Jonathan G. Hobbs, M.D. is a board-certified neurosurgeon at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute in Northwest Indiana. In autumn 2026 Becker’s Spine Review, the national spine-industry publication, reported on the nation’s first two-level spinal fusion with patient-specific cages and rods and then interviewed Dr. Hobbs about where personalized implants go next. Each story is summarized below in our own words, with his key quotes as published and a note on what it means for patients.
Interview · Becker's Spine Review · October 9, 2026 · By Hailey Bosek
Personalized implants could be a spine standard — access is a hurdle
In an interview with Becker's, Dr. Hobbs argued that patient-specific spinal implants, so far used mostly for complex deformity surgery at academic centers, can benefit appropriately selected patients with degenerative conditions in community hospitals, and that cost, infrastructure, and reimbursement rather than the technology are the main barriers to access. He described the evidence as early and largely industry-supported, called for measured adoption with rigorous follow-up, and pointed to implants matched to a patient's bone quality as the next frontier.
What Dr. Hobbs said
- Who should benefit
“Patients with degenerative disease deserve the same rigor in planning that we bring to complex deformity surgery.”
- What the technology is for
“The objective is not customization for its own sake; it is greater precision and reproducibility.”
- Access
“Access should be determined by clinical need and the capacity to deliver care safely — not by a ZIP code.”
- Evidence
“Radiographic accuracy is an important measure; it is not a substitute for a meaningful patient outcome.”
- What comes next
“The next frontier may be personalization not only of an implant's shape, but also of its structural characteristics.”
Quotations as published by Becker's Spine Review; the summary above is in our own words.
What it means for patients
Patient-specific implants are a planning tool for the right patient, not a default. Dr. Hobbs begins with a full evaluation, recommends nonsurgical care when it fits, and uses conventional implants when they are the better choice. If you are weighing fusion options, bring your imaging and ask whether a personalized plan would change the operation for you.
Read the article on Becker's Spine Review · Related page on this site
News story · Becker's Spine Review · September 28, 2026 · By Sophie Eydis
Indiana neurosurgeon performs nation's 1st customized spinal fusion
Becker's reported that Dr. Hobbs performed the first two-level lumbar interbody fusion in the United States to combine Carlsmed's patient-specific aprevo TLIF interbody cages with Medtronic's patient-specific UNiD rods, at Northwest Health – Porter in Valparaiso.
What it means for patients
The case shows what the planning process looks like: the alignment goal is set from your own X-rays and CT scans before surgery, the cages and rods are built to that plan, and standard screws anchor them. The same evaluation that led to this operation starts with a conversation about whether surgery is needed at all.
Read the article on Becker's Spine Review · Related page on this site
About the University of Chicago appointment
Dr. Hobbs is a clinical associate in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Chicago, an academic appointment he received in 2026. He told Becker’s it fits his interest in bringing advances developed in academic settings into high-quality community care. He completed his neurosurgery residency at the University of Chicago, where he served as Chief Resident, and sees patients at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute in Chesterton and Crown Point, Indiana.
Media inquiries
Reporters and editors can reach Dr. Hobbs’s office at (219) 250-5010. Patients with questions about anything they have read should schedule a consultation or send imaging for a free MRI review.
Common questions
Has Dr. Hobbs been featured in Becker’s Spine Review?
Yes, twice in 2026. On September 28, Becker’s reported that he performed the nation’s first two-level spinal fusion combining patient-specific aprevo TLIF cages with patient-specific UNiD rods, at Northwest Health – Porter in Valparaiso, Indiana. On October 9, Becker’s published an interview with him on whether personalized implants could become a standard in spine surgery and why access is the hurdle.
What did Dr. Hobbs say about access to personalized spine implants?
He told Becker’s that most adoption so far has been in complex deformity surgery at academic and tertiary centers, that the barriers to wider use are cost, infrastructure, and reimbursement rather than the technology itself, and that access should be determined by clinical need and the capacity to deliver care safely, not by a ZIP code. He also said broader access and regional specialization are not competing goals: some deformity and revision cases are still best served by specialized referral centers.
Does Dr. Hobbs recommend patient-specific implants for every spinal fusion?
No. He told Becker’s that experienced surgeons achieve excellent results with conventional cages and manually contoured rods, and that patient-specific technology is another way to translate a detailed preoperative plan into the final construct, with precision and reproducibility as the goal rather than customization for its own sake. He favors thoughtful patient selection, rigorous follow-up, and transparent conversations about clinical value and cost.
Is the evidence for personalized spine implants proven?
In Dr. Hobbs’s own assessment, not yet. He described the early evidence as encouraging but evolving and largely industry-supported, said the encouraging recovery he has seen in his own patients does not establish that customization alone is responsible, and said radiographic accuracy is not a substitute for a meaningful patient outcome. Whether more consistent execution of the plan leads to better patient-reported outcomes, durable fusion, and fewer revisions still has to be shown.
What does Dr. Hobbs see as the next step for personalized implants?
Matching an implant’s structural characteristics, not only its shape, to the patient’s anatomy, bone quality, and mechanical demands, possibly through finer control of implant architecture and porosity in additive manufacturing. He called this an important direction for development rather than an established clinical capability.
Is Dr. Hobbs affiliated with the University of Chicago?
Yes. Dr. Hobbs is a clinical associate in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Chicago, an academic appointment he received in 2026. He also completed his neurosurgery residency there and served as Chief Resident. His clinical practice is at Lakeshore Bone & Joint Institute in Northwest Indiana.