Zachary J. Grabel, MD
Spine Surgeon
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
Tel: 561.657.4690
Fax: 561.657.4695
About Dr. Grabel
Dr. Zachary Grabel is a board certified, fellowship-trained spine surgeon at HSS. He provides high quality comprehensive spine care, including primary and revision surgery of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He treats conditions ranging from degenerative spine disorders to complex deformities and spine tumors using a variety of techniques including minimally invasive spine surgery, artificial disc replacement, anterior, posterior and lateral approaches to the spine. Dr. Grabel's skill set allows him to personalize treatment plans for each of his patients. He practices patient-centered care and believes in a team-based approach to decision making.
Throughout his medical career, Dr. Grabel has been an avid researcher. He has published many peer-reviewed articles and presented at national and international spine conferences. He is affiliated with several orthopedic and spine societies, including NASS, AO Spine, and AAOS.
Dr. Grabel completed a combined orthopedic and neurosurgical spine fellowship at The Cleveland Clinic (OH), where he worked with world-renowned spine surgeons. He received training in both orthopedic and neurosurgical spine surgery techniques and continues to combine them in his practice.
Prior to his fellowship, Dr. Grabel completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Emory University, where he received the Outstanding Chief Resident Award. He earned his medical degree from Brown University, where he was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) honor society. He received his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida, where he was named Outstanding Four-Year Scholar and graduated summa cum laude.
Profile Video
Special Expertise
Degenerative neck and back disorders (arthritis of the spine)
Disc herniation
Myelopathy
Radiculopathy (pinched nerves in neck or back)
Sciatica
Scoliosis
Spinal deformity
Spinal fractures
Spinal stenosis (nerve compression)
Spondylolisthesis (slipped vertebrae)
Spondylolysis
Procedures
Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)
Anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF)
Cervical disc replacement
Cervical foraminotomy
Cervical laminectomy and fusion
Cervical laminoplasty
Cervical, thoracic and lumbar microdiscectomy
Lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF)
Lumbar and thoracic laminectomy (decompression)
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) and percutaneous procedures
Navigated spine surgery
Posterior spinal fusion
Revision spine surgery
Spine deformity correction
Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF)
Videos
Insurance
Aetna Medicare PPO
BCBS Nextera (FPL)
BCBS The Breakers
Cigna
Medicare Part B
Oxford
UnitedHealthcare
UnitedHealthcare Medicare HMO
UnitedHealthcare Medicare PPO
If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.
Credentials
Appointments
Orthopedic Surgeon, HSS Florida
Affiliations
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
AO Spine
North American Spine Society
Certifications
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
Awards
Thomas Moore Sr. Outstanding Chief Resident Award, Emory Orthopaedic Surgery, 2020
Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, Brown University Medical School, 2015
Summa cum laude, University of Florida, 2011
Outstanding Four-Year Scholar, University of Florida, 2011
Norma DiMarco Research Fellowship, American Cancer Society, University of Florida, 2009
The Golden Key International Honor Society, University of Florida, 2008
Education
Medical: Brown University Medical School, Providence, RI
Internship: Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Residency: Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Fellowship: Combined Orthopaedic and Neurosurgical Spine Surgery, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH
State Licensure
Florida, New York
Languages
EnglishFor My Patients
Publications by Dr. Grabel
Patient Education
Selected Journal Articles
2024
Presence of Cerebrospinal Fluid on Preoperative Imaging and the Associated Cervical Myelopathy Diagnosis and Outcome.
Clin Spine Surg.
McNassor R, Shost M, Grabel ZJ, Rabah NM, Mroz TE
2024
Transforaminal Versus Lateral Interbody Fusions for Treatment of Adjacent Segment Disease in the Lumbar Spine.
Clin Spine Surg
Rajan PV, Megerian M, Desai A, Halkiadakis PN, Rabah N, Shost MD, Butt B, Showery JE, Grabel Z, Pelle DW, Savage JW.
2021
Intraoperative Neuromonitoring Use Patterns in Degenerative, Nondeformity Cervical Spine Surgery: A Survey of the Cervical Spine Research Society.
Clin Spine Surg
Konopka JA, Grabel ZJ, Segal DN, Rhee JM
2020
Thoracolumbar spinal fractures associated with ground level falls in the elderly: An analysis of 254,486 emergency department visits.
J Clin Orthop Trauma
Grabel ZJ, Lunati MP, Segal DN, Kukowski NR, Yoon ST, Jain A
2020
Fusions ending at the thoracolumbar junction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: comparison of lower instrumented vertebrae.
Spine Deform
Segal DN, Grabel ZJ, Konopka JA, Boissonneault AR, Yoon E, Bastrom TP, Flynn JM, Harms Study Group, Fletcher ND
2019
Hypoalbuminemia Is an Independent Risk Factor for 30-Day Mortality, Postoperative Complications, Readmission, and Reoperation in the Operative Lower Extremity Orthopaedic Trauma Patient.
J Orthop Trauma
Wilson JM, Lunati MP, Grabel ZJ, Staley CA, Schwartz AM, Schenker ML
2019
Impact of closed suction drainage after surgical fixation of acetabular fractures.
Arch Orthop Trauma Surg
Boissonneault AR, Schenker M, Staley C, Roorbach M, Erwood AA, Grabel ZJ, Moore T Jr, Reisman W, Maceroli M
2018
Variations in treatment of C1 fractures by time, age, and geographic region in the United States: An analysis of 985 patients.
Orthop Rev (Pavia)
Armaghani SJ, Grabel ZJ, Vu C, Yoon ST
2019
Total Disk Replacement Adjacent to a Multilevel Fusion in the Cervical Spine: A Biomechanical Motion Analysis.
World Neurosurg
Segal DN, Grabel ZJ, Wilson JM, Milby AH, Shi WJ, Hutton WC, Rhee JM
2019
The impact of prophylactic intraoperative vancomycin powder on microbial profile, antibiotic regimen, length of stay, and reoperation rate in elective spine surgery.
Spine J
Grabel ZJ, Boden A, Segal DN, Boden S, Milby AH, Heller JG
For all publications, please see the PubMed listing.
Selected Presentations
McNassor R, Shost M, Grabel Z, Rabah NM, Mroz TE. Association of Cerebrospinal Fluid on Pre-Operative MRI with Post-Operative Outcomes in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy. American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, August 2021.
Grabel ZJ, Segal DN, Boden A, Boden S, Milby AH, Heller JG. The impact of prophylactic intraoperative vancomycin powder on microbial profile, antibiotic regimen, length of stay, and reoperation rate in elective spine surgery. Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) Annual Meeting, Bologna, Italy, October 2018.
Konopka JA, Grabel ZJ, Rhee JM. Intraoperative neuromonitoring use patterns in degenerative, non-deformity cervical spine surgery: A survey of the Cervical Spine Research Society. Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS) Annual Meeting, Scottsdale, Arizona, December 2018.
Segal DN, Grabel ZJ, Wilson J, Shi J, Milby AH, Hutton WC, Rhee JM. Total Disc Replacement Adjacent to a Multilevel Fusion in the Cervical Spine: A Biomechanical Study. North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, September 2018.
Segal DN, Grabel ZJ, Heller JG, Rhee JM, Michael KM, Yoon TS, Jain. Epidemiology and treatment of central cord syndrome in the United States. North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, September 2018.
Grabel ZJ, Hart RA, Clark AP, Shaffrey CI, Scheer JK, Smith JS, Kelly MP, Ames CP, Daniels AH. Adult spinal deformity knowledge in orthopaedic spine surgeons: impact of fellowship training and practice experience. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, March 2016.
Daniels AH, Ames CP, Grabel Z, Smith JS, Hart R. The Variablity in Spine Surgery Procedures During Orthopaedic and Neurological Surgery Residency Training: An Analysis of ACGME Case Log Data. Annual Meeting of the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, Phoenix, AZ, March 2015.
Grabel Z, Daniels AH, Palumbo MA, Vigneswaran H, Eberson CP. Postoperative Transfusion Rates, Complications, and Hospital Charges Following Surgical Treatment of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in the United States from 1997 to 2012. North American Spine Society (NASS) Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, October 2015.
Daniels AH, Grabel Z, Vigneswaran H, Eberson CP, Palumbo MA. Surgical Treatment of Pediatric Spinal Deformity in the United States from 1997 to 2009: An Analysis of 22, 823 Patients. Annual Meeting of the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves, Phoenix, AZ, March 2015.
Research
Dr. Grabel's research focuses on how patient clinical outcomes are influenced by advancing technologies and new, minimally invasive techniques. Additionally, he has an interest in the development of spine surgery peri-operative protocols to ensure more efficient, safe, and cost effective patient care.
Clinical Trials / Research Studies
Industry Relationships
HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.
As of September 25, 2023, Dr. Grabel reported no relationships with the healthcare industry.
HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.