Stephen Dante, M.D. Penn Medicine Clinician
Ali Ozturk, M.D. Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery
“One of the things that brought me to neuro-
Dr. Ali K. Ozturk specializes in disorders of the
surgery was the desire to treat patients with very
spine, with a particular interest in spinal deformity
challenging problems. My patients mainly have
and tumors. The surgeries he performs often
spinal disorders—some that are congenital or
involve major reconstructions of the spine, which
developmental, some spinal tumors, as well as
can have a significant and lasting impact on
conditions that occur later in life, such as arthritic
patients’ quality of life. In collaboration with Dr.
disease and disc problems. The nervous system
Douglas Smith, Dr. Ozturk focuses his research
is quite complex and sometimes the treatment
efforts on spinal cord injury, which affects
options are elaborate. Penn Medicine is focused
thousands of patients worldwide with devastating
on treating patients’ problems, even the most
consequences, often at a young age. His work
complex situations, with cutting-edge, state-of-
is attempting to bridge spinal cord injuries with
the-art treatments that are not available in many
axons that have been stretched in the lab, with the
other places.”
ultimate goal of using them to restore function in paraplegic patients (see page 8).
38 :: penn neurosurgery :: spine surgery and repair