Jonathan G. Hobbs, M.D. is a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in minimally invasive and revision spine surgery — using image-guided navigation and AI-assisted planning — at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute. University of Chicago–trained, serving Northwest Indiana.
Training & Practice Affiliation
Care shaped by rigorous neurosurgical training and a leading Northwest Indiana orthopedic and spine practice.
Jonathan G. Hobbs, M.D. is a board-certified, specialty-trained neurosurgeon who diagnoses and treats the full range of spinal conditions — including spinal tumors and deformities. He completed his neurological surgery residency at the University of Chicago, serving as chief resident in his final year, and earned his medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine.
Dr. Hobbs practices at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute, where he brings a high level of expertise to help his patients receive the individualized, compassionate care they deserve.
View Full LBJI ProfileCompleted his neurological surgery residency at the University of Chicago, serving as chief resident in his final year.
Specialty-trained in diagnosing and surgically treating spinal tumors and complex spinal deformities.
Serves as a reviewer for leading journals including Spine, The Spine Journal, and the Journal of Neurotrauma.
"He never rushes you. He takes the time to listen and figure out what is wrong."
"Very informational. He let me know everything about my case, including the steps and what to expect."
"Dr. Hobbs is a wonderful doctor. He has taken great care of our grandson."
"He is the best doctor I have ever met!"
"Dr. Hobbs and his staff are friendly, professional, and thorough."
"Dr. Hobbs has excellent bedside manner — very supportive and helpful in explaining procedures."
For alignment, deformity, and degenerative spine conditions, Dr. Hobbs uses a personalized surgery process — turning your own anatomy into an AI-enabled surgical plan and custom, 3D-printed implants designed specifically for you.
A CT scan or X-rays are used to create a precise 3D model of your spine and capture the measurements that form the foundation for personalized surgical planning.
aprevo AI-enabled software builds a surgical plan matched to Dr. Hobbs's desired alignment and correction, then designs patient-specific devices to fit your unique anatomy.
Your personalized devices are 3D printed once Dr. Hobbs approves the surgical plan and device designs.
Your personalized devices arrive in the operating room sterile and ready for implantation during surgery.
Your post-operative images are measured and analyzed to confirm the surgical goals were achieved.
AI-enabled planning informs every step — from pre-op design through intra-op visualization with the myaprevo® app to post-op measurement — helping Dr. Hobbs achieve precise, reproducible correction.
Dr. Hobbs is extensively trained in computer-assisted, image-guided spine navigation and uses it routinely — pairing real-time surgical guidance with AI-assisted planning and patient-specific implant technology to plan and execute each procedure with exceptional accuracy.
Dr. Hobbs is extensively trained in Medtronic StealthStation image-guided navigation and the Mazor robotic guidance system, and uses them regularly. Together they act like a GPS and a steady robotic guide for the spine — combining real-time 3D guidance with robotic precision so he can place screws, implants, and instruments with exceptional accuracy through smaller, more precise approaches.
Learn more →Dr. Hobbs uses AI-powered planning software to map each case in advance — modeling the patient's anatomy and target alignment so the surgical plan and implants are tailored to the individual before the procedure begins.
See the full surgical process →
Dr. Hobbs was the first surgeon in the central United States to use the Carlsmed aprevo personalized interbody implant — a device custom-designed from each patient's own anatomy and surgical plan to more precisely restore natural spinal alignment.
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Dr. Hobbs uses Medtronic UNiD patient-specific rods, pre-contoured to each patient's planned alignment with predictive planning software — supporting more precise, durable correction in complex and deformity surgery.
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Dr. Hobbs was the first surgeon in Indiana to use the CarboFix CarboClear carbon-fiber fusion system to treat spinal tumors. Its radiolucent implants don't obscure imaging or interfere with radiation therapy — an important advantage in cancer care.
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Dr. Hobbs was the first surgeon in Indiana to perform the Premia Spine TOPS (Total Posterior Spine System) procedure — an FDA-approved implant that stabilizes the spine while preserving natural motion, offering an alternative to fusion for select patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and spondylolisthesis.
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Dr. Hobbs in the operating room.
Small incisions and advanced techniques minimize muscle damage, leading to faster healing, less postoperative pain, reduced blood loss, and smaller scars compared to traditional open surgery.
Learn more →As a specialty-trained neurosurgeon, Dr. Hobbs surgically treats spinal tumors and complex spinal deformities, working to relieve nerve compression, restore alignment, and stabilize the spine. For tumor cases he uses radiolucent carbon-fiber implants (CarboFix CarboClear) that don't interfere with imaging or radiation therapy.
Learn more →Many spine procedures can be performed safely in an ambulatory surgery center, allowing select patients to recover at home the same day — with less surgical pain and faster recovery.
Learn more →Patients with continued or returning pain after a previous spine fusion often have correctable problems. Dr. Hobbs specializes in revision surgery — using image-guided navigation and AI-assisted planning to address failed, painful, or incomplete prior fusions.
Learn more →Targeted decompression procedures to relieve pressure on spinal nerves. Microdiscectomy removes the herniated portion of a disc; laminectomy removes a small portion of bone to widen the spinal canal.
Learn more →When fusion is necessary for spinal stability, Dr. Hobbs uses modern, minimally invasive fusion and stabilization techniques to join affected vertebrae and relieve pain.
Learn more →Fusion is not the only answer. For appropriate patients, Dr. Hobbs offers FDA-approved devices that relieve the symptoms of lumbar spinal stenosis while preserving the spine's natural motion — without permanently fusing the bones.
A small titanium device placed after decompression to stabilize the spine without fusing it — an FDA-approved option for one- or two-level lumbar spinal stenosis that keeps the segment moving.
Explore coflex First in IndianaA mechanical motion device that replaces what is removed during decompression — an FDA-approved alternative to fusion for spinal stenosis with spondylolisthesis. Dr. Hobbs was the first surgeon in Indiana to perform it.
Explore TOPSDr. Hobbs sees patients at the state-of-the-art Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute in Crown Point. Take a look inside.
Personalized nonsurgical and surgical solutions for a wide range of back and neck conditions.
Pain, numbness, or weakness in the legs or arms caused by disc material pressing on spinal nerves. Sciatica causes radiating leg pain from a compressed nerve root.
Narrowing of the spinal canal that compresses nerves, often leading to leg pain, cramping, numbness, and difficulty walking or standing.
Age-related wear and tear of spinal discs causing chronic back pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. A leading cause of persistent low back pain.
A vertebra slips forward over the one below it, potentially compressing nerves and causing back pain, leg pain, or instability.
Pinched nerves in the neck or lower back causing pain, tingling, numbness, or weakness that radiates into the arms or legs.
As a specialty-trained neurosurgeon, Dr. Hobbs diagnoses and surgically treats spinal tumors and complex spinal deformities that affect alignment, stability, and nerve function.
Had an MRI of your lower back? Click through an annotated axial and sagittal scan to see the disc, nerves, facet joints, and ligaments — explained in plain language and linked to the conditions they cause.
Explore the MRI reader
Had an MRI of your neck? Click through an annotated sagittal and cross-section scan to see the spinal cord, discs, and ligaments — explained in plain language and linked to the conditions they cause.
Explore the neck MRI readerDr. Hobbs's care is grounded in rigorous neurosurgical training and ongoing academic involvement.
Neurological Surgery
Certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.
Neurosurgery Residency
Completed his residency at the University of Chicago, serving as chief resident.
Specialty-Trained Focus
Expertly trained in treating spinal tumors and complex deformities.
Spine & Neurosurgery Journals
Reviewer for Spine, The Spine Journal, and the Journal of Neurotrauma.
Answers from Dr. Hobbs's office about surgery, recovery, and your care.
Monday – Friday: 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Communities Served
Crown Point, Chesterton, Portage, Valparaiso, Merrillville, Hobart, Munster, Dyer, Highland, Michigan City, LaPorte, and the greater Northwest Indiana & South Chicagoland area.
Office Maps
Crown Point
Chesterton
Portage
Call our office or use the LBJI Patient Portal to schedule your appointment with Dr. Hobbs.
(219) 250-5010 LBJI Patient PortalMonday – Friday · 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute · Crown Point & Chesterton, IN
