Mr James Allibone

I completed undergraduate medical studies at the London Hospital Medical College, during which time I obtained a intercalated BSc in Anatomy (First Class). My general surgical training was based at St Bartholomew’s Hospital. My neurosurgical training was on the North London Neurosurgical Training scheme, based at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square. I spent one year as a spinal fellow at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital (RNOH). I was appointed as a consultant to the RNOH in 2002, where  I worked for five years and was the clinical lead for spinal surgery for two years. In 2007 I moved to the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.

I am currently the lead clinician for complex spinal surgery. The complex spinal surgery unit comprises five surgeons, three neurosurgical and two orthopaedic who specialise in complex spinal surgery. We offer a service for the degenerative spine and receive a large number of tertiary and quaternary referrals for primary and revisional problems. We can provide minimally invasive surgery, disc replacement surgery both cervical and lumbar and more extensive reconstruction for revisional and deformity cases. We are usually able to offer a rapid out patient reponse for GP referral with acute sciatica and brachalgia. We have an integrated service for vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty and stentoplasty for the osteoporotic spine. I have an interest in syringomyelia. The unit has a particular interest and expertise in spinal tumours; we provide the surgical arm for the London Sarcoma and Primary Bone Tumour service. The tumour service also has links with The Royal Marsden, the Brompton and Mount Vernon Hospitals. I am currently the Chair for the North London Metastatic Spinal Tumour Board.

I am a member of the Spinal Arthroplasty Society, the North American Spine Society and sit on the executive of the British Association of Spinal surgeons.