John K. Shuster, MD

Dr. Shuster is a fellowship-trained orthopaedic spine surgeon specializing in all aspects of spine care. His areas of interest include cervical spine surgery (neck surgery), spinal stenosis surgery, spinal instability, artificial disc replacement, spine trauma surgery, and less invasive surgery. He also cares for general orthopaedics and orthopaedic trauma patients. After studying for his Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, Dr. Shuster worked in the renowned Noyes-Giannestras Biomechanicas Labratory where many landmark studies were completed on instability of the knee. He also worked in engineering at General Motors in the Corvette group in Detroit, Michigan. Following completion of his undergraduate Biomedical Engineering degree, he went on to receive his medical degree from The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. While there, he worked in and wrote software for the new orthopaedic department gait laboratory under the direction of Dr. Luis Draganich. After medical school, he underwent both his general surgery internship and his orthopaedic surgery residency at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Maywood, Illinois. Upon completing his residency, Dr. Shuster traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to undergo his spine surgery fellowship at Emory University Spine Center under the direction of Drs. Whitesides, Horton, Heller, Boden, and Silcox. Following that, he was the Director of the Spine Program at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, South Carolina. In 1998, Dr. Shuster joined the group that became Northwest Orthopaedic Specialists. He travels extensively training other surgeons in less invasive surgical techniques and has completed overseas medical mission/educational trips to Germany, Japan, Haiti, St. Lucia, and most recently, Myanmar (Burma). Dr. Shuster is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. When he's not seeing patients for spine, trauma, or fracture-related injuries and conditions, Dr. Shuster enjoys spending time with his family, spending time at the lake, and camping. He also likes working with stained glass and other home projects. His personal heroes are the excellent physicians that have trained him, his parents and in-laws, and Dave Grohl.