Kornelis Poelstra MD

Dr. Poelstra comes to Baltimore from Philadelphia where he completed his orthopaedic and neurosurgical spine fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University - The Rothman Institute.

Educated in the Netherlands, Dr. Poelstra received both his medical degree and a PhD in biomedical engineering from the University of Groningen. He came to the United States in 1998 to complete a research fellowship in Herndon, VA focusing on immunoglobulins to reduce postoperative infections. He then went on to complete a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Virginia, followed by the fellowship in spine surgery.

Dr. Poelstra's research interests include the investigation of novel therapeutics to prevent and improve treatment of infections associated with surgical procedures and implants. He has published multiple basic science texts, chapters and clinical articles on this. He also has a strong interest in the treatment of spinal cord injuries and procedures to improve the care for patients with spinal causes of arm and leg pain. He is a pioneer in Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery applications and has performed more long-construct MIS procedures than any of his peers.

Dr. Poelstra's clinical practice includes all areas of the spine. He treats both traumatic and degenerative/arthritic conditions using conventional surgery, minimally invasive procedures and disc replacements.