Dr Scott Hodges

Dr. Scott Hodges is a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon with more than 35 years of experience dedicated to helping patients restore function, preserve mobility, and improve long-term quality of life. Guided by faith and a deep sense of purpose, he believes the spine was designed to move and has committed his career to advancing motion-preserving solutions that protect that movement whenever possible. After seeing the long-term limitations many patients experienced following spinal fusion, Dr. Hodges focused his work on biomechanics, non-fusion surgical innovation, and personalized patient care tailored to each individual’s goals and lifestyle. Today, through Spine Motion Specialists, he combines decades of surgical experience, research, and compassionate one-on-one care to help patients stay active, independent, and confident in their bodies.

Training & Background
Dr. Hodges earned his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree from the University of Health Sciences before completing his orthopedic surgery residency at Ohio University Doctors Hospital, where he developed a strong foundation in surgical technique, patient care, and musculoskeletal biomechanics. He later completed a spine surgery fellowship at Loyola University Chicago, a training experience that significantly shaped his long-term approach to spine care and motion preservation. During his time at Loyola, Dr. Hodges worked in the biomechanics laboratory of renowned spine biomechanical engineer Avinash Patwardhan, PhD whose pioneering research deepened Dr. Hodges’ understanding of how the spine moves and the importance of preserving natural biomechanics whenever possible. This combination of surgical training, biomechanics research, and decades of clinical experience became the foundation for Dr. Hodges’ lifelong commitment to motion-preserving spine surgery and non-fusion innovation.

Clinical Philosophy
Dr. Hodges’ clinical philosophy is rooted in one core belief: the spine was designed to move. Every treatment recommendation is made with the goal of protecting long-term mobility, reducing pain, and helping patients maintain independence and quality of life. He believes surgery should never be rushed, which is why he focuses first on comprehensive evaluation and exhausting appropriate conservative care whenever possible. When surgery becomes necessary, Dr. Hodges specializes exclusively in motion-preserving solutions designed to restore function while maintaining natural spinal movement. After decades of studying spinal biomechanics and seeing the long-term limitations fusion can place on patients, he made the decision to no longer offer spinal fusion, dedicating his practice entirely to non-fusion, patient-centered spine care tailored to each individual’s goals and lifestyle.