I am pleased to welcome you to the third issue of the Harvard Orthopaedic Journal . Oops! I am pleased to welcome you to the new and improved, Journal of Orthopaedics at Harvard Medical School. Same great journal with a new name! Shortly after publication last year I was informed by Harvard Medical School that we could not use the Harvard name for our journal and would have to use Harvard Medical School instead. I was shocked. After several meetings, presentations to the Deans ’Committee and finally the Faculty Council, I received an “OK ” on the name we are now using. Please be assured, only the name has changed, the content is still as relevant and informative as our first two volumes. My personal thanks to Dr. Sonu Ahluwalia, his editorial staff, and all those who contributed articles to the Journal. I would also like to thank our sponsors for making this publication possible.

In my role as Head of the Residency Program, I am pleased to announce that Dr. Benjamin Bierbaum, Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery for the CareGroup has joined the Program ’s Executive Committee and the HMS Orthopaedic Executive Committee on behalf of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. However with this announcement comes some regret, as I acknowledge the contribution and service of Dr. Stephen Lipson who be leaving the Committee after close to 10 years of service on behalf of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Steve has been a devoted member of the Committee and worked hard on the residents ’behalf. I thank him and wish him well in his continued practice.

The past year has been filled with both great accomplishments and worrisome developments for the residency program. One of the new developments I am particularly proud of is the launch of the Journal Club, initiated by David Wimberley, PGY-4 and co-led by Dr. James Heckman, Editor of the Journal of Joint and Bone Surgery . The Club has been a tremendous success. I appreciate Dr. Heckman ’s stewardship of this important initiative and Dr. Wimberley ’s innovative and enthusiastic leadership in making this possible. I am also pleased that we have secured some changes in the PGY-1 year that will better prepare our residents for their training in orthopaedic surgery. These changes include the following by institution: MGH (4 residents)–increase to 3 months of orthopeadics; BWH (3 residents)–addition of rheumatology and radiology and 2 months orthopaedics; similar changes at the BIDMC (3 residents).

Of some concern is the impact of changes at the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, specifically their desire to eventually relocate orthopaedic surgery to the New England Baptist Hospital. While such reorganization may well be in the best interest of CareGroup to move the residents from the BID to the Baptist, this would not be in the best interest of the residency program. The Executive Committee will be working closely with Dr. Bierbaum in his new role to find the best solution for the residents.

With regard to the recruitment process, I am pleased to report that we continue to get an over whelming number of excellent applicants, over 400 this past cycle. However, because the Program ’s reputation continues to be one of service at the expense of teaching in an environment that is not very collegial, it remains difficult to attract some of the very best applicants. Perhaps related is the fact that one resident has decided to leave the program at the end of the 2001 academic year; a PGY-3 resident is leaving for a business opportunity in venture capital. I am a bit concerned that departures might represent the beginning of a trend among younger residents who bring different values and expectations to planning for their future careers and families.

For these reasons and others, the Executive Committee arranged for an external review of the residency program earlier this year. The external reviewers were Mac Evarts and Reginald Cooper, two distinguished leaders in orthopaedic surgery. One of their principal recommendations was that we explore the creation of teaching and non-teaching services in order to consolidate the strengths of our program for the residents. This and other recommendations will be explored with the faculty and the residents over the coming months. I will be holding a retreat with the residents in June to explore their experiences in greater detail and to engage them in thinking constructively about the types of changes required to strengthen our program.

In my role as Chairman of the Partners Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, I am pleased to acknowledge the recruitment of new faculty, development of new clinical programs and growth of our research program. I would like to commend Harry Rubash and Tom Thornhill on their leadership of orthopaedic surgery at the Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women ’s Hospitals. I direct you to their respective “Chief ’s Corners ”for an overview of the accomplishments of their Departments over the past year. On behalf of the joint Partners Department I would like to acknowledge the Partners in Excellence Award presented to Mark Vrahas and 12 the orthopaedic trauma service physicians and staff at both the Brigham and Women ’s and Massachusetts General Hospitals. The award is in recognition of their work with providers at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital to better coordinate the care of trauma patients.

Of particular importance to the residency program and growth of the Partners Department, I would like to acknowledge the recruitment of some tremendous new physicians and teachers to the Partners Department: Andy Freiberg in hip and knee reconstructive surgery, Julie Katarincic in hand and upper extremity and Wolfgang Fitz in adult reconstruction. I am particularly pleased with the return of two residency graduates following their fellowship training: Chris Chiodo in foot and ankle and David Ring in hand and upper extremity. In addition, we anticipate the arrival in August of Malcolm Smith, a traumatologist from the UK who will be joining Mark Vrahas as part of the Partners Orthopaedic Trauma Service; Philip Blazar, a hand and upper extremity surgeon from the 13 University of Kentucky who will be joining the Brigham and Women ’s Hand Service; Andy Hecht, a residency graduate with spine fellowship training will be joining the Spine Service at the MGH; Peter Millett, a shoulder surgeon, will be joining the Brigham and Women ’s Department as part of the Partners Shoulder Service; and a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon to join the MGH Department. In addition, I would like to welcome Dr. Mark Brezinski to the Partners Department. Dr. Brezinski ’s research focuses on orthopaedic applications of optical coherence tomography (OCT), specifically, the ability of OCT to determine cartilage destruction and cartilage repair. Dr. Brezinski is working closely with Scott Martin at the Brigham and Women ’s Hospital in these areas. Dr. Brezinski is currently the Principal Investigator on several NIH grants.

Dr. Chris Evans

I am also pleased to report that the Center for Molecular Orthopaedics has had an extremely successful year under the leadership of Chris Evans. Chris and his team have received an NIH planning grant to develop a phase II clinical trial on gene therapy in arthritis. The expected launch of this clinical trial is early 2002. In addition, Steve Ghivizanni, an assistant professor in the Center, has received a fundable priority score on an NIH RO3 award. Of special note, I would like to congratulate Dr. Evans on receiving the Synos Foundation Research Award for an outstanding contribution to orthopaedics. Dr. Evans will receive the award at a special conference in Switzerland in June.

Dr. Robert W. Lovett 1859-1924

As Chairman, I would like to acknowledge the appointment and promotion of our faculty at the Harvard Medical School. First, I am pleased to announce the appointment of Thomas Thornhill to the Buckminister Brown Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery, the oldest Chair in orthopaedics at Harvard Medical School. In addition, Bill Tomford and Richard Scott have been promoted to full professor. Christopher Evans has been appointed to full professor and as the first incumbent of the Robert W. Lovett Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery. The Robert W. Lovett Fund, established in 1926 in honor of Robert W. Lovett “for the purpose of organizing on a large scale a means for the systematic study and treatment of those diseases which produce deformities, ” was recently converted to an endowed professorship, making it the tenth professorship in orthopaedic surgery at the Medical School. The appointment of Chris Evans to this chair will surely honor the founders and legacy of Dr. Lovett.

Promotions and appointments to assistant professor include: Anuj Bellare, Mary Bouxsein, Andy Freiberg, Steve Ghivizzani, Tom Gill, Tom Minas, Mike Wilson, Mark Vrahas, and David Zurakowski.

Myron Spector, PhD

I would also like to acknowledge the other honors and achievements of the faculty. In recognition of his research achievements, Myron Spector received this year ’s Kappa Delta Society Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society at its annual meeting in March 2001.

Harry Rubash received the Ranawat Award from the Knee Society. William Harris received the Life Time Achievement Award from the Maurice Mueller Foundation. Martha Murray, recently appointed Instructor in Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, has received the Cabaud Award for Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Research from AOSSM and the OREF Charles H. Herndon Research Award. In addition, Dr. Murray has been honored as a Harvard Medical School Year 2000 Scholar in Medicine Fellow.

Dr. Martha M. Murray

I am pleased to announce that Jim Kasser was installed as President of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery Society of America (POSNA)in May, Mark Gebhardt as President of the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, and I have been elected Second Vice President of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery. In this capacity, I will have an important opportunity to influence the development and strengthening 14 ORS /AAOS Presentations 2001 San Francisco, CA San Francisco, CAORS of our profession and to represent orthopaedic surgery nationally. I encourage each of you to share your thoughts and concerns about our profession with me over the next year. This input is invaluable in shaping the strategic direction and formulating new programs for the Academy.

In closing, I want to congratulate the chief residents as they leave for fellowship training, congratulate the resident graduates as they embark on their chief resident assignments, and welcome the incoming residents. On behalf of the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program and the institutions we represent, I want each of you to know that we are proud of the role you play in ensuring the continued excellence of Harvard Orthopaedics. To all of you, good luck in your future endeavors.

Links of interest:

• Core Curriculum 2000 - 2001 Academic Year
• 2000 - 2001 Grand Rounds Speakers
• Resident Plans
• ORS /AAOS Presentations 2001
• Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program - Incoming Residents
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