Opara Olivia A, Narayanan Rajkishen, Tarawneh Omar H, Lee Yunsoo, Tomlak Alexa, Zavitsanos Alexander, Czarnecki John, Hassan Waqaas, Lipa Shaina A, Mesfin Addisu, Canseco Jose A, Hilibrand Alan S, Vaccaro Alexander R, Schroeder Gregory D, Kepler Christopher K, Woods Barrett I
From the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA (Opara, Narayanan, Tarawneh, Lee, Tomlak, Zavanistos, Czarnecki, Hassan, Canseco, Hilibrand, Vaccaro, Schroeder, Kepler, and Woods), the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA (Lipa), and MedStar Orthopaedic Institute, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC (Mesfin).
J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2025 Feb 1;33(3):e151-e160. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-24-00349. Epub 2024 Oct 1.
Although diversity has improved across certain orthopaedic subspecialties, enhancing diversity within spine surgery has remained a challenge. We aimed to investigate the current state of sex, racial, and ethnic diversity among academic orthopaedic spine surgeons in the United States.
In January 2024, a cross-sectional analysis of orthopaedic spine surgery faculty in the United States was conducted using the Doximity database to identify eligible surgeons. Fellowship-trained orthopaedic spine surgeons (professor, associate professor, and assistant professor) who graduated residency between 1990 and 2022 were included. Race, sex, academic rank, residency year of graduation, and H-Index scores were recorded using publicly available information from faculty profile pages and the Doximity database.
Four hundred fifty-two spine faculty were included in the analysis: 95.1% men and 4.84% women. Across race and ethnicity, 315 surgeons (69.7%) were White, 111 (24.6%) Asian, 15 (3.32%) Black or African American, and 11 (2.43%) Hispanic or Latino or of Spanish origin. Of the 101 professor-level surgeons, 3 (2.97%) were Black men. Among female professors, none were Black, Asian, or Hispanic/Latino. No Hispanic or Latino female professors, associate professors, or assistant professors were identified. The sex and race/ethnicity demographics that have increased in percentage over time include White women (0.92% to 6.08%), Asian men (11.0% to 26.5%), Asian women (0% to 1.66%), and Hispanic/Latino men (1.83% to 3.87%). The surgeon demographic groups that demonstrated minimal fluctuations over time included Black men, Black women, and Hispanic/Latino women.
Our findings demonstrate that underrepresentation among academic spine surgeons remains an ongoing challenge that warrants increased attention. Enhancing the representation of Black and Hispanic men, as well as Black, Asian, and Hispanic women, in spine surgery requires a deliberate effort at every level of orthopaedic training.
尽管某些骨科亚专业的多样性有所改善，但提高脊柱外科领域的多样性仍然是一项挑战。我们旨在调查美国学术性骨科脊柱外科医生的性别、种族和民族多样性现状。
2024年1月，利用Doximity数据库对美国骨科脊柱外科教员进行横断面分析，以确定符合条件的外科医生。纳入1990年至2022年完成住院医师培训的接受过 fellowship 培训的骨科脊柱外科医生（教授、副教授和助理教授）。使用教员简介页面和Doximity数据库中的公开信息记录种族、性别、学术职称、住院医师毕业年份和H指数得分。
452名脊柱外科教员纳入分析：男性占95.1%，女性占4.84%。在种族和民族方面，315名外科医生（69.7%）为白人，111名（24.6%）为亚洲人，15名（3.32%）为黑人或非裔美国人，11名（2.43%）为西班牙裔或拉丁裔或有西班牙裔血统。在101名教授级外科医生中，3名（2.97%）为黑人男性。在女性教授中，没有黑人、亚洲人或西班牙裔/拉丁裔。未发现西班牙裔或拉丁裔女性教授、副教授或助理教授。随着时间推移百分比有所增加的性别和种族/民族人口统计数据包括白人女性（从0.92%增至6.08%）、亚洲男性（从11.0%增至26.5%）、亚洲女性（从0%增至1.66%）以及西班牙裔/拉丁裔男性（从1.83%增至3.87%）。随时间波动极小的外科医生人口统计群体包括黑人男性、黑人女性和西班牙裔/拉丁裔女性。
我们的研究结果表明，学术性脊柱外科医生代表性不足仍然是一个持续存在的挑战，值得更多关注。提高黑人、西班牙裔男性以及黑人、亚洲人和西班牙裔女性在脊柱外科领域的代表性需要在骨科培训的各个层面做出刻意努力。
