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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 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 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 I am Deputy Editor of the Bone and Joint 360, a leading publication with a global readership.

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


The alpha-defensin can rule out septic arthritis in pediatric cases: a first case series study.

Journal Article J Pediatr Orthop B · November 1, 2025 Achieving a rapid diagnosis in suspected septic arthritis is challenging as a pathogen is only isolated in 50% of cases, and the necessary investigation takes time and delays treatment. The alpha-defensin lateral flow test (Synovasure) has been shown to ef ... Full text Link to item Cite

AO Spine Clinical Practice Recommendations: Evaluation, Implications and Management of Osteoporosis in Adult Spinal Deformity.

Journal Article Global Spine J · July 14, 2025 Study designLiterature review with clinical recommendation.ObjectivesTo provide the readers with a concise curation of the relevant spine literature regarding the identification and management of osteoporosis in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD) a ... Full text Link to item Cite

Blood Management and Conservation During Adult Spine Deformity Surgery.

Journal Article Global Spine J · July 2025 Study DesignNarrative literature review.ObjectivesTo summarize the evidence for perioperative blood conservation for patients undergoing surgery for adult spine deformity.MethodsA systematic literature review with narrative analysis was conducted to descri ... Full text Open Access 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.