Augustus John (A.J.) Rush, III, M.D.Board Certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon, Spine Fellowship Trained
Augustus John (A.J.) Rush, III, M.D.Board Certified Orthopedic Spine Surgeon, Spine Fellowship Trained
A.J. Rush III, MD, is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and Spine Fellowship Trained. Dr. Rush sees patients at Texas Spine Consultants, which has offices in Addison and Plano, Texas.
A native of Dallas, he graduated Cum Laude from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Dr. Rush earned his medical degree from the Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston, where he was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society.
He completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital and the University of Miami, where he served as Administrative Chief Resident during his final year. Jackson Memorial Hospital is a non-profit tertiary care hospital and the primary teaching hospital of the University of Miami's School of Medicine.
He completed his fellowship training in spine surgery at Midwest Orthopedics/Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois (Midwest Orthopedics at RUSH - Chicago).
He has specialized training in the most up-to-date minimally invasive spine surgery techniques and advanced technology such as augmented reality and robotics.
Dr. Rush has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters. He has lectured at national and international meetings.
His interest in medical education is demonstrated by his reception of the Paff Teaching Award at the University of Miami (UM) in Coral Gables, Florida, and the Golden Apple Teaching Award at Rush University in Chicago.
Dr. Rush serves on the Education Committee for the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery and is an active member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), the North American Spine Society (NASS), and the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS).
Outside the operating room and clinic, Dr. Rush enjoys spending time with his wife and son, snow skiing, and traveling.
He speaks English and Spanish.
Education
- Aug 2011 – May 2015
Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
Doctor of Medicine with Honors
Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society - Sept 2006 – May 2010
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Bachelor of Science, Cell and Molecular
Biology Cum Laude
Post-Doctoral Training
- Aug 2020 – July 2021
Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Spine Surgery Fellowship - June 2015 – June 2020
Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami, Miami, FL
Orthopaedic Surgery Residency
Administrative Chief Resident, 2019-2020
Awards & Honors
- “Best Doctors in Dallas” by D Magazine in 2022 & 2024
- “Texas Rising Stars” in Texas Monthly 2023 & 2024
- Castle Connolly Rising Star in Orthopaedic Surgery 2024
- “Best Spine Surgeon of Coppell and North Irving” by Living Magazine, 2022 & 2024
- 2021 Golden Apple Award (Teacher of the Year), Rush University, Chicago, IL
- 2021 International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISASS) Young Surgeon Grant Award, Miami, FL
- 2020 American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) Emerging Leaders Program
- 2019 Selected to attend American Orthopaedic Association (AOA) McCollister Leadership Forum, San Diego, CA
- 2016 George Paff Intern Award (Teacher of the Year), Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL
- 2015 MD with Honors, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- 2015 Medical Student Orthopaedic Surgery Award, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- 2015 Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- 2010 Cum Laude Graduate, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
- 2010 Chi Omega Lambda Molecular Biology Honor Society, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
- 2009 Lurcy Research Grant Recipient, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
- 2007 National Society of Collegiate Scholars, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
- 2006 Founder’s Scholarship, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Board Certification
- American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery: July 16, 2023
International Invited Presentations
- “Robotics and Augmented Reality for Spine Care - Current Technology and Future Directions.” International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine. Boston, MA. May 10, 2022.
- “Augmented Reality in Spine Surgery - Current Status and Future Directions.” Global Spine Congress. Paris, France. November 5, 2021.
Peer-reviewed publications
- Satin AM, Rush AJ III, Derman PB. Review of Prospective Trials for Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy. Clinical Spine Surgery. 2022 Dec; 35(10):410-417.
- Rush A III, Shepard N, Nolte M, Siemionow K, Phillips F. Augmented Reality in Spine Surgery: Current State of the Art. International Journal of Spine Surgery. 2022 Oct; 16(S2):S22-S27.
- Nolte MT, Gandhi SD, Nguyen AQ, Siyaji ZK, Piracha AZ, Khanna K, Rush AJ, Sheha ED, Phillips FM. Rates of Postoperative Complications and Approach-Related Neurologic Symptoms After L4-5 Lateral Trans-Psoas Lumbar Interbody Fusion Compared to Upper Lumbar Levels. Clinical Spine Surgery. 2022 Aug; epub ahead of print.
- Patel M, Jacob K, Vanjani N, Prabhu M, Lynch C, Cha E, Pawlowski H, Rush A, Singh K. Does an Author’s Social Media Presence Affect Dissemination of Spine Literature. World Neurosurgery. 2022 Apr; 160:e643-e648.
- Hornung A, Hornung C, Mallow G, Barajas J, Rush A, Sayari A, Galbusera F, Wilke H, Colman M, Phillips F, An H, Samartzis D. Artificial Intelligence in Spine Care: Current Applications and Future Utility. The European Spine Journal. 2022 Mar; epub ahead of print.
Manuscripts under review
- Butler A, Rush A III, Donally C III, Eismont F. Nicotine Replacement and Spine Surgery: A Safe Alternative to Smoking? The Spine Journal. Submitted.
- Sheu J, Cohen-Levy W, Rush A, 3rd, Quinnan S. Timing of Definitive Fixation of Isolated Acetabulum Fractures Impacts Reduction Quality, Blood Product Transfusion, and Length of Stay. In Preparation.
- Federico V, Zavras A, Butler A, Nolte M, Munim M, Rush A, Nguyen A, Colman M, Phillips F. Comparison of Reimbursement Rates Between Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion and Lumbar Disc Replacement from 2007-2022. Global Spine Journal. Submitted.
National or International Scientific Presentations
- Butler A, Rush A III, Lynch J, Colman M, Phillips F. The Arrival of Augmented Reality in MIS: Initial Results of Use for Percutaneous Pedicle Screw Instrumentation. Abstract Presentation: North American Spine Society Annual Meeting. Chicago, IL. October 2022.
- Federico V, Zavras A, Butler AJ, Nolte MT, Munim M, Gabriel S, Rush AJ, Colman MW, Phillips FM. Comparison of Reimbursement Rates Between Anterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion and Lumbar Disc Replacement from 2007-2022. Podium Presentation: Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Annual Forum. Las Vegas, NV. September 2022.
- Rush A, Shenker T, Biard L, Satin A, Derman P, Rogers-LaVanne M. Spine Surgeons Using Instagram Aim to Reach Patients with #endoscopicspinesurgery. Poster Presentation: Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery Annual Forum. Las Vegas, NV. September
2022. - Siyaj Zi, Shepard N, Sullivan T, Rush AJ III, Phillips F, An H. Risk Factors for Index Level Fusion Following Lumbar Microdiscectomy. Poster Presentation: North American Spine Society Annual Meeting. Boston, MA. October 2021.
- Rush A III, Siyaji Z, Shepard N, Sullivan T, Sayari A, Baker J, Zavras A, Basques B, Phillips F. Comparison of Clinical Outcomes in Patients Undergoing One- and Two-Level Minimally Invasive Lumbar Discectomy. AO Fellows Forum. Virtual. May 2021.
Book Chapters
- Rush A, Shah H, Gjolaj J. Lumbosacral and Pelvic Reconstruction in Tumor Patients. In: Fanous A, Manzano G, Wang M, Levi A (Eds.): Spine and Spinal Cord Tumors (Classification, Management, and Treatment). New York, NY: Thieme Publishers. (Submitted)
- Butler A, Sullivan B, Rush A, Phillips F. Virtual and Augmented Reality in Spinal Surgery: Setup and Workflow. In: Vaccaro A, Baron E (Eds.): Operative Techniques in Spine Surgery, 4e. Elsevier Publishers (Submitted)
- Butler A, Rush A, Phillips F. Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion. In: Albert T, Zdeblick T (Eds.): Master Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery: The Spine, 4e. Wolters Kluwer Publishers (Submitted)
Local or Regional Lectures
- “Augmented Reality in Spine Surgery.” Texas Back Institute Neuroscience Conference. Plano, TX. May 20, 2022.
- “Augmented Reality in Spine Surgery – Early Experience with Augmedics.” Mazama Spine Summit. Winthrop, Washington. May 16, 2022.
- “Strategies and Principles for Handling Difficult Revision Surgery.” Seattle Science Foundation Interesting Case Conference. April 27, 2021.
- “Solitary Spinal Metastasis: Workup and Modern Treatment Options, Intralesional Treatment.” AO Spine North America Fellows Webinar. March 16, 2021
- “Single Position Anterior/Lateral Lumbar Interbody Fusion.” Seattle Science Foundation Interesting Case Conference. October 20, 2020
Previous research experiences
- Research Assistant in Department of Surgery under James Suliburk, MD, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX (Dec 2013-May 2015)
- Research Assistant in the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology under Jeffery Tasker, PhD, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA (Aug 2008-May 2010)
- Research Assistant in Department of Neuroscience under Eric Nestler, MD, PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (May 2008-Aug 2008)
- Research Assistant in Department of Surgery under Edward Livingston, MD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX (May 2007-Aug 2007)
- 2021 – present Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SMISS)
- 2021 – present International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery (ISAS)
- 2020 – 2021 AO North America Spine Fellow
- 2018 – present North American Spine Society (NASS)
- 2015 – present American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
- 2015 – present Alpha Omega Alpha
Current Position
- Jan 2024
Texas Spine Consultants, LLP, Addison, TX
Othopaedic Spine Surgeon - Sept 2021 – Oct 2023
Texas Back Institute, Plano, TX
Orthopaedic Spine Surgeon
Academic Appointments
- Aug 2020 – July 2021
Rush University, Chicago, IL
Instructor, Department of Orthopedics
Hospital Appointments
- September 2021 – present Texas Center for Diagnostics and Surgery, Plano, TX
- September 2021 – present Medical City Dallas/Medical City Heart and Spine, Dallas, TX
- September 2021 – present Medical City Plano, Plano, TX
- September 2021 – present Medical City Las Colinas, Irving, TX
Committees In National Organizations
- 2022 – present Education Committee, SMISS
Invited And Elected Extramural Service
- 2022 – present Medical City Heart and Spine Multidisciplinary Peer Review Committee
- 2022 – 2023 Texas Back Institute Fellowship Journal Club Director
- 2019 – 2020 Administrative Chief Resident, Department of Orthopedics, Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami
- 2018 – 2020 Residency Education Committee Member, Department of Orthopedics, Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami
- 2018 – 2019 Resident Selection Committee Member, Department of Orthopedics, Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami
- 2018 – 2020 Graduate Medical Education Committee Member, Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami
- 2017 – 2020 Resident Director Orthopaedic Surgical Skills Lab, Department of Orthopedics, Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami
- 2017 – 2019 ACGME Site Visit Self Study Committee Member, Department of Orthopedics, Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami
Journal Positions
- 2021 – present Reviewer, International Journal of Spine Surgery
- 2020 – present Reviewer, Global Spine Journal
Service
- 2016 – present Volunteer Alumni Interviewer for Tulane University
- 2015 – 2020 Medical Student Mentor: Orthopaedic Surgery Interest Group, University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL
- 2011 – 2015 Student Host: Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- 2012 – 2013 American Medical Student Association: Treasurer, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX
- 2011 – 2014 Community Volunteer: Citizen Schools, Houston, TX
- 2010 – 2011 Medical Center Volunteer: Universidad de Los Andes, Bogota, Colombia
- 2009 – 2010 Emergency Room Volunteer: Touro Infirmary, New Orleans, LA
