Mr Palaniappan Lakshmanan is a fellowship-trained Consultant Spinal Surgeon and established medico-legal expert. A consultant since 2010, he practises at Sunderland Royal Hospital and Spire Washington Hospital.

His work covers complex spinal disorders, minimally invasive techniques, interventions and orthopaedic trauma.

MEDICO-LEGAL EXPERTISE

Mr Lakshmanan has undertaken expert witness work since 2010 and clinical negligence work since 2011. He accepts claimant, defendant and Single Joint Expert instructions in personal injury and clinical negligence.

His clear, balanced, CPR Part 35-compliant reports address breach of duty, causation, prognosis, treatment, rehabilitation and functional impact.

Appointments are available within 1-2 weeks and reports completed within 2-3 weeks once records and imaging are received.

AREAS OF EXPERTISE

• Neck/back pain, whiplash, accidents, spinal/orthopaedic trauma, fractures, spinal cord injury and neurological deficit.
• Disc prolapse, sciatica, radiculopathy, stenosis, spondylolisthesis, cervical/thoracic myelopathy and adult deformity.
• Cauda equina syndrome: missed red flags, delayed diagnosis, decompression timing and bladder, bowel, sexual and neurological consequences.
• Osteoporotic, odontoid and sacral fractures, including ankylosing spondylitis and DISH.
• Discitis, osteomyelitis, epidural abscess, spinal tumours and metastatic cord compression.
• Surgical complications/failed surgery: nerve injury, dural tear/CSF leak, infection, implant failure, non-union, wrong-level and revision surgery.
• Injections, epidurals, discography, decompression, fusion, disc replacement, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty and minimally invasive fixation.

SPECIALIST TRAINING

He completed a 12-month Complex Spine and Minimally Invasive Spinal Surgery Fellowship at Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, followed by advanced minimally invasive and microsurgical training at the AO Spine Centre, Schon Klinik Munchen Harlaching.

LEADERSHIP, TEACHING AND RESEARCH

• BASS Executive Research Lead, 2021-2026; Editor of Column & Cord since 2023; Assistant Editorial Board Member of the European Spine Journal since 2015.
• Former Spine Lead at South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, 2021-2024; organising committee member for BritSpine and three BASS conferences.
• JBJS Miller MRC Oxford FRCS Orthopaedic Course spine lecturer since 2011, with faculty roles for BASS, BritSpine, AO UK and international courses.

His academic record includes 48 peer-reviewed publications, 12 textbook/online chapters and more than 100 national and international presentations, including systematic reviews and meta-analyses at BASS 2026.

QUALIFICATIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS

MBBS (Best Outgoing Student), MS (Orth), AFRCS and FRCS (Tr & Orth). Member of BASS, North American Spine Society, AO Spine International and Tamil Nadu Orthopaedic Association.

Mr Lakshmanan accepts UK-wide instructions, offers a free 15-minute consultation and speaks Tamil.