Franco Vigna, MD, MPH, FAAOS

Franco Vigna, MD is one of Western New York’s most accomplished spinal surgeons and has been recognized as a top orthopedist for spine surgery in America by the Consumer Research Council.
Dr. Vigna’s early studies on cervical and lumbar disc replacement as well as minimally invasive techniques have helped identify him as a national authority on spinal care. He has also had several articles published in medical journals, as well as having been a chairman and presenter for several national and international spine conferences discussing advancements in techniques and training amongst his peers.
Dr. Vigna originally developed his passion for orthopedics and spine surgery after seeing how treatment helped patients restore function and resume their normal lives. He’s a former college swimmer who still competes in triathlons, and resides in Buffalo with his wife and three children.
He gives back to the community through Operation Backbone, which allows medical providers to advise and care for active US military and veterans suffering from complex spinal injuries, as well as through the New York State Troopers Police Benevolent Association, which helps provide access to emergent medical care to New York State Troopers.

Education

• Doctor of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine
• Master of Public Health, Health Systems Management, Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine
• Bachelor of Arts, International Relations, Tufts University

Postdoctoral Training

• Spine Surgery Fellow, The Maryland Spinal Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship, Towson, Maryland
• NuVasive Luiz Pimenta Fellowship, São Paulo, Brazil
• Orthopedic Surgery Chief Resident, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University
• Orthopedic Surgery Resident, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University
• General Surgery Intern, State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University

Affiliations

• Member and Member of the Section on Biologics and Basic Research, North American Spine Society (NASS)
• Fellow, American College of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• Member, Erie County Medical Society
• Member, American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Publications

• Vigna, Stracher, Auerback, Suss, Hammerschlag, Majid, Spero. Staphylococcus Lagdunensis Osteomyelitis: A Case Report. Am J Orthop 2007; 36(1):E3-E4. URL: https://cdn.mdedge.com/files/s3fs-public/Document/September-2017/036010003e.pdf
• Tortolani PJ, Cunningham BW, Vigna F, Hu N, Zorn CM, McAfee PC. A comparison of retraction pressure during anterior cervical plate surgery and cervical disc replacement: a cadaveric study. J Spinal Disord Tech. 2006 Jul;19(5):312-7. doi: 10.1097/01.bsd.0000210117.01897.ca. PMID: 16826000. URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16826000/
• Vigna, Cappuccino, McAfee. Spinal Arthroplasty in the Lumbar Spine. Decision Making in Spinal Care; 2006 Edition. Print.
• Vigna, Tortolani. Cervical Myelopathy: Differential Diagnosis. 2006 Seminars in Spine Surgery. Print.
• Dmitriev AE, Cunningham BW, Hu N, Sell G, Vigna F, McAfee PC. Adjacent level intradiscal pressure and segmental kinematics following a cervical total disc arthroplasty: an in vitro human cadaveric model. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2005 May 15;30(10):1165-72. doi: 10.1097/01.brs.0000162441.23824.95. PMID: 15897831. URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15897831/
• Vigna, McAfee. Nonfusion Alternatives: Artificial Disks and Prosthetic Nucleus Replacement. Current Opinion in Orthopaedics; 2004 June; Vol. 15(3):159-166. Print.
• McAfee, DeVine, Chaput, Fedder, Cunningham, Vigna, Farrell, Prybis. Comparison of Rectangular versus cylindrical Carbon Fiber Interbody TLIF Cages-200 Consecutive Cases; Submitted for publication to Spine. Print.
• Merola AA, Castro BA, Alongi PR, Mathur S, Brkaric M, Vigna F, Riina JP, Gorup J, Haher TR. Anatomic consideration for standard and modified techniques of cervical lateral mass screw placement. Spine J. 2002 Nov-Dec;2(6):430-5. doi: 10.1016/s1529-9430(02)00461-8. PMID: 14589267. URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14589267/
• Jones DL, Vigna F, Barrack RL. The use of modularity in revision total hip replacement. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 2001 Apr;30(4):297-302. PMID: 11334451. URL: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11334451/
• Merola, Haher, O’Brien, Lamba, Castro, Vigna, Mathur, Brkaric. Attenuation of Ciliary Neurotropic Factor (CNTF) in Acute Spinal Cord Injury (ASCI) Treated with Intravenous Methylprednisolone; Requested by the Scoliosis Research Society to be submitted for publication to Spine.
• Vigna, Haher, Caruso, Merola, Bono, Liporace, Camillo, Ottaviano, Cerebona. The biomechanics of Osteophytectomy and Decompressive Lumbar Laminectomy in Ostephytic Lumbar Spines. Pending publication.
• Halki, Vigna, Riina, Coscia, Trammell, Dietz, Huler, Schwartz, Merola, Haher. Comparison of Screw Placement in Multilevel Vertebrectomy and Strut Grafting. Pending publication.
• Houry, Lacey, Buckley, Vigna, Fos. An Expert Systems Approach to Medical School Admissions, Journal of the Louisiana State Medical Society. 1997;149(6). Print.