The spine community suffered a major loss on April 3, 2026, when Dr. Michael Holte Heggeness passed away at age 73 from a protracted illness. Michael was Past President of NASS, and was a thought leader, distinguished clinician, scientist, and administrator.

His contributions to medicine, in general, and to our speciality, in particular, were extraordinary. He received his undergraduate degree from Haverford College and, subsequently obtained a Masters, followed by a PhD in biochemistry at University of California San Diego.

Michael then spent four years as research scientist at Rockefeller University in New York, where he specialized in virology. At some point during his time at Rockefeller, he decided to pursue a career in medicine (something he related to me, in a pub, as something along the lines of “… having been in the lab, and finally seeing the light …”). Following an MD at the University of Miami, an orthopedic residency at Saint Luke’s - Roosevelt in New York, and a spine fellowship with Dr. John Kostuik, Michael joined the staff at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

At Baylor, Michael became a true quadruple threat. His academic provenance was truly astounding. His most recent research interest, pluripotent stem cells, promised to be groundbreaking; unfortunately, his illness intervened. Educationally, he was the residency program director at Baylor, and later at the University of Kansas. On a national level, he served as a Deputy Editor of The Spine Journal, as well as serving on editorial boards of other peer-reviewed scientific journals. He was also an excellent clinician and surgeon.

Finally, he was a talented administrator and leader, ascending to the position of Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine. He subsequently accepted a position as the Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Kansas. This position was challenging on several levels, as his family remained in Houston; only with the unflagging support of his wife of 39 years, Andrea, and his devoted family was this endeavor not only possible, but successful.

His contributions and service to NASS were monumental. He served many years doing committee work and on the Board of Directors, before assuming the position of Treasurer, after which he became President from 2011-12. Along the way, he also won the Henry Farfan Award for lifetime achievement in research and academic inquiry, in 2015. These achievements aside, Holte (as I addressed him privately), was a devoted and talented bass guitar player.

He quipped that his real contribution to NASS was the formation of the legendary NASS band, Axial Pain. His enthusiasm for music was undeniable. At a retreat, he took great pride in showing me, and, then demonstrating, his portable travel bass. This resembled a coat hanger with a neck and headstock but sounded wonderful when he let it loose. He was also a multiple-time winner of the prestigious and coveted Albert Einstein Lookalike Award. Finally, he had an incredible and mischievous sense of humor and a high-pitched laugh that could be easily identified regardless of background noise.

Medicine has lost an extraordinarily individual. I have lost a cherished friend. Michael had an incredibly dry sense of humor, voluminous and diverse interests including military history, ancient civilizations, and archaeology, as well as music. He will be missed by many.

I miss him very much.

Dr. Michael Holte Heggeness is survived by his wife of 39 years, Andrea, and his children Luke, Karina, Callie, and Matthew.