Professor of Anatomy and Neuroanatomy, University of New England

Frank H. Willard, PhD is Professor of Anatomy and Neuroanatomy at the College of the Osteopathic Medicine of the University of New England (US). He also serves as a member of the teaching board at the European School of Osteopathy and the British College of Osteopathic Medicine. Gaining his PhD in Anatomy and Neurobiology from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in 1981, his research focuses on spinal anatomy and the neurology of spine pain. He is widely published and primary editor of the ‘Basic Sciences’ section in the recently published third edition of Foundations of Osteopathic Medicine.

 

Current Research

The use of tranforaminal injections to address chronic pain syndromes has resulted in numerous catastrophic accidents involving iatrogenic paralysis and death following inadvertent injection of the spinal cord blood supply. We have been investigating the size and distribution of spinal medullary arteries to help physicians better protect against injuring their patients.


 

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Awards

  • 2018 Instructor of the Year, Spine Intervention Society

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Select Publications

  • Dreyfuss,P., Snyder,B.D., Park., Willard, F., Carreiro, J., & Bogduck, N., The ability of single site, single depth sacral lateral branch blocks to anesthetize the sacroiliac joint complex. Pain Medicine 9(7):844-850, 2008
  • Yin W, Willard F, Dixon T, Bogduk N., entral Innervation of the Lateral C1-C2 Joint: An Anatomical Study, Pain Medicine Aug 18 (Epub. ahead of print) 2008 Willard, F.H., (2007) Basic Pain Mechanisms. In: Audette, J.F., Textbook of Integrative Medicine, Humana Press (2008)  
  • Willard, F.H., The muscular and ligamentous structure of the low back and its relationship to back pain, In: A. Vleeming,V. Mooney, C. Snijders, and R. Stoeckart, (eds) Movement, Stability & Low Back Pain, Churchill Livingston,Edinburgh, (2007).