Biography

Dr. Joseph Drain is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. He specializes in the surgical treatment of conditions arising from the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.

Dr. Drain received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Northwestern University with a minor in creative writing. He then completed his medical degree at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. During residency, Dr. Drain was awarded the Resident Teacher of the Year and the Resident Award for Leadership and Excellence. Dr. Drain then completed a spine surgery fellowship at the University of Utah, one of the premier spine surgery fellowships in the country, with a focus on the treatment of complex spinal disorders.

His research emphasis is in cervical spine surgical care. He investigates computer science and engineering techniques like machine learning that can improve the diagnosis and treatment of spine conditions.

Dr. Drain is a reviewer for Spine and Clinical Spine Surgery journals. He has authored numerous publications relating to spine surgery. He has presented his research both nationally and internationally. He contributed to the 15th edition Orthopaedic Knowledge Update textbook, co-authoring the chapter on spine trauma. He is involved in the Cervical Spine Research Society, AO Spine Society, and Orthopaedic Trauma Association.

Education

Undergraduate Degree
Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL
Medical School
Doctor Medicine, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH
Residency
Orthopedic Surgery Residency, Ohio State University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Columbus, OH
Fellowship
Spine Surgery Fellow, University of Utah Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Salt Lake City, UT

Areas of Interest

Clinical Interests

Clinical Interests

  • Cervical myelopathy and radiculopathy
  • Cervical spine fractures, deformity, and tumor
  • Thoracic and lumbar spine degeneration, fractures, deformity, and tumor
  • Revision spine surgery
  • Motion-sparing surgical techniques

Research Interests

  • Machine-learning and datascience topics in healthcare
  • Spine biomechanics

Publications

Peer-Reviewed Articles
• Torrez, T, Drain, JP, Connelly, J, Phillipi, M, Karamian, B. “Cervical disc arthroplasty vs ACDF – What are the outcomes?” American Medical Journal. March 2024.
• Hatef, J, Hatef, S, Drain, JP, Tobias, J, Martin, D, Shell, R, Chase, M, Beebe, A, Samora, W, Klamar, J. “Protocol-driven early tracheal extubation in patients with flaccid neuromuscular scoliosis and pre-existing lung disease.” Spine Deformity. January 2022.
• Drain, JP, Malik, A, Jones, J, Ryu, R, Singh, V, Yu, E, Kim, J, Khan, S. ”Outpatient vs. Inpatient Single-Level Cervical Disc Arthorplasty – An All Payer Database Analysis of 90-day Complications & Costs.” The Spine Journal. September 2021. 21(9): p S170.
• Malik AT, Drain JP, Jones J, Karnes J, Brewster J, Ryu R, Kim J, Khan SN, Yu E. ”Robotic-assisted vs. conventional posterior lumbar fusion – An analysis of 90-day complications and readmissions.” World Neurosurg. 2021; 152:e168-174.
• Malik AT, Khan SN, Voskuil RT, Alexander JH, Drain JP, Scharschmidt TJ. “What is the value of undergoing surgery for spinal metastases at dedicated cancer centers?” Clinical Orthopedics Related Research. 2021 Jun 1; 479(6):1311-1319.
• Malik AT, Drain JP, Karnes JM. Letter to the editor regarding ”Risk of postoperative complications and revision surgery following robot-assisted posterior lumbar spinal fusion.” Spine. March 2021.
• Drain, JP, Iobst, C, Chambers, R, Seilhamer, C, Beebe, A, Klamar, J. ”Evolving Surgical Management for Early Onset Scoliosis in Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 1 Given Improvements in Survival.” JBJS Case Connector, March 2021. 11(1).
• Malik, A., Drain, JP, Khan, S, Kim, J, Yu, E. “Hospital mark-up and outcomes following lumbar fusions: moving towards the era of transparency in prices.” The Spine Journal, September 2020. 20(9), P S128.
• Drain, JP, Wilson, E, Moore, TA, Vallier, HA. “Does prehospital spinal immobilization influence inhospital decision to obtain imaging after trauma?” Injury. April 2020. 51(4):935-941.
• Drain, JP, Mehta, S, Goyal, K. “An analysis of hamate morphology relevant to hemi-hamate arthroplasty.” The Journal of Hand Surgery, July 2020; 45(7):657.e1-657.e6.
• Virk, S, Drain, JP, Granger, J. “Long-term results of antibiotic spacers for the infected total knee.” Current Orthopaedic Practice. March April 2020, 31(2): p140-150.
• Drain, JP, Virk S, Jain N, Yu, E. “Dropped head syndrome: a systematic review.” Clinical Spine Surgery. Dec 2019. 32(10): p423-429.
• Drain, JP, Weinberg, DS, Ramey, JS, Moore, TA, Vallier, HA. “Indications for CT-angiography of the vertebral arteries after trauma.” Spine. May 2018. 43(9): E520-E524.
• Weinberg, DS, Tucker, BJ, Drain, JP, Wang, DM, Gilmore, A, Liu, RW. “A cadaveric investigation into the demographic and bony alignment properties associated with osteoarthritis of the patellofemoral joint.” The Knee. Jun 2016. 23(3): p350-356.
• Dweiri, YM, Eggers, T, Drain, JP, McCallum, G, Durand, DM. “Stable detection of movement intent from peripheral nerves.” Proceedings of the IEEE. Jan 2017. 105(1): p. 50-65.