Ralph B. Cloward (1908-2010)

Dr. Ralph Cloward, MD (1908-2010)

• Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
• Medical School: University of Utah and Rush Medical College (University of Chicago). Graduated in 1934
• Internship: St. Luke’s Hospital (1934-1935)
• Neurosurgery residency: Billings Memorial and University of Chicago Clinics from 1935 to 1938 under Prof. Percival Bailey
• Started practice in 1938 and was Chief of Staff (Neurosurgery) at Queen’s, St. Francis and Kuakini Hospitals, Honolulu, Hawaii, USA

Contributions to Spine Surgery:

1. PLIF (posterior lumbar interbody fusion): Cloward first performed the procedure in 1943 and reported in 1945 to the Hawaii Territorial Medical Association.(Cloward, R. B. (1953). The treatment of ruptured lumbar intervertebral discs by vertebral body fusion.  I.  Indications, operative technique, after care. J Neurosurg, 10(2), 154–168.)
2. ACDF (Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion): He developed the technique of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, also known as the Cloward procedure. (Cloward, R. B. (1958). The anterior approach for removal of ruptured cervical disks. J Neurosurg, 15(6), 602–617.)
3. Designed over 100 surgical instruments.

Ralph B. Cloward interviewed by Roy Selby