Department / Division:
Surgery / Orthopaedic Surgery

Address:
DUMC 3077
Durham, NC 27710

Appointment Telephone:
919-613-7797

Office Telephone:
919-684-5711

Fax Telephone:
919-681-7366

• MD, Eastern Virginia Medical School, 1977

• Orthopaedics, Duke University Medical Center, 1982-1986

• Spinal Surgery, Toronto General - Mount Sinai Hospitals (Canada), 1986-1987

Clinical Interests:
Adult spine surgery, deformity, trauma, tumors, degenerative disc disease, stenosis, reconstructive surgery

Research Interests:
1. Current research includes investigation of biomechanical aspects of cervical injury with head impact.  This involves cadaveric work with high-speed photography and load cells to ascertain the mechanism for spinal fractures.

2. An animal model is being used to evaluate the biomechanics of cervical laminectomy versus laminoplasty compared to the normal spine.  A portion of the animals are developing myelopathy secondary to instability after the surgical procedure and this is being evaluated with MRI scanning as well as mechanical and radiographic testing.


3. Studies are being performed to develop an impedance pedicle probe to aid safe insertion of pedicular instrumentation in the lumbar spine.  Ongoing studies are being performed to define the optimal frequency for the probe to yield the most sensitive and specific device.  Hopefully this will lead to development of a device for human use.  Studies will compare impedance probe to currently used EMG techniques to see if combing them will lead to greater sensitivity and specificity.

4. Studies are being completed on testing particular pull-out strength and doing a  multi-varied analysis looking at size of the pedicle and bone density by two different techniques.

5. Current work is ongoing to develop an outcomes instrument and database to be used in the outpatient setting for patients with spinal complaints, both cervical and lumbar.  The device will be used to evaluate clinical effectiveness for a variety of treatments for spinal conditions and to look at patient satisfaction issues.

Representative Publications:
Shah AN, Pietrobon R, Richardson WJ, Myers BS. Patterns of tumor spread and risk of fracture and epidural impingement in metastatic vertebrae. J Spinal Disord Tech. 2003 Feb;16(1):83-9. (2003) Abstract

Whitehouse JD, Friedman ND, Kirkland KB, Richardson WJ, Sexton DJ. The impact of surgical-site infections following orthopedic surgery at a community hospital and a university hospital: adverse quality of life, excess length of stay, and extra cost. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2002 Apr;23(4):183-9. (2002) Abstract

Speciale AC, Pietrobon R, Urban CW, Richardson WJ, Helms CA, Major N, Enterline D, Hey L, Haglund M, Turner DA. Observer variability in assessing lumbar spinal stenosis severity on magnetic resonance imaging and its relation to cross-sectional spinal canal area. Spine. 2002 May 15;27(10):1082-6. (2002) Abstract

Pietrobon R, Coeytaux RR, Carey TS, Richardson WJ, DeVellis RF. Standard scales for measurement of functional outcome for cervical pain or dysfunction: a systematic review. Spine. 2002 Mar 1;27(5):515-22. (2002) Abstract

Nightingale RW, Winkelstein BA, Knaub KE, Richardson WJ, Luck JF, Myers BS. Comparative strengths and structural properties of the upper and lower cervical spine in flexion and extension. J Biomech. 2002 Jun;35(6):725-32. (2002) Abstract

Winkelstein BA, Nightingale RW, Richardson WJ, Myers BS. The cervical facet capsule and its role in whiplash injury: a biomechanical investigation. Spine. 2000 May 15;25(10):1238-46. (2000) Abstract

Matar LD, Helms CA, Richardson WJ. "Spinolaminar breach": an important sign in cervical spinous process fractures. Skeletal Radiol. 2000 Feb;29(2):75-80. (2000) Abstract

Major NM, Helms CA, Richardson WJ. The "mini brain": plasmacytoma in a vertebral body on MR imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 2000 Jul;175(1):261-3. (2000) Abstract

Fields MJ, Hoshijima K, Richardson WJ, Myers BS. Clinical outcome scales for use in a rabbit model of cervical myelopathy. J Spinal Disord. 2000 Apr;13(2):124-30. (2000) Abstract

Fields MJ, Hoshijima K, Feng AH, Richardson WJ, Myers BS. A biomechanical, radiologic, and clinical comparison of outcome after multilevel cervical laminectomy or laminoplasty in the rabbit. Spine. 2000 Nov 15;25(22):2925-31. (2000) Abstract

Danisa OA, Turner D, Richardson WJ. Surgical correction of lumbar kyphotic deformity: posterior reduction "eggshell" osteotomy. J Neurosurg. 2000 Jan;92(1 Suppl):50-6. (2000) Abstract