Steven A. Schopler, MD

A graduate Mechanical Engineer from the University of Wisconsin College of Engineering, Doctor Schopler received his MD from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, followed by Orthopedic Residency at the UCLA Department of Orthopedic Surgery, and later enjoyed a year fellowship in Pediatric Orthopedics at the Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.  He later entered private practice in Los Angeles, and joined SCOI in 1989.  For twenty years, Dr. Schopler has enjoyed seeing patients in the Bakersfield office of SCOI, moving to live in Bakersfield in 2009. 

Dr. Schopler sees patients with all types of spinal disorders, with special interest in minimally invasive surgery for scoliosis, degenerative deformity problems, scoliosis assessment, and treatment of disc disorders and spondylolisthesis.  In recent years, he has lectured and presented research on minimally invasive spinal surgery in China and Europe, as well as across the United States.  Dr. Schopler enjoys teaching spine fellows and other spine specialists about new surgical techniques.  He works closely with the spinal implant industry on techniques and instrumentation of the spine and hold patents on spinal implants for lateral access spine surgery.  A Diplomate of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, he is a member of the Scoliosis Research Society, the North American Spine Society, Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.