Department News

Celebrating the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery match in 2023 Six medical students matched into the IU School of Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s residency program in March 2023.

Survey shows success of trauma fellowship Graduates of the Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s Trauma fellowship overwhelmingly agree that the education they received prepared them to handle the demands of working in a Level 1 trauma center and made them more effective researchers.

Quick thinking: New resident finds connections between fencing and medicine

Rita Somogyi sees a lot of similarities between the operating room and the fencing strip. As a D1 student-athlete at Duke University, Somogyi had plenty of opportunities to practice the lunges and attacks it takes to be a talented fencer. She continued her education at Oregon Health and Science University’s School of Medicine; and while earning her MD, she learned the same savvy was needed to be a skilled surgeon.

Orthopaedic divisions welcome new leadership

Two clinical divisions in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery appointed new leaders in 2022. These changes mark an exciting new era for the department and underlie continued commitments to excellent patient care and medical education.

IU has great success with first Perry Initiative

Mayah Simon needed an orthopaedic surgeon. She was an injured high school athlete looking for help. And everywhere she looked, she found only male doctors when she preferred a female. It was frustrating and discouraging – and a little bit motivating. Mayah was one of 40 female high school students who joined the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine for its inaugural Perry Initiative event in May.

Grad Student Earns F31 Grant
A PhD student in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery earned a grant from the National Institutes of Health that will allow her to continue researching the impacts COVID-19 has on bone health.

Orthopaedic surgery residency program sees record number of female matches
A record number of female physicians matched into the orthopaedic surgery residency program at Indiana University School of Medicine following Match Day 2022.

Diversity needed: IU School of Medicine graduate seeks to change demographics in medicine's least diverse specialty
Growing up as the only girl in a family with four brothers, Uchechukwu Emili has always taken it as a challenge when someone told her she couldn’t do what the boys were doing. Emili’s familial experiences turned out to be the perfect training ground for her future career in orthopedic surgery, the least diverse of any medical specialty with just 6.5 percent of practicing orthopedic surgeons being female and less than 2 percent Black. As Emili graduates from Indiana University School of Medicine on May 13, 2022, she will start the next phase of her training at Ohio State University in a residency program where she will be the only woman in her cohort.

Big 10 grant furthers lab's osteosarcoma research
A $100,000 grant from the Big Ten Cancer Research Consortium Foundation will further research into metastatic osteosarcoma conducted by the Greenfield Lab.

Members of the Orthopaedic Surgery Department spend a day volunteering at Gleaners Food Bank
About a dozen members of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s basic science faculty and staff spent a day volunteering at Gleaners Food Bank recently, helping sort through the cans and prepare them for distribution to those in need.

2022 Awards Celebration Recap
Each year the graduating class honors outstanding IU School of Medicine members for their excellence in teaching and contributions during an Awards celebration. Learners from each graduating class nominated and voted on these awards in the spring semester.

Remembering Angela Leddy
Angela Leddy, who served as an administrative coordinator for many years in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, died unexpectedly June 19, 2022, leaving a vast hole in the hearts of her department family.

It's a Match: Med school sweethearts match to residencies at IU School of Medicine

Leah Frischmann and Zach Gunderson met at the Indiana University School of Medicine “Doctor Prom” during their first year of medical school and have supported each other through all the ups and downs along the way.

Department remembers two former faculty members

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in 2022 lost two of its most celebrated former faculty members.

IU School of Medicine reaches NIH funding milestone, continues record-setting trend
For the fifth-straight year, Indiana University School of Medicine set a school record for research funding received from the National Institutes of Health, showcasing its continued leadership in the field of medical research. The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery also placed in the top 20 for department funding, moving eight spots to the rank of 18.

Medical student, cancer survivor connects with former doctor for unique educational experience
During her final year at the Marian University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Indianapolis, Carly Chapman completed a special clinical rotation alongside L. Daniel Wurtz, MD, the orthopaedic oncologist who cared for her during her time with cancer. Wurtz is the chair of Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. He performed more than a dozen surgeries on Chapman’s leg following her diagnosis, including several procedures to help lengthen her prosthetic that were considered experimental for their time.

Department remembers former chair
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine is mourning the loss of a longtime mentor and former chair. Richard Lindseth, MD, the George J. Garceau Professor Emeritus of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, died this month. He served on the faculty for more than 30 years. He was appointed department chair in 1995.

Megakaryocytes link researcher's bone-healing work to COVID-19
One Indiana University School of Medicine researcher is using her study of bone and fracture healing to better understand the effects of COVID-19 on the body. The Kacena Lab in Indianapolis—led by Melissa Kacena, PhD, the Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery—is the first lab in the state to begin using mouse models to study the novel coronavirus, in hopes of discovering a treatment for the disease.

Study: Minimally-invasive surgery for hip gunshot wounds can be risky
Orthopaedic surgeons hoping to use a common, minimally-invasive procedure to treat gunshot wounds to the hip must be aware that such surgeries come with a very high risk of complications, according to clinical research conducted by Indiana University School of Medicine faculty.

IU School of Medicine researchers discover ties between COVID-19 and bone loss
Researchers in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine, with support from the Richard L. Roudebush Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Indianapolis, have discovered that SARS-CoV-2 can cause quick and significant bone loss—even when infections are mild.

IU researchers study long-term effects of COVID-19 on bone growth
SARS-CoV-2 can cause quick and significant bone loss—even when infections of the virus that causes COVID-19 appear to be mild. Researchers in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Indiana University School of Medicine discovered that mouse models infected with the novel coronavirus lost approximately 25% of their bone mass within two weeks of contagion. They also found mouse models with a 63% increase in osteoclasts, the cells that cause bone to break down.

 

Record space flight inspires bone research at IU School of Medicine
NASA astronaut Christina Koch returned to Earth recently after a record-setting 328-day stay on the International Space Station. But space exploration doesn’t come without sacrifice. In addition to spending nearly a year away from the people and places she loves, Koch likely suffered adverse side effects due to her time in outer space, including bone and muscle loss, calcium buildups and exposure to radiation. It also serves as an opportunity for researchers at Indiana University School of Medicine to dig deeper into the effects of prolonged space travel.

Timing of knee replacements can be tricky
Determining when a knee replacement surgery will be the most beneficial for a patient is one of the most difficult clinical decisions an orthopaedic surgeon can make, said Leonard Buller, MD, an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery for Indiana University School of Medicine. Too soon and there’s a risk the knee will wear out again. Too late and the patient’s quality of life might suffer.

Kacena Lab counting down for 2nd space launch

For the second time in as many years, an Indiana University School of Medicine professor and her team of researchers are preparing to take their experiment into outer space. Melissa Kacena, PhD, director of basic and translational research and professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and eight IU School of Medicine learners will travel to Cape Canaveral, Florida in early July to complete the second phase of their bone-healing research project, a collaboration with NASA and the U.S. Army.

Childhood illness inspires passion for discovery

Adam Ferrari was going to be a personal trainer. At least that was the plan when he started his undergraduate work at the University of Southern Indiana. He enjoyed playing sports and being athletic, thus an exercise science major seemed like the perfect fit. Ferrari was 7 when he was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. He underwent about 2½ years of chemotherapy as treatment.

Orthopaedic surgeon taking ‘victory lap’ with Indy fellowship

Rob Wessel, MD, recently completed his fifth and final year as an Indiana University School of Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery resident, and he’s chosen to continuing studying in Indianapolis for a few extra months, honing the skills he’ll need to be an excellent surgeon.