Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Department Recognition and Events

Trauma Fellowship Accreditation Renewal

The Trauma Fellowship received approval for 2014 accreditation renewal by the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) Fellowship Committee. The application was reviewed and the program was found to be compliant with OTA guidelines, meeting the high standards set in the current OTA Fellowship Program Accreditation requirements. Approval is valid for a one-year period, which includes participation in the 2015 OTA Orthopaedic Trauma Match.

Retirement Congratulations

The department wished heartfelt congratulations to Lou Duerring who retired from her position as Administrator of the Ferguson Laboratory in January 2015. One of the original staff members of the Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, Lou would begin her decades of dedicated service as Administrator of the Ferguson Laboratory for Orthopaedic and Spine Research in 1966. During her tenure in the lab, Lou worked closely with generations of faculty, residents, fellows, and staff including Drs. Henry Mankin, Bob Greer, Jim McMaster, Dana Mears, Connie Chu, and Ed Hanley to name a few. She also worked closely with the department chairs including Albert B. Ferguson, Jr, MD, and James Herndon, MD. Lou is enjoying her retirement and plans to spend time with her grandchildren as well as to travel with her husband. Her beaming smile and cheerful personality will certainly be missed by all who have worked with her over the course of her career. We will miss Lou’s wisdom and experience, but most of all, we will miss the inspiration she has been to us.

2015 Annual Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) Meetings

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery once again was well represented at the Annual Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) meetings in Las Vegas, Nevada. Faculty and researchers participated in instructional courses, symposia, numerous podium and poster presentations, scientific exhibits, and Specialty Day lectures, and they also moderated several educational sessions. During the AAOS Annual meeting in Las Vegas, the UPMC Annual Cocktail Reception was held at The Deck at Chateau at the Paris Hotel. An exclusive outdoor terrace, the Deck overlooks the famed Las Vegas Boulevard and guests can enjoy the scene from two-stories above the Strip well into the night. This annual event celebrates the accomplishments of the department's clinical and research faculty and was well-attended with 140 guests. We are grateful to UPMC’s tremendous support of our reception.

"Top Doctors" 

The “Top Doctors” from thedepartment featured in the May 2015 issue of Pittsburgh Magazine include Drs. Freddie Fu, Patrick Bosch, Lawrence Crossett, Vincent Deeney, William Donaldson, Robert Goitz, Mark Goodman, Gary Gruen, Christopher Harner, James Kang, Joon Lee, Stephen Mendelson, James Roach, Ivan Tarkin, W. Timothy Ward, and Vonda Wright. The department also extends its congratulations to affiliated faculty members Drs. Mark Baratz, James Bradley, Charles Burke, Stephen Conti, Joseph Imbriglia, Craig Mauro, and Dean Sotereanos.

German Speaking Arthroscopy Society (AGA) Fellows Visit

In April 2015, the German Speaking Arthroscopy Society (AGA) Fellows visited the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. Drs. Ben Ockert (Munich) and Dr. Bodo Lohmann (Wermelskirchen) were selected by the AGA for this traveling fellowship. During their visit, they observed surgical procedures and toured research laboratories and other facilities within the department.

Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship Program Leadership Updates

Mark E. Baratz, MD, was named Program Director of the Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship Program effective January 2015. Joseph E. Imbriglia, MD, formerly served as program director for 15 years. I want to thank Dr. Imbriglia for his many years of service in this role. The Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship Program has had much success under his guidance and leadership.

Innagural Head Health Initiative Grants Awarded

Micky Collins, PhD, executive and clinical director of the concussion program, and Anthony Kontos, PhD, assistant research director, received an inaugural Head Health Initiative grants from General Electric and the NFL to assess whether a powerful imaging technology can identify concussion and subsequent recovery in a newly injured athlete in order to safely return him or her to play. High definition fiber-tracking (HDFT) will be tested in a one-year study to see if it could become the first imaging technique to accurately and consistently aid in determining a diagnosis of concussion and injury prognosis. The interdepartmental, University of Pittsburgh and UPMC effort was one of 15 winners of 402 international submissions.

Keynote Presentation

James D. Kang, MD, presented the Keynote Presentation for the 16th Annual OREF/ORS Southeastern Regional Resident Research Symposium in September 2014 in Columbia, South Carolina. Dr. Kang’s presentation was “Subaxial Cervical Spine Deformities: Approaches to Surgical Care”.

Additional Leadership Appointments 

Volker Musahl, MD, was named Fellowship Director of the Sports Medicine Program and Medical Director of UPMC Sports Medicine, South Side effective July 2014.

Vonda Wright, MD, was named Medical Director of the UPMC Mario Lemieux Sports Complex. The UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex will serve as a comprehensive outpatient facility for UPMC Sports Medicine and will also serve as the primary training center for the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins®. Scheduled to open in August 2015, this first-of-its-kind facility in our area will feature 185,000 square feet of total space, with 54,000 square feet dedicated to UPMC Sports Medicine’s orthopaedic, physical therapy, concussion, imaging, and sports performance services.

Rocky Tuan, PhD, was appointed Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in the School of Medicine effective September 2014. Dr. Tuan’s appointment was recommended by Dean Arthur Levine and Provost Patricia Beeson and approved by Chancellor Mark Nordenberg. Appointment to a distinguished professorship “constitutes the highest honor that the University can accord a number of the professoriate.” This special category honors extraordinary, internationally recognized scholarly attainment. The official notification letter was sent to Dr. Tuan by Chancellor Mark Nordenberg.

Rocky Tuan, PhD, serves as Director for the Center for Military Medicine Research (CMMR), University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences. Established in Jun 2012, the mission of the CMMR is to support the medical research interests of the Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs and to organize collaboration among investigators at the University of Pittsburgh and Department of Defense. The CMMR, Dr. Rocky Tuan, Director, and Dr. Ronald Poropatich, Executive Director, hosted a visit in May 2015 for MG Brian C. Lein and several senior scientists to meet with various departments at the University of Pittsburgh. MG Lein is the Commanding General of the US Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, Fort Detrick, and Deputy for Medical Systems to the Assistant Security of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics, and Technology. The US Army Medical Research & Materiel Command funds several ongoing projects at the University of Pittsburgh. During their visit, the group toured UPMC Sports Medicine and heard presentations on the Center for Military Medicine Research (CMMR) and the Armed Forces Institute for Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM), and spoke with select faculty. They also met with University executives and toured additional departments and facilities. Joining MG Lein were Colonel Erin P. Edgar, Commander of the US Army Medical Research of Institute of Infectious Diseases; Colonel Andrea M. Stahl, Director, CBRN Defense Medical Research Coordinating Office; LTC Teresa L. Brininger, Director of the Clinical and Rehabilitative Medicine Research Program; and Dr. Sina Bavari, USAMRIID Chief Scientist. Captain Chelsea Baldwin and Staff Sergeant Jason Begley also accompanied the group as the General’s Aide and driver respectively.