Jacob Buchowski

Jacob Buchowski, MD, MS

Lawrence G. and Elizabeth A. Lenke Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

Professor of Neurological Surgery

Division of Spine Surgery

Vice-Chair of Clinical Affairs, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

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(314) 514-3500

Dr. Buchowski's clinical interest is surgical treatment of degenerative conditions of the cervical and lumbar spine such as disc herniations or spinal stenosis. He is board-certified and is one of only a handful of surgeons in Missouri who is a member of the prestigious Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS) and Lumbar Spine Research Society (LSRS). He has received numerous awards for the quality of his clinical care.  

Common Diagnoses Treated

  • Cervical disc herniation
  • Cervical deformity
  • Cervical kyphosis
  • Cervical spinal stenosis
  • Cervical myelopathy
  • Degenerative spondylolisthesis
  • Disc degeneration
  • Disc herniation
  • Fractures of the spine
  • Isthmic spondylolisthesis
  • Lumbar disc herniation
  • Lumbar spinal stenosis
  • Lumbar spondylolisthesis
  • Nerve compression (in the cervical or lumbar spine)
  • Radiculopathy
  • Spinal metastases
  • Spinal stenosis
  • Spondylosis/arthritis of the spine
  • Spondylolisthesis disc disease (including cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine)

Common Procedures

  • Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)
  • Anterior spine fusion
  • Artificial disc replacement or arthroplasty
  • Cervical disc replacement or arthroplasty
  • Cervical fusion
  • Cervical laminectomy or decompression
  • Decompression of the cervical and lumbar spine
  • Discectomy
  • Lumbar fusion
  • Lumbar laminectomy or decompression
  • Minimally invasive spine surgery
  • Revision spine surgery
  • Robotic spine surgery
  • Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF)

Clinical Office Locations

Hospital Affiliations

  • Barnes-Jewish Hospital
  • Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
  • St. Louis Children's Hospital

Academic Office Mailing Address

  • Washington University School of Medicine

     

    Campus Box 8233

    660 South Euclid Avenue

    Saint Louis, MO 63110

Research Interests

Dr. Buchowski's research interests include: clinical outcomes following surgery for spinal tumors and metastatic spine disease, clinical outcome following complex reconstructive surgery, and the role of biologics in spine surgery.

Clinical Interests

Dr. Buchowski's clinical interest is in the surgical treatment of degenerative conditions of the cervical and lumbar spine, such as disc herniations or spinal stenosis. Although not his primary interest, Dr. Buchowski is also known for the surgical treatment of primary and metastatic spinal tumors.

Background

Jacob M. Buchowski, MD, MS, is the Lawrence G. and Elizabeth A. Lenke Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Professor of Neurological Surgery, Vice-Chair and Chief of the Spine Division at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. He is also the Director of the Spinal Tumors Center. He is a board-certified specialist in spinal tumors, metastatic spine disease, and complex reconstructive spine surgery of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine. Dr. Buchowski earned his bachelor and master of science degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale University and his medical degree from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in orthopaedic surgery at Johns Hopkins, where he served as administrative chief resident at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was fellowship trained in adult and pediatric spine surgery in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine. He is a diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

Board Certifications

  • Diplomate, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Medical Degree

  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Residency

  • Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital / Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Fellowship

  • Spine Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine

Honors and Awards

  • Castle Connolly Top Doctors 2023 Listing, Castle Connolly, New York, New York
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctors 2022 Listing, Castle Connolly, New York, New York
  • Castle Connolly Regional Top Doctor 2021 Listing, Castle Connolly, New York, New York
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctors 2021 Listing, Castle Connolly, New York, New York
  • Best Doctors in America 2013 Listing, Best Doctors, Inc., Boston, Massachusetts, 2013 - 2019
  • AAOS Achievement Award, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, March 12, 2019

  • AAOS Achievement Award, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, March 6, 2018
  • AAOS Achievement Award, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, October 13, 2017
  • AAOS Achievement Award, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, February 28, 2017
  • Whitecloud Award for Best Clinical Science Paper, The 18th Annual International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST), Copenhagen, Denmark, July 13-16, 2011
  • Scoliosis Research Society 2011 Edgar Dawson Visiting Fellow Award, Scoliosis Research Society 46th annual meeting, Louisville, Kentucky, September 14-17, 2011
  • Nominated for the Louis A. Goldstein Award for Best Clinical Poster Presentation, Scoliosis Research Society 46th annual meeting, Louisville, Kentucky, September 14-17, 2011
  • Scoliosis Research Society Traveling Fellowship Award Participant, Scoliosis Research Society 43rd annual meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, September 10-13, 2008
  • Nominated for the Russell A. Hibbs Award, Scoliosis Research Society 41st annual meeting, Monterey, California, September 13-16, 2006
  • Administrative Chief Resident, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, July 1, 2004-June 30, 2005
  • AOA-OREF-Zimmer, Inc. Resident Leadership Forum Participant, American Orthopaedic Association 117th annual meeting, Boston, Massachusetts, June 22-26, 2004
  • Second Place Winner, American Journal of Orthopedics Resident Writer’s Award, March 12, 2004
  • Resident Travel Award, Eastern Orthopaedic Association 33rd annual meeting, Amelia Island, Florida, October, 2002
  • Nominated for the Russell A. Hibbs Award, Scoliosis Research Society 36th annual meeting, Cleveland, Ohio, September 19-21, 2001
  • Fourth Place Winner, Best Clinical Paper, Maryland Orthopaedic Association annual meeting, St. Michael’s, Maryland, April, 2001
  • Second Place Winner, Best Clinical Paper, Maryland Orthopaedic Association annual meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, April, 1999
  • Dr. Harold Lamport Research Award, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, October, 1998
  • Kosciuszko Foundation Academic Scholarship, New York, New York, September, 1997
  • Kosciuszko Foundation Academic Scholarship, New York, New York, September, 1996
  • 2013-present, Best Doctors in America® list
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