Berven S, An HS. Surgical versus nonsurgical therapy for lumbar spinal stenosis. N Eng J Med 358:794-810, 2008
Grants

An directs the Spine Biology Laboratory in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery and collaborates with other department researchers, particularly with faculty in biomechanics.