Research & Publications †
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Biographical Sketch
Gordon Bell, MD, has been on staff in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic since 1982, and he has been Head of the Section of Spinal Surgery since 1994. He is Vice-Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery.
Dr. Bell’s practice is limited to the practice of spinal surgery, and his interests include degenerative conditions of the cervical (neck) and lumbar (low back) spine, athletic spinal injuries and spinal tumors.
He has been awarded the prestigious Volvo Award for clinical research by the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, and he has been selected as one of the Best Doctors in America. He has held positions of leadership in national (North American Spine Society) and international (International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine) spine organizations and has served on numerous spine committees for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Dr. Bell is also a member of the prestigious American Orthopaedic Association. In addition to numerous publications, Dr. Bell is co-editor of two spine textbooks and serves as Associate Editor for Spine and as Associate Board Member of The Spine Journal.
Specialty Interests
Spinal surgery, spinal stenosis, disc herniation, spinal fusion
Awards & Honors
Consistently ranked in Best Doctors in America
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists may collaborate with the pharmaceutical or medical device industries to help develop medical breakthroughs or provide medical expertise or education. Cleveland Clinic strives to make scientific advances that will benefit patient care and support outside relationships that promise public benefit. In order for the discoveries of Cleveland Clinic physicians' and scientists' laboratories and investigations to benefit the public, these discoveries must be commercialized in partnership with industry. As experts in their fields, Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists are often sought after by industry to consult, provide expertise and education.
To assure professional and commercial integrity in such matters, Cleveland Clinic maintains a program that reviews these collaborations and, when appropriate, puts measures in place to minimize bias that may result from ties to industry. The Cleveland Clinic publicly discloses the names of companies when (i) its physicians/scientists receive $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) for speaking and consulting, (ii) its physicians/scientists serve as a fiduciary, (iii) its physicians/scientists
receive or have the right to receive royalties or (iv) its physicians/scientists hold any equity interest for the physician's/scientist's role as inventor, discoverer, developer, founder or consultant.* In publicly disclosing this information, the Cleveland Clinic tries to provide information as accurately as possible about its physicians' and scientists' connections with industry.
As of 9/8/2012, Dr. Bell has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing. In general, 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.
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers’ discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.