Edward C. Benzel, MD, is Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery; Director of the Center for Spine Health, Director of the Neurological Surgery Residency Program and Co-Director of the Spine Surgery Fellowship Program at Cleveland Clinic. 

Dr. Benzel’s major clinical interests embrace many aspects of neurosurgery but are focused on spinal disorders including cervical spondylosis, syringomyelia and Chiari malformation, complex spine instrumentation and spine tumors. Clinical research has encompassed such issues as hydrocephalus, neonatal hemorrhage, cerebrovascular disorders, cranial trauma, critical care, brain death, microelectromechanical systems and spinal disorders. 

He has been actively involved in the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, American Association of Neurological Surgery, North American Spine Society and Cervical Spine Research Society. He serves on numerous committees and in different positions on the Board of Directors of the various societies. Dr. Benzel also completed his tenure as Chairman of the World Spine Society, which has a mission is to “improve spine health worldwide.” 

Dr. Benzel rigorously reviews clinical and research content for numerous professional neurosurgical and spine publications. He was Co-Chairman of the Editorial Review Board of the Journal of Neurosurgery from 2003 to 2004, and he is currently Chairman of the Review Board for the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. He has served as a reviewer for Neurosurgery, Spine, and The Spine Journal, and is an ad hoc reviewer for other journals. 

He has authored multiple textbooks and more than 178 book chapters. His seminal texts, Biomechanics of Spine Stabilization (1^st & 2^nd Editions) and Spine Surgery: Techniques, Complications, Avoidance and Management are conceivably the highlights of his publication endeavors. 

Dr. Benzel holds several patents and has participated in fostering many medical advances. He is perhaps best known as an educator.  He directed the Neurosurgery Residency Training Program and the Spine Fellowship Programs at the University of New Mexico, and he directs these programs at the Cleveland Clinic. His innovation in Neurosurgery Resident Education has won accolades and numerous awards.

• Medical Co-Director, Cleveland Clinic Foundation Spine Research Laboratory, 1999-Present
•  Director, Neurosurgery Residency Program, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, May 2002-Present
• Director, Spine Review Hands-On 2006, InterContinental Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio, July 19-25, 2006
• Director, Spine Review Hands-On 2007, InterContinental Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio, July 18-24, 2007

Fellowship - VA Medical Center

SpineSurgery & Spinal Cord Inj
Albuquerque, NM USA
1981

Residency - Medical College of Wisconsin Clinics

Neurosurgery
Milwaukee, WI USA
1980

Internship - Medical College of Wisconsin Clinics

Milwaukee, WI USA
1976

Medical School - Medical College of Wisconsin

Milwaukee, WI USA
1975

Undergraduate - Washington State University

Chemical Engineering
Pullman, WA USA
1971

• Neurological Surgery

• Scholarship in Teaching Award, Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University, 2005
• Pioneer in Spine Surgery, North American Spine Society, 2006
• North American Spine Society’s David Selby Award, 2007
• Finalist, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, Parker J. Palmer “Courage to Teach” Award, 2007

• United States Patent 5,681,312 Spine Construct with Band Clamps, Hansen A. Yuan, Edward C. Benzel, Alex Dinello, Michael H. Wefers, Aaron C. Smith (inventors), issued Oct. 28, 1997 
• United States Patent 5,800,433 Spinal Column Retaining Apparatus, Edward C. Benzel, Alex Dinello, Hansen Yuan, Michael Wefers (inventors), issued Sept. 1, 1998
• United States Patent 5,843,082 Cervical Spine Stabilization Method and System, Edward C. Benzel (inventor), issued Dec. 1, 1998 
• United States Patent 5,713,900 Apparatus for Retaining Bone Portions in a Desired Relationship, Edward C. Benzel (inventor), issued Feb. 3, 1998 
• United States Patent 6,036,693 Cervical spine Stabilization Method & System, Edward C. Benzel (inventor), issued March 14, 2000 
• United States Patent 6,193,720 Cervical Spine Stabilization Method & System, Edward C. Benzel (inventor), issued Feb. 27, 2001 
• United States Patent 6,214,005 Spinal Column Retaining Apparatus, Edward C. Benzel (inventor), issued April 10, 2001
• United States Patent 6,706,005 Apparatus and Methods for Assessing Loads on Adjacent Bones, Shuvo Roy, Lisa Ferrara, Aaron Fleischman, Edward C. Benzel (inventors), issued March, 2004 
• United States Patent 7,182,736 B2  Apparatus and Method for Assessing Loads on Adjacent Bones, Shuvo Roy, Aaron Fleischman, Edward C. Benzel, Lisa Ferrara (inventors), issued February 2007

• American Association of Neurological Surgeons
• Cervical Spine Research Society

• World Spine Society, Aug. 2003-Present

• Society of Neurological Surgeons, 1994-Present
• Congress of Neurological Surgeons

• Chiari Malformation Surgery
• Neurological Surgery
• Spine Biomechanics

• Chiari Malformation
• Complex Cervical Deformities
• Spinal Cancer
• Spinal Fractures
• Spinal Neoplasms
• Spine Tumors
• Spondylitis
• Spondylosis
• Stenosis - Spinal

Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical education about recent trends. The collaborations are reviewed as part of the Cleveland Clinic’s procedures. The Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses payments to its physicians and scientists for speaking and consulting of $5,000 or more per year, and any equity, royalties, and fiduciary relationships in companies with which they collaborate. In publicly disclosing this information, the Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its doctors’ connections with industry and those of their immediate family members. As of 7/31/2008, Dr. Benzel has reported the financial relationships with the companies listed below. Patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by the Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about the Cleveland Clinic’s policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.

Inventor Share. Dr. Benzel may receive future financial benefits from the Cleveland Clinic for inventions or discoveries related to the companies shown below:

OrthoMEMS LLC

Royalty Payments. Dr. Benzel has the right to receive royalty payments for inventions or discoveries related to the companies shown below:

AxioMed Spine Corporation

OrthoMEMS LLC

Equity. Dr. Benzel owns stock or stock options in the following companies for activities as a founder, inventor, or consultant:

Applied Spine Technologies, Inc.

AxioMed Spine Corporation

Calcitec, Inc.

Spine Universe

Spinemark Corporation

Spinewave

Turning Point, LLC

• English