Meet the Scoliosis Staff

A nationally renowned spine and scoliosis surgeon, M. Darryl Antonacci MD, FACS, has extensive adult and pediatric spinal surgical experience, particularly in scoliosis surgery and complex reconstructive surgery. He pioneered Anterior Scoliosis Correction surgery and has introduced this innovative surgical procedure at Saint Peter’s University Hospital. 

Using minimally invasive techniques, Dr. Antonacci has made pioneering advancements in muscle-sparing spine surgery which drastically reduces blood loss and shortens hospital stays.  Board certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Dr. Antonacci is among a select few individuals worldwide with the expertise to perform a wide range of adult and pediatric spinal surgery, from traditional techniques to anterior scoliosis correction techniques for scoliosis. 
As a senior spine surgery consultant, Dr. Antonacci has also performed complex scoliosis and spinal deformity surgery on children at the prestigious Shriners Hospitals for Children® in Philadelphia.

Professional Affiliations

Dr. Antonacci is honored to be among the few individuals worldwide to have twice received the prestigious Russell A. Hibbs Award for Research from the Scoliosis Research Society.

Dr. Antonacci’s professional affiliations include:

1. Diplomate of the National Board of Medical Examiners
2. Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery
3. Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
4. Fellow of the Scoliosis Research Society
5. Fellow of the Cervical Spine Research Society
6. Active member of the North American Spine Society

Laury A. Cuddihy, MD, is Dr. Antonacci’s primary surgical assistant. Dr. Cuddihy completed her fellowship in spine surgery under Randal Betz, MD, and Dr. Antonacci at the prestigious Shriners Hospital for Children in Philadelphia, PA.  
 
Along with Dr. Antonacci, Dr. Cuddihy has contributed research to the Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery(SMISS), International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST) in Copenhagen, the North American Spine Society, the medical journal SPINE, and the Scoliosis Research Society in Kyoto, Japan.

She earned her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Yeshiva University in the Bronx, New York. She also completed her residency in orthopedic surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center. Since her medical training, Dr. Cuddihy has focused on specializing in spine surgery and received fellowship training in treating complex scoliosis and spinal deformities

Randal R. Betz, MD, is a nationally recognized surgeon with over 30 years of experience in caring for children and adults with problems of the spine, including scoliosis, kyphosis, spondylolisthesis, fused vertebrae, neuromuscular scoliosis, and other spine-related conditions. Dr. Betz began his career caring for both children and adults, but for the past 15 years has been entirely dedicated to the treatment of children and adolescents with pediatric spine problems. His particular expertise and passion is developing and offering the newest treatment options.
 
In addition to his expertise in management of spine disorders, Dr. Randal Betz is internationally recognized for his expertise in pediatric spinal cord injury (SCI). Over the last 20 years, he has advanced medical and rehabilitation approaches for children with SCI, particularly in the areas of neuromuscular scoliosis, hip subluxation and dislocation, upper extremity tendon transfers, and functional electrical stimulation for restoring upper and lower extremity function, as well as bowel and bladder. In addition to the clinical care of children with SCI, Dr. Betz has been one of few researchers who has pioneered new treatments to improve function and prevent complications in these children.