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VSON DOCTOR

Meet Dr. Catherine Olinger

AREA OF SPECIALTY

Neck, Back, & Spine

Starting February 1, 2027 | Accepting All VSON Insurance Plans

About Dr. Olinger

Catherine Olinger, MD, MS, is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon with a focus on spine trauma. She treats cervical myelopathy, degenerative disc disease, and degenerative scoliosis, and is an expert in anterior-based lumbar approaches and minimally invasive techniques.

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Dr. Olinger spent five years in academic medicine as an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Spine Surgery at the University of Iowa, where she cared for patients with complex spine disorders, directed the spine fellowship, and mentored residents, fellows, and medical students. Her NIH-submitted and OREF-funded research focuses on regional nerve blocks and delirium in older adults undergoing spinal fusion, tranexamic acid in lumbar fusion, and body composition in spine surgery patients. She has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.

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She serves as Associate Editor of Spine, spine section editor for OrthoInfo.org, co-chair of the NASS Spine Surgery Fundamentals Work Group, and faculty for AO Spine North America.

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Dr. Olinger earned her medical degree, magna cum laude, and a Master of Science in Clinical Anatomy from Creighton University. She completed her orthopedic residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center–Campbell Clinic and a spine surgery fellowship at the University of Washington Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

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Dr. Olinger Serves These VSON Locations

Qualifications

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