Robert Watkins III, M.D., a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon, is co-director of the Marina del Rey Hospital spine clinic, along with his son, Dr. Watkins IV. In addition to advanced spine-surgery techniques in general, he also specializes in treating sports injuries, and he has successfully treated many professional athletes. He has also treated many youth and amateur athletes. Along with his son, Dr. Watkins is a founding member of the North American Spine Society. He has written many books and articles on spine surgery, establishing him as a leading authority in his specialty. Dr. Watkins and his son, Dr. Robert Watkins IV, are the spinal consultants for USC athletic programs, the L.A. Dodgers, and other Los Angeles professional and collegiate sports teams.
Procedures Robert Watkins III Performs at Marina del Rey Hospital
Insurance Accepted
- Medicare
Languages Spoken
- English
- Spanish
Education & Training
Medical Degree
University of Tennessee College of Medicine
Internship(s)
Baptist Memorial Hospital/Campbell Clinic - Surgical Pathology
University of Southern California/LAC+USC Medical Center - Surgery
Residency(ies)
University of Southern California/LAC+USC Medical Center - Orthopedic Surgery
Fellowship(s)
The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopedic Hospital - Spinal Surgery
Klinik fur Orthopadische Chirurgie - Spinal Surgery
Honors & Awards
Memberships & Affiliations
North American Spine Society
Los Angeles County Medical Association
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Cervical Spine Research Society
American College of Sports Medicine
Publications & Media
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Great rehabilitation and great physical bodies allow professional athletes undergoing lumbar discectomy to return to sport at a high rate.
Watkins RG 3rd. Source Department of Orthopaedics, USC Keck School of Medicine, Marina Spine Center, 4640 Admiralty Way, Suite 600, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292, USA.
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Cost-effectiveness of image-guided spine surgery.
Watkins RG, Gupta A, Watkins RG. Source Marina Spine Center, 13160 Mindanao Way, Suite 325, Marina del Rey, CA 90292, USA.
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Access strategies for revision in anterior lumbar surgery
Brau, S. A., Delamarter, R. B., Kropf, M. A., Watkins, R. G., Williams, L. A., Schiffman, M. L., Bae, H. W.; Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2008 Jul 1.
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Anterior instrumentation for thoracolumbar adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: do structural interbody grafts preserve sagittal alignment better than morselized rib autografts?
Watkins, R. G., Hussain, N., Freeman, B. J., Grevitt, M. P., Webb, J. K.; Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2006 Sep 15.
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Microscopic lumbar discectomy results for 60 cases in professional and Olympic athletes.
Watkins, R. G., Williams, L. A., Watkins, R. G.; Spine J. 2003 Mar 01.
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Lymphangiomatosis of the spine: two cases requiring surgical intervention.
Watkins RG 4th, Reynolds RA, McComb JG, Tolo VT. Source Department of Orthopedics, University of Southern California, Los Angeles 90033, USA.
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Stability provided by the sternum and rib cage in the thoracic spine.
Watkins, R., Watkins, R., Williams, L., Ahlbrand, S., Garcia, R., Karamanian, A., Sharp, L., Vo, C., Hedman, T.; Spine. 2005 Jun
