A native of Pennsylvania, Dr. McConnell returned to his home state in 2003 to join OAA Orthopaedic Specialists and the Pennsylvania Spine and Scoliosis Institute. He brings with him an unparalleled level of expertise and training in the discipline of spinal surgery, having completed two spine surgery fellowships and being board certified in spinal surgery and orthopaedic surgery.
Dr. McConnell had the unique opportunity to complete his second spine fellowship at the University of Nottingham in England working with world-renowned spine surgeon, John K. Webb. He has received international recognition for his work in the field of spinal surgery. Before joining OAA, Dr. McConnell spent ten years in Virginia where he served as co-director of the Spine Surgery division in one of the U.S. Navy's largest teaching hospitals. While in practice in Virginia he was clinical faculty at the James H. Quillan College of Medicine and established the Highlands Spine Institute, a center dedicated exclusively to the spine. Currently he is a clinical instructor in Orthopaedics with the Penn State University, Milton S. Hershey School of Medicine.
Dr. McConnell's patients benefit not only from his experience and skills as a spinal surgeon, but also from his dedication and caring. He has strong subspecialty interests in treating pediatric spinal deformity (scoliosis), motion preservation technologies for spine surgery and minimally invasive spine surgery techniques. Dr. McConnell is a leader in his community using these cutting-edge surgical techniques including Lateral Interbody Fusion (XLIF) and cervical total disc arthroplasty.
Having a strong interest in clinical research, Dr. McConnell has participated in a numberof projects. He was the lead investigator for the SECURE-C Cervical Disc Replacement FDA IDE clinical trial and in a study comparing bone graft substitutes in anterior lumbar fusion surgery. He was also a clinical investigator for the two level Prestige-LP Cervical Disc Replacement FDA IDE clinical trial and for the Stabilimax dynamic lumbar stabilization system. Dr. McConnell has presented his research in the U.S and internationally at scientific meetings including the European Spine Society, International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, North American Spine Society, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Global Spine Congress and the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.
Along with Dr. Ujjwal Debnath, a former Nottingham colleague, he heads "Operation Straight Spine," a charitable mission project which provides treatment for spinal disease and spinal deformity for the poor and underserved in Kolkata, India.
Dr. McConnell enjoys spending time with his wife, Christine and their three boys, Cameron, Curt and Collin. He enjoys all kinds of music, loves the outdoors and his hobbies include alpine skiing, fishing, wood working and watching a good game of rugby or soccer.
