Gregory Drake, DO

Gregory Drake, DO

Dr. Gregory Drake joined CORE Orthopedics on September 1, 2009. Sharing the CORE Orthopedics philosophy of maximizing conservative and non-surgical treatment options, Dr. Drake’s set of surgical skills adds an important element to the CORE team. He regularly performs complex surgeries of the spine and shoulder, and more frequently, he manages common orthopedic conditions that include sports injuries and fracture care.

Dr. Gregory Drake is dual fellowship trained in shoulder and elbow surgery and adult spinal reconstructive surgery. He graduated Magna Cum Laude from Rockhurst College in Kansas City, followed by medical training at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, where he graduated Summa Cum Laude. He completed a general medical internship at Botsford Hospital in Farmington Hills, Michigan, followed by an orthopedic residency in which he served as chief resident of the hospital.

Dr. Drake completed his spinal reconstructive fellowship through Michigan Spine and Brain Surgeons, where he completed over three hundred and fifty major spine surgeries. Deeply committed to the welfare of his patients, he specializes in minimally invasive treatment options and believes in a conservative, minimalistic approach to surgery. He has been trained in treating the complete spine, including the cervical, thoracic and lumbar regions. He also performs a form of spinal fusion leaving adjacent areas of the spine intact and treats compression fractures of the spine with vertebral kyphoplasty.

Dr. Drake’s second fellowship was performed under the tutelage of world-renowned surgeons Dr. Gary Gartsman and Dr. T. Bradley Edwards at Fondren Orthopedic Group. He performed over seven hundred cases last year, including three hundred shoulder replacements and four hundred sports-related and degenerative arthroscopic shoulder procedures. Rotator cuff repair, shoulder instability, distal clavicle resection, and labral repairs are all performed through small incisions and the use of a small camera. Shoulder replacement surgery includes the standard replacement for those with arthritis, as well as the reverse total shoulder in those whose rotator cuff is deficient. 

Other surgical procedures he performs on the shoulder include tendon transfers, arthroscopic suprascapular nerve releases, Latarjet coracoid transfers for shoulder dislocations, and resurfacing procedures.

Dr. Drake is a recipient of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon’s prestigious Neer Award. This award recognizes leading surgeons who are advancing techniques used worldwide. He also has several publications, including book chapters, to his name, and has also published research in major journals such as The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgeons, The Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, The Journal of Arthroplasty, and Techniques of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. He is excited to be a part of CORE Orthopedics and Sports Medicine.