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This month, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery said “goodbye” to its six outgoing residents who will leave UAB for their next career steps, taking them across the nation. As part of this year’s resident graduation and annual Resident Research Day, the department presented residents and supporting faculty with several awards in recognition of their accomplishments.

UAB TraineesUAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Assistant Professor Michael Johnson, M.D., co-authored “Impact of COVID-19 on away rotations in surgical fields,” published in the Journal of Surgical Research.

Each year, as Department of Orthopaedic Surgery PGY5 residents approach the end of their residency, they begin to dedicate most of their time to preparing for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) board exam.

UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Assistant Professor Sameer Naranje, M.D, MRCS, was awarded $10,000 in funding through the UAB Faculty Development Grant Program (FDGP). Naranje also serves as the director of the Fracture Fragility Care Program at UAB.

UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Associate Professor, Foot and Ankle Fellowship Director and Director of Clinical Research Ashish Shah, M.D., and Assistant Professor Michael Johnson, M.D., were awarded a one-year, $60,000 OMeGA grant.

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery prides itself on how our employees embody the mission and vision of UAB. Oftentimes, our employees "go the extra mile" to for their patients and colleagues. Below are many of our Ortho GEMs. 

UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery residents Jonathan Isbell, M.D., Jeff Pearson, M.D., and James McMurtrie, M.D., placed first, second and third- respectively- in the Alabama Orthopaedic Society’s (AOS) Chestley L. Yelton Resident Essay Competition.

Isbell’s paper, “Resilience Correlates with Patient Reported Outcomes After Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty,” received first place in the annual competition. Isbell’s co-authors included UAB medical students Alex Dombrowsky, Graham Kirchner, Tyler Montgomery, as well as Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Assistant Professor Eugene Brabston, M.D., Professor Brent Ponce, M.D., and Assistant Professor and Chief of Sports Medicine Amit Momaya, M.D.

As the primary presenter for his paper, Isbell will receive a cash award of $1,500 from the AOS. Isbell, Pearson and McMurtrie would have presented their essays at the Alabama, Mississippi and Florida Orthopaedic Societies 2020 in Point Clear, Alabama, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual meeting has been canceled.  Although unable to present his essay, Isbell is pleased to have placed in the competition and recognizes the impact his paper has on orthopaedics.

“This study further demonstrates the importance of resilience in patient reports outcomes, specifically as it relates to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty,” said Isbell. “In a climate where patient reported outcomes are becoming increasingly scrutinized, it is important for surgeons to identify patients whom may be less resilient and have a candid discussion regarding both the surgeon's and the patient's expectations.”

Pearson’s paper won second place and was titled, “Comparison of Compression Plating through Circular and Oblong Holes with Eccentric Drill Placement.” His paper was co-authored by Bridgette Love, M.D., Ponce, Kayla Rettig, M.D., Alan Eberhardt, M.D., and Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Assistant Professor and Trauma Section Chief Jon Quade, M.D.

McMurtie’s paper, “The Effect of Corticosteroid Injection on Rotator Cuff Repair: A Systematic Review,” took home third place. His paper was co-authored by AM Cimino, C Garrison as well as Isbell, Brabston, Ponce and Momaya.

Although Match Day 2020 did not look exactly like match day in years past due to the COVID-19 outbreak, fourth-year medical students across the country engaged online through social media, sharing where they were matched. While it was impossible to have everyone in the same room at one time, the excitement could still be felt virtually.

That means that it is time for us to say goodbye to our chief orthopaedic surgery residents who have matched into fellowship programs or private practice. But, it is also time to say hello to our incoming residents from medical schools across the nation.

As part of our annual series, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery will feature incoming and outgoing trainees for all UAB Orthopaedics programs. Read more about the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency below, as well as its six new residents and its six graduating residents.

Hello

The Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program welcomes six new residents from Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Virginia and Massachusetts. Of those six residents, one is a UAB student: Alex Heatherly.

Heatherly said he was impressed by UAB’s Orthopaedic Surgery Residency and is looking forward to sharing in the feeling of camaraderie observed between the program’s faculty and residents.

“I chose UAB Orthopedics because of my memorable experience during my medical school rotation. The group of residents in this program shared a great deal of comradery while working, and their enjoyment in the work provided an unmatched work environment," said Heatherly. "I was confident there would be a large volume of operative experience, and I knew there would be limitless opportunities while working at UAB. The faculty are truly invested in the success of not only the program, but in the residents as professionals individually.”

*More information about incoming residents to be added during onboarding in June 2020.

Incoming Residents

Outgoing Residents

Six graduating residents of the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program will soon leave UAB to take positions in fellowship programs at six different institutions across six different states throughout the country.

Four UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery residents were recently elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society at UAB. Although the ceremony was canceled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the residents are still considered full members of the society.

Orthopaedic surgery residents Matthew Christie, M.D., Allison Hunter, M.D., Zane Hyde, M.D., and Jonathan Yu, M.D., were officially inducted into the AOA on Mar. 19.

The AOA notes that, “election to Alpha Omega Alpha is an honor signifying a lasting commitment to scholarship, leadership, professionalism, and service. A lifelong honor, membership in the society confers recognition for a physician's dedication to the profession and art of healing.”

About 3,000 students, alumni, house staff and faculty are selected to join AOA each year. Since its founding in 1902, more than 150,000 members have been elected to the society.

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery welcomed Erin Ransom, M.D., as a faculty member on Mar. 16.

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery will welcome a student from Meharry Medical College for a clinical rotation as part of an agreement to contribute to Meharry’s clinical curriculum.

UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Professor William P. Garth Jr., M.D., was honored for 35 years of service at the annual UAB Service Awards, which celebrates those employees who have made a substantial career commitment to the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The program was designed to acknowledge and illustrate gratitude to employees at each five-year milestone of service to UAB.

Update: The 2020 AAOS annual meeting has been canceled. Please visit their website, for more information. 

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery will travel to Orlando, Florida, March 24-28 for the annual gathering of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), where faculty, fellows and residents from UAB will present poster and paper research as well as attend enriching sessions and receive awards. This year, the conference expects to welcome 30,000 attendees.

Dr. Ransom (Left) and Dr. Meyer (Right)

UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty led one instructional course, participated as lecturers in a second instructional course, and showcased six poster presentations at the 2020 American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS) and American Society for Peripheral Nerve (ASPN) annual meeting.

From top left: Ponce, Theiss, Sherrill and Siegel

UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Professor Brent A. Ponce, M.D., Associate Professor Herrick J. Siegel, M.D., and Chair Steven M. Theiss, M.D. were named best doctors in orthopaedic surgery, and Clinical Assistant Professor Joseph Sherrill, M.D., was named a best doctor in hand surgery on the official Best Doctors® list.

UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Professor and Chair Steven Theiss, M.D., was appointed to the North American Spine Society (NASS) International Education Commission. Theiss was also named co-chairperson to the Simulation Training work group within the commission, alongside Washington University Orthopedics Professor and Vice Chair Heidi Prather D.O.

Associate Professor Sara Gould, M.D., on behalf of the UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Alabama Orthopedic Society, attended a roundtable discussion on the quality of patient access to care issues, hosted by the Medical Association of the State of Alabama in December 2019.

Section Chief of Sports Medicine, Amit Momaya, M.D., joined the editorial board for Arthroscopy, the leading peer-reviewed journal in the field of minimally invasive surgery, published by Elsevier publishing company.

A new study co-authored by UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Associate Professor Sara Gould, MD, found that resistance training during pregnancy does not cause decreased blood flow to the fetus.

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery recently named three new section chiefs to lead the sports medicine, joint arthroplasty, and trauma subspecialty areas.