About Dr. Pompliano
Michael Pompliano, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon, fellowship-trained in minimally invasive spine surgery. He treats the full range of conditions involving the neck and back and has a particular passion for motion-sparing surgery — including artificial disc replacement — minimally invasive procedures, and complex spinal reconstruction and revision.
His areas of expertise include spinal stenosis, disc herniation, radiculopathy, spondylolisthesis, cervical myelopathy, spinal deformity, scoliosis, and spinal trauma.
Dr. Pompliano is committed to listening to each patient and providing an in-depth explanation of the diagnosis, followed by a thorough discussion of treatment options with individual, patient-specific recommendations. He strongly believes in the power and effectiveness of non-operative treatment — physical therapy, routine exercise and strength training, yoga, acupuncture, chiropractic care, and pain management injections — with surgery recommended only when those options fail to provide relief.
"Most neck and back pain doesn't need surgery. My job is to know — with precision — when yours does, and to get it right when it does."
Training
San Diego Spine Foundation — Scripps Memorial Hospital
Orthopedic spine surgery fellowship at one of the nation's leading spine centers, San Diego, CA. Advanced training in minimally invasive surgery and complex spinal deformities.
Seton Hall University / St. Joseph's University Medical Center
Orthopedic surgery residency. Served as chief orthopedic surgery resident.
Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine, St. Louis, MO.
University of South Carolina — Honors College
B.S. in Biological Sciences, magna cum laude, with a minor in Business Administration.
Research & recognition
Dr. Pompliano is an active researcher with more than ten publications and book chapters and eighteen presentations at regional, national, and international meetings — including the North American Spine Society Annual Meeting and the Global Spine Congress. He is the recipient of the Thornburg Award for Excellence in Research in a Surgical Field, and a member of the North American Spine Society and AO Spine North America.
Selected peer-reviewed publications
- Pompliano M, et al. What Is the Impact of Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography on the Management of Degenerative Cervical and Lumbar Spine Disease? International Journal of Spine Surgery, 2025.
- Dhanjani S, Pompliano MJ, et al. Does segmental alignment matter? A novel understanding of segmental compensation and reciprocal change following single-level lumbar reconstruction. Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, 2025.
- Sing D, Shah K, Pompliano M, et al. Enhancing MRI Report Comprehension in Spinal Trauma: Readability Analysis of AI-Generated Explanations for Thoracolumbar Fractures. JMIR AI, 2025.
- McDonald T, et al. (Harms Nonfusion Study Group, incl. Pompliano M). When Successful, Anterior Vertebral Body Tethering Induces Differential Segmental Growth of Vertebrae: An In Vivo Study of 51 Patients and 764 Vertebrae. Spine Deformity, 2022.
- Coban D, Pompliano M, et al. Metal-on-metal versus metal-on-plastic artificial discs in two-level anterior cervical disc replacement: a meta-analysis with follow-up of 5 years or more. The Spine Journal, 2021.
- Pompliano M, et al. Omovertebral bone causing traumatic compression of the cervical spinal cord in a patient with Sprengel's deformity and Klippel-Feil syndrome: case report. Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine, 2020.
View the complete list of publications & presentations →
Beyond the operating room
A graduate of Saint Louis University School of Medicine, Dr. Pompliano is glad to call Missouri home again. He and his wife — a St. Louis native — are raising four young children here. Outside of work he enjoys football, golf, and woodworking, and most of all, time with his family.