Scholars@Duke
Robert Lark

Robert Lark

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery
Orthopaedic Surgery
lark0002@mc.duke.edu
DUMC Box 2809, 3000 Erwin Road, Durham, NC 27710
209 Lenox Baker Children's Hospital, Durham, NC 27705
Office hours Monday-Friday 8:00-4:30  

Current Appointments & Affiliations

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery · 2022 - Present Orthopaedic Surgery, Clinical Science Departments
Professor in Pediatrics · 2022 - Present Pediatrics, Clinical Science Departments

In the News

Published June 8, 2022
Duke Helps Dancer Get Back Her Dancing Shoes
Published April 15, 2016
Low-dose X-rays curb radiation risks for scoliosis patients
Published January 22, 2016
Spinal implant improves quality of life for little girl with early onset scoliosis

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Recent Publications

Providing Beyond Clinic Hours: A Single-center Analysis of Patient Portal Communication in Pediatric Orthopaedic Care.

Journal Article J Pediatr Soc North Am · February 2026 BACKGROUND: Patient portals are an increasingly common tool for patient-provider communication not only improving access for patients but also creating a significant workload for providers. However, their utilization in pediatric orthopaedics remains uncle ... Full text Link to item Cite

Barriers to early detection: the impact of healthcare access and screening on conservative treatment opportunities in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Journal Article Spine Deform · November 17, 2025 INTRODUCTION: Prior to surgical intervention for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), patients with mild-to-moderate deformity and skeletal growth remaining can be treated conservatively after referral to specialists. Healthcare access may influence scre ... Full text Link to item Cite

High Preoperative Body Mass Index Is Associated With Implant Breakage in Patients Treated With Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods for Early-onset Scoliosis.

Journal Article J Pediatr Orthop · September 1, 2025 INTRODUCTION: Magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGRs) have become the current standard in the growth-friendly treatment of patients with early-onset scoliosis (EOS). MCGRs allow noninvasive lengthenings with external lengthening device and reduce the ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants

Fresh Tissue Lab Agreement

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Orthofix Inc · 2026 - 2026

Fresh Tissue Lab Agreement

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Bioventus LLC · 2025 - 2025

IMPACCT: Infrastructure for Musculoskeletal Pediatric Acute Care Clinical Trials - FR

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago · 2022 - 2024

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Education, Training & Certifications

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill · 2004 M.D.