Clinical Focus

• Physical Medicine and Rehab
• Physical Medicine & Rehab

Administrative Appointments

• Deputy Editor, The Spine Journal (2011 - present)
• Vice Chair, Spine Section, AAPM&R Program Planning Committee (2010 - present)
• Director, Stanford PM&R Interventional Spine Fellowship (2009 - present)
• Section Editor, SpineLine, Spine & Sports section (2008 - present)
• Director, Stanford Interventional Spine Center (2008 - present)

Honors and Awards

• Appointed Deputy Editor, The Spine Journal (2011)
• Jose C. Montero MD Teaching Award, Stanford University, PM&R residency program (2010)
• Visiting Professor, El Maadi Military Hospital Complex, Cairo, Egypt (9/2010)
• Best Papers (2 research papers selected), North American Spine Society (NASS) 24th Annual Meeting (2009)
• Young Investigator Award, US Bone and Joint Decade (2006)

Professional Education

Graduate & Fellowship Program Affiliations

• Orthopedic Surgery

Current Research Interests

I specialize in precision diagnosis and comprehensive treatment of cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine disorders. My research is focused on improving the effectiveness and safety of commonly used percutaneous spine interventions, developing new technologies and techniques for minimally invasive treatment of spine disease, and investigating the mechanisms behind spine injury and pain.

Clinical Trials

• Cutaneous Administration of Local Anesthetic for Spine Injection Procedures Recruiting
• Lumbar Transforaminal Epidural Corticosteroid Injection(s) Versus Defined Physical Therapy Recruiting

Publications

• Diagnostic Imaging of Painful Lumbar Facet Joints Smuck M, Agrawal D. Ispine: Evidence-Based Interventional Spine Care. Demos. 2011: 1st ed 80-89
• Inadvertent injection of a cervical radicular artery using an atraumatic pencil-point needle. Smuck M, Leung D. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2011; 36 (3): E220-3
• Vascular causes of radiculopathy: a literature review. Benny BV, Nagpal AS, Singh P, Smuck M. Spine J. 2011; 11 (1): 73-85
• Basic appearance of ultrasound structures and pitfalls. McDonald S, Fredericson M, Roh EY, Smuck M. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2010; 21 (3): 461-79
• Considering value. Smuck M, Spine J. 2010; 10 (6): 505-6