About Dr. Ivan Cheng, MD

Dr. Ivan Cheng provides consultation and treatment for patients with all spinal disorders, including cervical spine and complex spinal deformities.

After obtaining his degree at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Cheng completed his residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at U.C. Davis and his spine surgery fellowship with the world-renowned spine surgery group at Washington University in St. Louis. Board-certified in Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Cheng has received many awards including the Timothy Bray Trauma Award from U.C. Davis, the Saul Halpern Orthopaedic Teacher of the Year Award from Stanford, the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine Prize in Clinical Research, and Outstanding Paper Awards from the North American Spine Society.

In addition to the latest techniques in spinal reconstruction, Dr. Cheng is also trained in minimally-invasive surgery and motion-preserving surgery.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, Dr. Cheng sees patients not only from Northern California but from all over the world as well.

Education

Washington University, St. Louis, Fellowship, Spine Surgery (2003-2004)
U.C. Davis Medical Center, Residency, Orthopaedic Surgery (1999-2003)
U.C. Davis Medical Center, Internship, General Surgery (1998-1999)
Harvard Medical School, MD (1998)
University of California, Berkeley, BA, Neurology (1993)

Memberships

American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons
North American Spine Society
Scoliosis Research Society, Candidate Member

Recent Publications

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; (2008) “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” Spine, Feb 15;33(4 Suppl):S153-69.
Carragee EJ, Alamin TF, Cheng I*, Franklin TD, Hurwitz E (2006). 2006 ISSLS Prize in Clinical Research: “Does minor trauma cause serious low back pain illness?”, Spine, December 1, 31 (25): 2942-2949.
Carragee EJ, Alamin TF, Cheng I*, Franklin TF, Hurwitz E, van den Haak EL, (2006); 2006 NASS Outstanding Paper Winner - Medical & Interventional Science: “Are first time episodes of serious LBP associated with new MRI findings?” The Spine Journal 6: 624-35.
Cheng I, Kim JY, Gupta MC, Bridwell KH, Hurford RK, Lee SS, Theerajunyaporn T, Lenke LG. (2005). “Apical sublaminar wires versus pedicle screws - which provides better results for surgical correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis?” Spine, Sep; 30(18):2104-12.

Awards and Honors

NASS Best Paper Award, North American Spine Society (2008)
NASS Outstanding Paper Winner in Medical & Interventional Science, North American Spine Society (2006)
Outstanding Paper Award in Surgical Science, North American Spine Society, (2006)
The ISSLS Prize in Clinical Research, International Society of the Study of Lumbar Spine, Bergen, Norway (2006)
Saul Halpern, MD Orthopaedic Educator Award, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Standard University Medical Center (2005)
Timothy J. Bray Trauma Award, U.C. Davis Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Cum laude, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (1997)
Student Abstract Prize, American Gastroenterological Association, Digestive Diseases Week (1997)
Phi Beta Kappa & Highest Distinction of Honor (equivalent of summa cum laude), University of California, Berkeley (1993)

Future Engagements

2007 NASS Best Paper Award - Validation of a “Minimum Acceptable Outcomes” Model for Outcomes Assessment in Spinal Surgery October 23-27, 2008