Chester Donnally III, MD

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Chester Donnally III, MD

As a third generation Texan, Dr. Donnally is compassionate to the needs of his community and the patients he serves in his native city of Dallas. He prides himself on performing the least invasive amount of surgery to alleviate a patient’s spinal pathology while concurrently accelerating their post-operative rehabilitation. Additionally, he stresses surgical techniques that minimize post-operative pain and medication use. While Dr. Donnally is passionate about minimally invasive surgery he is also committed to complex corrective procedures for adult spinal deformities. Early in his career Dr. Donnally placed an emphasis on medical research. His contribution of more than 70 peer reviewed publications and a dozen book chapters has allowed him to be invited to many speaking engagements across the country to present his findings. He is dedicated to advancing the spinal community’s knowledge base through research and education. He continues to work with various scientific and product teams to identify modern techniques that will better diagnosis spinal conditions and manage these pathologies. A true local, Dr. Donnally graduated from Highland Park High School in Dallas and then earned Magna Cum Laude honors while at Southern Methodist University. While attending medical school at Texas Tech Health Science Center he graduated top of his class with a Distinction in Research. Dr. Donnally completed his Orthopedic Surgery training at University of Miami Hospital/Jackson Memorial Hospital. He continued his Spine Surgery training as a fellow at the world-renowned Rothman Institute in Philadelphia. He is a member of the Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha honor societies. Additionally he earned the distinction of Eagle Scout with local Dallas Troop 82.

02/13/2026

✌️ Technology Update: Foraminal Stenosis- When bone spurs narrow 🤏 the nerve tunnel (foramen), the nerve root can get compressed — causing pain, numbness, or weakness down the arm or leg ⚡️

This specialized micro-instrument is designed specifically to target that tight space. It allows us to precisely remove arthritic bone overgrowth and decompress the nerve — without unnecessary disruption to surrounding structures.

The goal?
➡️ Relieve pressure
➡️ Protect the nerve
➡️ Restore space

Modern spine surgery is about precision — not brute force.

Sadly, once again- no financial ties to the video. I just like the technology 🥴✔️

02/10/2026

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆🧠🦴

Many studies have shown that spine surgery outcomes are influenced by factors such as disc health, spinal alignment, and surgical hardware. A 2025 Global Spine Journal study adds another important consideration — the 𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐲.

The multifidus is a deep stabilizing muscle that runs along the spine. On MRI, some patients show fatty infiltration of this muscle long before surgery. In this study, greater 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗱𝘂𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗲-𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗠𝗥𝗜 was associated with a higher likelihood of needing revision surgery later on.

🔍 Key finding:
Patients with ≥58% multifidus fatty infiltration had approximately a 2.7× higher risk of revision surgery.

⸻

📊 METHODS

• 216 patients
• Data collected from 2014–2022
• Tertiary academic hospital, New York City
• Open posterior lumbar fusion surgeries
– Single-level and multi-level fusions
• Minimum 2-year follow-up
• Revision defined as subsequent lumbar decompression or fusion

⸻

❗ WHY THIS MATTERS

• Risk may be identified before surgery
• Muscle quality may matter beyond discs and alignment
• Creates opportunity to modify risk
• Improves informed consent and expectation-setting

📚 Burkhard MD et al. Global Spine Journal, 2025

02/05/2026

🚨BREAKING: Peptides are getting a lot of attention right now- but why?! Well one reason is innovation in delivery! (fun fact, yet again I have no financial ties to this video 😖)

😤This is a nasal peptide delivery platform from Drift Peptides, designed to move beyond traditional injections and rethink how peptides are absorbed. As a surgeon, I’m always paying attention to advances in biology, recovery science, and technology that may shape where medicine is heading next.🏆

I’m proud of my good friend John Bains 🍎🍎🍎🍎🍎, the founder, for building something genuinely new and pushing this space forward in a thoughtful way. Always watching the science. Always thinking about what’s next.🧬🧠

futureofmedicine

02/03/2026

📍 𝗜𝗳 𝗜 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗗𝗼 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆…

A medical student asked me in the OR the other day:
🗣️ “𝑰𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒅𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓, 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆?”

My answer surprised them:
👉 𝗨𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗱𝘆𝗹𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗶𝘀.

It’s one of the conditions I enjoy treating most because when non-operative care fails, surgery can be powerful, efficient, and highly reproducible 💪

For me, that operation is often an:
🔹 ALIF (anterior lumbar interbody fusion)
🔹 with posterior spinal instrumentation

Now, important context ⚠️ — there is no single “right” way to treat spondylolisthesis.

• Some regions don’t have access surgeons, 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥
• Many surgeons operate primarily in owned surgery centers, 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞
• In those settings, a posterior-only approach (TLIF) is often preferred — and it can be an option in the right hands 🤷‍♂️

My preference for ALIF comes from my environment and team 🧠🔧
• High(est?)-volume anterior access surgeons make the exposure efficient and safe
• Posterior instrumentation with 𝐧𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 adds an extra layer of precision and safety 🧭
• 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜 𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

There’s also evidence supporting this approach 📊
A 2022 Spine study showed ALIF demonstrated superior segmental and regional radiographic outcomes and broader clinical improvement across patient-reported outcome domains compared to TLIF at L5–S1:

Bottom line:
𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗼𝗻𝘀, 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀, 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 — 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱.
This just happens to be the operation that, in my Texan hands and environment, delivers consistent, durable results for a condition that can benefit from corrective surgery!

01/30/2026

Expanding Indications for Cervical Disc Replacement (2026 Spine Technology – Fact 3 of 4)
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One of the most exciting trends heading into 2026 is the continued expansion of indications for cervical disc arthroplasty.

Historically, cervical disc replacement was limited to very narrow patient criteria. But over the last decade — and especially in recent years — high-quality clinical data has continued to show that motion-preserving surgery can be safe, effective, and durable in a wider range of patients when done thoughtfully.

Recent peer-reviewed studies, including publications in Clinical Spine Surgery and the Global Spine Journal (2025), demonstrate:
• Comparable or improved outcomes versus ACDF in selected patients
• Preservation of motion at the surgical level
• Reduced adjacent segment stress over time
• Expanding use in multi-level pathology

We’re also seeing regulatory and industry momentum reflect this data, including expanded FDA approvals for two-level cervical disc replacement, further validating what many spine surgeons are already seeing clinically.

As we move into 2026, this means:
✔️ Better patient selection
✔️ More personalized surgical decision-making
✔️ More options beyond fusion for the right patient

This is Fact 3 of 4 in my series on spine technologies and trends that genuinely excite me heading into 2026.

📌 Educational content only. Not medical advice. Always discuss treatment options with your treating physician

01/29/2026

3𝟯 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱 𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝘂𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻👇

Most disc herniations do not require surgery. In fact, many patients improve with the right plan and the right timing.

1️⃣ Time + activity modification – discs often calm down on their own
2️⃣ Targeted physical therapy – restoring motion, strength, and mechanics
3️⃣ Guided injections when appropriate – to reduce inflammation and allow healing

Surgery is reserved for progressive neurologic symptoms, weakness, or pain that simply won’t respond to conservative care.

The goal isn’t to operate — it’s to help you get better. 💪🦴

01/22/2026

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗜’𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁: 𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 + 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆🚀🦴
Spine surgery isn’t static—anatomy shifts with positioning, breathing, and correction. Augmented Reality helps account for real-time anatomical displacement, so what I see matches what’s actually happening in the operating room. When millimeters matter, precision matters. I’m excited to push the field forward, and explore the possibilities of combining advanced technologies to deliver the best care possible to my community!

01/22/2026

𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗹𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗢𝗳𝗳 𝗕𝗼𝗻𝗲: 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙮𝙡𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙨
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01/22/2026

𝐔𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐲
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I’ve been using this more and more over the last several month. Definitely feel like there is a small learning curve, and a getting used to the “sound” curve lol. Do you use it? What cases?
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01/18/2026

𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 — 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭 #𝟏🚀
Two-level cervical disc replacement has been discussed for years, but the evidence and momentum continue to grow. In 2025, prodisc received FDA approval for a two-level indication, adding to the expanding body of data supporting motion preservation across more than one level in appropriately selected patients. 🧠🦴

This isn’t about promoting a specific device — it’s about stronger science, evolving FDA recognition, and better long-term outcomes. As we head into 2026, the hope is that insurance coverage continues to catch up so the right patients have access to the right options. More data, more confidence, more thoughtful care. ✅

2026Tech

01/14/2026

𝐓𝐡𝐞 #𝟏 𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔: 𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬.🏆
Traditional high-speed burrs have been around since the 1970s — and guess what… So have antenna-based TVs📺 (rabbit-ear antennas)!! They worked. They were reliable. And they absolutely got the job done. ⚙️ But that doesn’t mean they’re the only option anymore.

In 2026, we have 𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄 𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒉𝒏𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒈𝒚 that allows far more controlled, precise bone removal while helping protect nearby nerves and soft tissue. Why would you watch a football game 🏈 on an old, grainy TV 📺 with “rabbit ears” when you can have a 4K TV the size of your refrigerator delivered and installed tomorrow with just a few clicks on your phone?! 📲

ʟᴇɢᴀᴄʏ ᴛᴇᴄʜɴᴏʟᴏɢʏ ɪꜱɴ’ᴛ ʙᴀᴅ 👀— but when better tools exist, it makes sense to use them.🤠

01/10/2026

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙇𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙩 𝙏𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙎𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙣 (Fact 12 of 12)- Becoming a spine surgeon is a long road — and absolutely worth it. It starts with 4 years of college (SMU🐴), followed by 4 years of medical school (Texas Tech☝️). After that comes 5 years of orthopedic surgery residency (University of Miami🙌), and then a 1-year spine surgery fellowship (world-famous Rothman Institute🌎).

🤠That’s 10 years of additional training after college — and I loved every step of it. I’m incredibly grateful for the education, the mentors, and the opportunity to do work I truly enjoy every single day.

Address

17051 Dallas Pkwy #400
Addison, TX
75001

Telephone

+12143703535

Website

https://www.donnallyspine.com/contact-us-spine-surgeon-dallas-tx.html

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