Dr. Ronald C Childs, MD, FAAOS, FACS

Media Releases

Get to know Spine Surgeon Dr. Ronald C. Childs, who serves patients throughout the State of Virginia.

Dr. Childs was the first spine surgeon at OrthoVirginia where he has been practicing since 1994, treating patients at the offices in Fair Oaks & McLean-Tysons. He is also the Chief of the Orthopedics Spine Section at Inova Fairfax Hospital, Medical Co-Director of the Inova Spine Institute at Inova Fairfax Hospital, and Chairman of Spine and Osteobiologics Committee, which has system-wide control of the products allowed into the Inova Health System for spine surgery. He has also been appointed Chairman of the State’s Region II of the Workers’ Compensation Peer Review Board.

With more than 130 orthopedic specialists in over 30 locations in Lynchburg, Northern Virginia, Richmond, Southwest Virginia, and Hampton Roads, OrthoVirginia is the state’s largest provider of orthopedic medicine and therapy. Their integrated offices include on-site therapy, surgery centers, and advanced imagery.

After obtaining his Bachelor of Arts degree from Boston University in 1979, he attended Howard University College of Medicine and graduated in 1983. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery in 1989 at Howard University Hospital and then went on active duty in the United States Army where he served three years including a tour of duty in Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm. He also completed a spine surgery fellowship at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center.

A Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Childs is board certified and was re-certified in 2001 and 2011, by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. He is also an active member of the North American Spine Society, the Old Dominion Medical Society, the Fairfax Medical Society, and the Society of Lateral Access Surgeons.

Orthopedic surgery is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and non-surgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital disorders.

Dr. Childs has particular interest and expertise in minimally invasive spinal surgery and has several patents pending in that area. He was voted Top Doctor by Washingtonian Magazine (2015, 2020) & Top Doctor by Northern Virginia Magazine (2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021).

Recommended Articles

• Top 5 Natural Supplements for Muscular Dystrophy

  What is muscular dystrophy?Muscular dystrophy is a group of disorders that cause skeletal muscle degeneration, decreased flexibility, and progressive weakness. In muscular dystrophy, the abnormal mutation of genes interferes with the production of proteins, which are needed for healthy muscle...

• What Is Minimally Invasive Knee Replacement Surgery?

  Minimally invasive knee replacement surgery is a term used to describe several procedures and modifications of conventional knee replacement aimed to reduce tissue trauma. Unlike other procedures that involve a deep cut on your knee to expose the joint, the procedure's main goal is to reduce or...

• Are There Risks to a Spinal Stenosis Surgery?

  Like any other surgical procedure, spinal stenosis surgery has its own risks and possible complications. However, if performed correctly by professional medical staff, the possibility of any complication after the surgery is low.The potential risks and possible complications following a spinal...

• Reasons Why You Need Spinal Stenosis Surgery

  Spinal stenosis is a situation where the vertebrae in the spine come close together and lie on one or more of the spinal nerves which come from the spinal cord. When this occurs, the individual may experience various symptoms such as:Numbness and a tingling sensationThe spinal nerves emerge from the...

• Scoliosis Pain: Treatment, Management, and Exercises

  Scoliosis is a serious condition that often occurs more in females than in males. The condition itself can be hard to diagnose at the start, which is why the healthcare professional will subject the patient to several tests, including asking them to touch their toes as well as to find out if their...

• Diagnosis of Osteoporosis

  It is important to get a diagnosis for osteoporosis as soon as you experience any of the symptoms associated with the condition. One should not prolong a visit with a doctor because the sooner the diagnosis, the sooner the individual will receive treatment.About 80% of your bone density is...