about our practice
Welcome to St. Charles Spine Institute. We are committed to providing high-quality medical care with a personalized approach. Our team of experienced and dedicated physicians is passionate about delivering the best possible care for you. We offer a comprehensive range of services, including diagnostics, treatments, and surgery. Our goal is to ensure that you feel comfortable and confident in the care we provide. To help achieve this, our staff is available to answer any questions you may have and provide guidance throughout your treatment journey.
meet our providers
Our committed and caring health care professionals are ready to help you get back to living your life. Back to Health. Back to Living.
ERIK C. SPAYDE, MD
- ORTHOPEDIC SPINE SURGEON
- CHIEF OF SPINE SURGERY AT LOS ROBLES REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
- BOARD CERTIFIED
Erik C. Spayde, MD is a fellowship-trained Spine Surgeon with expertise in the treatment of neck and back disorders. His expertise in multiple complex spinal disorders and breadth of training allows him to choose the proper treatment modality for his patients. His primary research interest is in artificial disc replacement and he has specialty training in cervical and lumbar disc replacement.
BEN DIRKX, DO
- INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT
- PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
- ELECTRODIAGNOSTIC MEDICINE
- BOARD CERTIFIED
Ben Dirkx is a triple-boarded physician in Interventional Pain Management, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He believes in developing a comprehensive and unique plan of care for each of his patients to best suit their improvement in quality of life and functional goals.
JONATHAN RICE, MPA
- PA-C
- SPINE DISORDERS
- CERTIFIED PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
Raised in Southern California, Jonathan Rice completed the Loma Linda University Master’s program of Physician Assistant in 2002. He has worked in orthopedics, specializing in spine disorders, for over 20 years. He has treated thousands of patients in both a clinical setting and as a surgical assistant.
BUMIN KONG, MD
- INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT
- EMERGENCY MEDICINE
- BOARD CERTIFIED
BuMin Kong, MD is double boarded in both Interventional Pain Management and Emergency Medicine. Dr. Kong received his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from University of California, Los Angeles where he was awarded Cum Laude and College Honors.
Erik c. spayde, md
- ORTHOPEDIC SPINE SURGEON
- CHIEF OF SPINE SURGERY AT LOS ROBLES REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
- BOARD CERTIFIED
Erik C. Spayde, MD is a fellowship-trained Spine Surgeon with expertise in the treatment of neck and back disorders. He has been performing spine surgery since 2005 and has experience in treating disc herniations, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, kyphosis, scoliosis, and spine fractures. His expertise in multiple complex spinal disorders and breadth of training allows him to choose the proper treatment modality for his patients. His primary research interest is in artificial disc replacement and he has specialty training in cervical and lumbar disc replacement.
EDUCATION
Undergraduate – Stanford University
Medical School – Harvard University
Residency – Harvard Orthopedic Surgery
Dr. Spayde received his undergraduate degree in Biological Science from Stanford University he graduated Phi Beta Kappa with honors and distinction in the field of immunology. He graduated from Harvard Medical School where he was awarded research grants from the NIH/Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the Arthritis Foundation. He completed his internship in surgery at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He was selected by the Harvard Department of Orthopedic Surgery to complete his residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. After residency, Dr. Spayde obtained further training in complex spinal-reconstruction surgery at The Spine Institute at St. John’s Health Center in Santa Monica. He is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon.
RESEARCH & INNOVATION
Dr. Spayde has presented research at national and international spine meetings and he has published numerous scientific articles. Dr. Spayde remains active in education, research and innovation. He has designed numerous surgical implants and novel technologies to better treat patients around the U.S. and abroad. He has been involved in clinical trials developing artificial disc replacement devices. Currently, he is a member of the Harvard Medical Alumni Association, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society.
PATIENT CARE
Dr. Spayde’s office is located in Thousand Oaks, CA. His goal is to provide a comprehensive treatment approach to patients with spinal disorders. Dr. Spayde is now Chief of Spine Surgery at Los Robles Regional Medical Center in Thousand Oaks, CA. He performs spine surgery at Thousand Oaks Surgical Hospital, Outpatient Surgery Centers, and Los Robles Regional Medical Center. At Los Robles Hospital, he leads their innovative spine program which strives to offer cutting-edge technology, minimally-invasive surgery, and high-quality patient care.
PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
Dr. Spayde has presented research papers at national and international spine meetings on some of the most innovative techniques in spinal surgery. He has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. Click on the headings below to view more of Dr. Spayde’s research.
PUBLICATIONS
- Spayde, B. Pradhan, R. Delamarter Charité-III versus ProDisc-L Early Head-to-Head Results at a Single Institute. The Spine Journal, Volume 6, Issue 5, Pages 97S-98S
- Shen, B. Pradhan, H. Bae, M. Kropf, E. Spayde, R. Delamarter. Single-level Artificial Disc Replacement at L4-5 versus L5-S1—Is There Any Difference in Technique, Morbidity, or Result?. The Spine Journal, Volume 6, Issue 5, Pages 101S-101S M.
- Bae H, Lanim LEA, Spayde E, et al. Does Autologous Bone Marrow Aspirate Enhance Graft Effectiveness for Spinal Fusion? Seminars in Spine Surgery Mar 2006 18:1.
- Spayde EC and Bae H, Revision. Posterior revision strategies for dural and nerve root exposure following a previous laminectomy. Tricks of the Trade 2nd 2006.
- Spayde EC, Ting J, Glazer P. Biomechanical Evaluation of Z-Fiber Technology in Fracture Fixation. Orthopedic Journal of Harvard Medical School. 2005 July.
- Spayde, Erik C. Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia Type I. The NORD Guide to Rare Disorders. Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. Philadelphia, PA; 2003:pp 187-8.
- Spayde EC. Joshi AP. Wilcox WR. Briggs M. Cohn DH. Olsen BR. Exon skipping mutation in the COL9A2 gene in a family with multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. Matrix Biology. 19(2):121-8, 2000 May.
- Spayde EC, Olsen BJ. Intronic Splice Junction Mutations in COL9A2 and COL11A1 Genes in Knee/Shoulder/Hip Osteoarthritis. Abstract/Oral dissertation: Proceedings of Howard Hughes Medical Institute 1999 May.
- Castro BA, Spayde E, Hotz R, Leu K, Shi S, Weidmann TW. Restoration of Natural Killer Cell-Mediated Antiviral Immune Response in Lethally Infected Immunocompromised Mice. Abstract: 9th International Congress of Immunology. San Francisco, CA 1995 July.
- Spayde, EC. Restoration of Natural Killer Cell-mediated Cytotoxicity in Lethally MCMV Infected, X-Irradiated Mice by Plant Extract PG36 Involved in Viral Resistance. Stanford University Honors Thesis. Stanford, CA 1995 June.
SCIENTIFIC ORAL PRESENTATIONS
- Spayde E, Shen M, Pradhan B, Bae H, Kropf M, Delamarter R. Single level artificial disc replacement at L4-5 versus L5-S1. Is there any difference in technique, morbidity, or result? IMAST 13th International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques, July 2006 (Athens, Greece).
- Spayde E, Pradhan B, Bae H, Kropf M, Delamarter R. Charite-III versus ProDisc-L Early Head to Head Results in a Single Institute. IMAST 13th International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques, July 2006 (Athens, Greece).
- Spayde E, Pradhan B, Bae H, Shah TJ, Hussein T, Delamarter R. Return to Work Outcomes After Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacement – Using a Standardized Evaluation Questionnaire. IMAST 13th International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques, July 2006 (Athens, Greece).
- Spayde E, Delamarter RB, Bae H, Pradhan B. Lumbar Spinal Arthroplasty Work Comp. versus Non-Comp. Prodisc-L. Annual Meeting of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 2006 (Chicago, IL).
- Spayde EC, Ting J, Glazer P. Biomechanical Evaluation of Z-Fiber Technology in Fracture Fixation. Annual Harvard Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Thesis Day, 2005 (Boston, MA).
- Spayde EC, Olsen BJ. Intronic Splice Junction Mutations in COL9A2 and COL11A1 Genes in Primary Knee/Shoulder/Hip Osteoarthritis. Annual Meeting Howard Hughes Medical Institute/NIH of Medical Student Research Fellows, 1999 (Bethesda, MD).
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
- Spayde E, Pradhan B, Bae H, et al. Return to Work Outcomes After Lumbar Artificial Disc Replacement. Spine Arthroplasty Society 2006. (Montreal, Canada).
ben dirkx, do
- INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT
- PHYSICAL MEDICINE AND REHABILITATION
- ELECTRODIAGNOSTIC MEDICINE
- BOARD CERTIFIED
Dr. Ben Dirkx is a triple boarded physician in Interventional Pain Management, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Electrodiagnostic Medicine. He is also board eligible for certification in Regenerative Medicine. Dr. Dirkx graduated with honors from Michigan State University where he helped organize and supervise the intramural sports department.
He went on to complete his residency at William Beaumont Hospital under nationally recognized physicians Dr. Ronald Taylor and former national Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation president Myron Laban.
Dr. Dirkx volunteers for several athletic teams including the Santa Barbara City College football team and is the official doctor for the annual Santa Maria Rodeo.
Dr. Dirkx regularly attends new and innovative workshops around the country on the latest interventional pain procedures and regenerative medical techniques to be able to provide his patients with the latest and most up to date options for their care.
He enjoys spending his free time competing in competitive endurance cycling events around the state and playing in competitive ice hockey leagues.
Dr. Dirkx is part of several medical societies including California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, Interventional Orthopedics Foundation, Wilderness Medicine Society, AAPM&R, and North American Neuromodulation Society among several others.
Dr. Dirkx believes in developing a comprehensive and unique plan of care for each of his patients to best suit their improvement in quality of life and functional goals.
jonathan rice, mpa, pa-c
- SPINE DISORDERS
- CERTIFIED PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT
Jonathan was born and raised in Southern California. Mr. Rice completed the Loma Linda University Master’s program of Physician Assistant in 2002. He has worked in orthopedics, specializing in spine disorders, for over 20 years. He has treated thousands of patients in both a clinical setting and as a surgical assistant.
While a senior in high school, he developed sciatica due to a herniated disc in his lumbar spine. The pain was excruciating and failed to respond to conservative treatment. He underwent microdiscectomy surgery and experienced substantial improvement within hours of surgery. He returned to school within days of surgery and resumed physical activities including basketball, martial arts, swimming and golf shortly thereafter.
The drastic turnaround in the quality of life following the success of his surgery influenced Jonathan to pursue a career in Medicine and fostered an interest for the understanding and management of spinal disorders.
Jonathan enjoys athletics, especially basketball, golf, martial arts, working out, traveling, languages, movies, philosophy, vegetarian cuisine, and living the Southern California lifestyle.
bumin kong, md
- INTERVENTIONAL PAIN MANAGEMENT
- EMERGENCY MEDICINE
- BOARD CERTIFIED
BuMin Kong, MD is double boarded in both Interventional Pain Management and Emergency Medicine. Dr. Kong received his undergraduate degree in Neuroscience from University of California, Los Angeles where he was awarded Cum Laude and College Honors. He attended David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles where he was given the prestigious Geffen Scholarship, a full financial scholarship awarded based on academic excellence, leadership, and exceptional promise. He attended Loma Linda University Medical Center for his Emergency Medicine Residency. During his Residency, he was elected into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor society for his outstanding academic achievement, leadership, professionalism and commitment to service. He then completed his fellowship in Interventional Pain Management at Loma Linda University Medical Center and Loma Linda Veterans Affairs Hospital.
Dr. Kong is currently an active member of American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, American College of Sport Medicine, American Society oof Interventional Pain Physicians, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Noth American Neuromodulation Society. He continues to regularly attend seminars and workshops around the country to learn new procedures and surgeries.
Dr. Kong has published numerous online articles with OrthoEMPearls and Academic Life in Emergency Medicine. He also published peer-reviewed articles in renowned scientific journals and presented them in several national conferences.
Our Mission Is To Provide A State-of-the-Art, Patient-Centric Approach to Healthcare.
Our Mission Is To Provide A State-of-the-Art, Patient-Centric Approach to Healthcare.