Professor in Residence,
UCSF Dept of Orthopaedic Surgery

Sigurd H. Berven, MD has a strong clinical interest in spinal disorders of children and adults. He is interested in pediatric and adult deformity, degenerative conditions of the spine, spinal tumors and spinal trauma. His research interests include assessment of clinical outcomes of surgery, and minimally invasive techniques in spine surgery.

Dr. Berven is studying cellular and molecular techniques for the biological regeneration of components of the spine including the intervertebral disc. Dr. Berven has been an invited speaker at national and international conferences, speaking on topics including measurement of outcomes in spine surgery, evaluation and management of spinal disorders, and advanced techniques in spine surgery.

He is a graduate of the Harvard Combined Orthopedic Residency. After completing his residency, he had further clinical training in Spine Surgery as a clinical fellow at UCSF and in pediatric orthopedic surgery as the chief resident at Boston Children’s Hospital. Berven studied human biology as an undergraduate at Stanford University. He was a graduate student at Oxford University in philosophy, politics and economics. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School.

Sessions at Neurovations Events

2017 Napa Pain Conference

  • Intrathecal Drug Delivery Systems: No Longer a Novel Therapy, Another Neuromodulation Solution to the Opioid Epidemic
  • A Multidisciplinary Approach to Patients with Spinal Disorders

2015 Napa Pain Conference

  • Failed Spine Surgery: Etiologies & Management

2013 Napa Pain Conference

  • Spinal Fusion vs. Lumbar Laminectomy: The Orthopedic Perspective

Select Publications

Dr. Berven is currently interested in basic science studies in the molecular basis of spine fusion, and the mechanical requisites for optimizing fusion rates. He is collecting pedigrees for study of allelic variaton and the genetic basis of congenital and idiopathic scoliosis. He hopes to continue research into clinical outcomes of spine surgery for degenerative conditions of the spine.

  • Cytokine Expression in the Rabbit Intervertebral Disc
  • MP-52 Clinical Trial for Lumbar Interbody Arthrodesis
  • Spinal Deformity Study Group- Clinical Outcomes Research Grant
  • Kyphon Grant for studies in Biomechanics of vertebral augmentation
  • DePuy Spine Grant for Studies in the Biomechanics of Cervical Fixation- Translaminar Screws