title: Ralph Bingham Cloward (1908-2000): Spine Polymath.
abstract: Dr. Ralph Bingham Cloward, an American neurosurgeon, revolutionized the field of modern spine surgery with his lifelong innovative and pioneering contribution. He described the posterior lumbar interbody fusion and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. He engineered more than 100 instruments, which shared his intellect and wisdom to the neurosurgery and orthopedic fraternity across the globe. He was also the first person to set up a bone bank in the United States. He rightfully deserves the title "Michelangelo of neurosurgery" for his exceptional work.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, LSU Health-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Tanmoy K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Maiti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, LSU Health-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Subhas K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Konar
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, LSU Health-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Shyamal C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Bir
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, LSU Health-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.
authors.forename: Piyush
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kalakoti
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, LSU Health-Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA. Electronic address: ananda@lsuhsc.edu.
authors.forename: Anil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanda
mesh_terms: D000569:Americas; D017586:Diskectomy / Q000266:history / Q000295:instrumentation; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae / Q000601:surgery*; D000069471:Neurosurgeons / Q000266:history*; D013123:Spinal Fusion / Q000266:history / Q000295:instrumentation
keywords: Anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion; Diskography; Instruments; Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF); Ralph Bingham Cloward