Dr. M. Craig McMains | Back and Neck Conditions

M. Craig McMains, MD, FAAOS

Specialties

Back and Neck
Spine Surgery

Locations

317.802.2000

(Fax: 317.802.2405)

Meet Dr. McMains

Dr. Craig McMains is a board-certified, Stanford fellowship-trained spine surgeon with over a decade of experience specializing in minimally invasive techniques and complex spine procedures. His passion for providing patients with better, faster recoveries was shaped early on by his father’s journey to recovery following spinal fusion. The experience inspired Dr. McMains to dedicate his career to pioneering and mastering surgical techniques and technologies that minimize incision size and reduce patient impact – approaches he incorporates into his daily practice.

One of the only surgeons in the region specializing in endoscopic spine surgery, Dr. McMains actively educates and trains fellow surgeons on how the minimally invasive and motion-preserving approach can be used to treat an increasingly wide variety of spine conditions. Notably, he was the second surgeon in the world to enroll and treat patients in a clinical trial evaluating an innovative spinal fusion implant for degenerative conditions – and the first to do so using the ALIF surgical approach. He also helped to develop the PTP surgical system, a lateral fusion technique that enables both anterior and posterior lumbar spine surgery to be performed in a single position.

Dr. McMains’ commitment to improving patient outcomes extends beyond the operating room. He was part of the first healthcare team in Indiana to offer ultra-low radiation imaging for spine patients and among the first surgeons globally to incorporate an end-to-end AI-driven spine surgery platform for enhanced surgical planning capabilities. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. McMains remains active in research and has authored numerous publications focused on advancing the field of spine care. He currently serves on the board of the Orthopaedic Research Foundation.An Indianapolis Monthly Top Doctor honoree, Dr. McMains is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, North American Spine Society and Society for Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery. He earned his Bachelor of Science in neurobiology and physiology from Purdue University and his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine before completing an orthopedic residency at Ohio State University and a spine fellowship at Stanford University.