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Brett Rocos

Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedic Surgery
Box 3077, Durham, NC 27710
200 Trent Drive 5th Floor, Orange Zone Room 5316, Durham, NC 27710
Office hours 0900- 1700 Monday- Friday  

Overview


I joined the team at Duke University Health in 2022 from London, UK, where I was a Consultant Adult and Paediatric Spine Surgeon at Barts Health NHS Trust and Honorary Consultant Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University of London. I completed my surgical training in in the South West of the UK and at the University of Toronto, and am fellowship trained in adult spine surgery, paediatric spine surgery, orthopaedic trauma surgery, research and healthcare management.

I am driven to support patients at every stage of their care, from clinic assessment, through surgery to discharge. Making sure that every person, adult, child, family or friend understands what’s wrong, helping them to choose the right treatment for them, and what the recovery will be like is an important priority.

My research activity focusses on finding effective new treatments for spinal disorders and bringing them to patients. Focusing on spinal deformity, I have led investigations in the UK, Canada and the USA, and I sit on the Global AO Knowledge Forum for Deformity, the International Spine Study Group and the Research Grants Committee at the Scoliosis Research Society. I have lectured in North America and Europe about the treatment of spine disorders for the Scoliosis Research Society, Global Spine Congress, AO Spine and Eurospine, and I have worked hard to produce research that improves the care for spine patients wherever they live. Lastly, I review for several orthopaedic journals and am a recent Deputy Editor of the Bone and Joint 360, a leading publication with a global readership.

I welcome collaborations across academic settings and departments, and maintain opportunities for studnets at all stages of training to become part of a clinical and research team.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery · 2022 - Present Orthopaedic Surgery, Clinical Science Departments
Assistant Professor in Neurosurgery · 2023 - Present Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery

Recent Publications


Pre-operative zoledronate is safe for children with medical complexity undergoing posterior spinal fusion for neuromuscular scoliosis.

Journal Article Spine Deform · March 2026 PURPOSE: Despite evidence for the safety and efficacy of zoledronate infusions in pediatric conditions (e.g., osteogenesis imperfecta), its tolerance, safety, and efficacy in medically complex children with neuromuscular scoliosis have not been established ... Full text Link to item Cite

Performance of ChatGPT versus spine surgeons as an emergency department spine call consultant.

Journal Article N Am Spine Soc J · March 2026 BACKGROUND: Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT are increasingly being recognized as credible tools for use across diverse healthcare settings. While artificial intelligence (AI) use has previously been evaluated in emergency medicine, its use in sub ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Integration of Mindfulness and Acupuncture After Spine Surgery: Protocol for a Randomized Acceptability and Feasibility Trial.

Journal Article JMIR Res Protoc · November 17, 2025 BACKGROUND: Spine surgery is increasingly common in the United States, contributing substantially to spine-related health care costs. While many patients benefit, up to 25% experience chronic postsurgical pain, and the procedure is linked to high rates of ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


AO Spine NA Grant Application AY 25-26

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by AO North America · 2025 - 2026

Feasibility Pilot Trial of Mindfulness in Patients Undergoing Spine Surgery (M-PASS) Using a Mobile Health Application

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health · 2023 - 2026

Topical application of tranexamic acid (CYKLOKAPRON) to reduce blood loss during spine surgery

Clinical TrialInvestigator · Awarded by Columbia University · 2023 - 2026

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


University of Bristol (United Kingdom) · 2006 B.M.