History of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation at Yale
Since Orthopaedics became incorporated at Yale more than a century ago, there have been tremendous research advancements in medical and surgical technology.
Our faculty and clinicians have been at the forefront of surgical innovation by designing and implementing cutting-edge technologies, surgical techniques, and inventive research. We have sought to create and develop both surgical and non-surgical solutions as well as foster a culture of respect, well-being, and excellence across our clinical practice, education, and research.
We are proud of our longstanding commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, which has enabled us to collaborate, leverage our various strengths, and deliver world-class procedures and rehabilitation. Together, we continuously improve outcomes and abilities that restore quality of life with a commitment to compassionate, patient-centered care.
1913
Incorporation of Orthopaedics at Yale
Established by Crippled Children’s Aid Society, now known as The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven.
1915
Dr. Ernest Arnold
First orthopaedic surgeon in New Haven, CT.
1954
Dr. O. Donald Chrisman
Established a cartilage biology laboratory and research mentorship program. Our Disputation resident award is named in his honor.
1957
Dr. Denis O’Connor
Section Chief of Orthopaedics (Department of Surgery).
1958
Dr. Wayne O. Southwick
Dr. Southwick joins faculty as Chief of Section of Orthopaedics (Department of Surgery).
1963
Dr. Augustus A. White
Dr. White made history as the first Black resident in the department. He also went on to become the first Black faculty member in 1969.
1963
Dr. James A. Albright
Dr. Albright wrote The History of Orthopaedic Surgery in New Haven in 1975 as well as The Scientific Basis of Orthopaedics with Dr. Richard Brand in 1979.
1967
Dr. Southwick published the Triplane Osteotomy of the hip for the treatment of severely slipped femoral capital epiphysis, in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
1970
Dr. Augustus A. White
Established the Disputation Program, which is now a standard event in most orthopaedic programs throughout the country and internationally.
1971
Dr. Wayne O. Southwick & Dr. Kristaps J. Keggi
Performed the first total hip and knee arthroplasty at New Haven Hospital and Waterbury Hospital.
1971
Residency Program Established
1971
Yale Orthopaedic Association Established
Alumni association established by Dr. Southwick.
1971
Dr. Manohar Panjabi & Dr. Augustus A. White
Drs. Panjabi and White established the Spine Biomechanics Laboratory and Clinical Program.
1972
Dr. Peter Jokl
Established the Yale University Sports Medicine Program.
1977
Dr. Kristaps J. Keggi & Dr. Terry Light
Drs. Keggi and Light presented their Anterior Approach to the Hip for Replacement to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, which subsequent publication in 1980.
1979
Dr. John A. Ogden
Dr. Ogden was appointed Chief of Section of Orthopaedics (Department of Surgery).
1980
Dr. Claudia Thomas
Dr. Thomas graduates as the first woman and first Black woman resident in the department, as well as the first Black woman orthopaedic surgeon.
1983
Dr. John Fulkerson
Modified Dr. Southwick’s dovetail transfer of the patellar tendon for instability to develop the Fulkerson Procedure.
1985
Anges Vignèry, PhD, DDS
Dr. Vignèry joins the faculty as first woman scientist in the Section of Orthopaedics (Department of Surgery).
1986
Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
Established as a department by Yale School of Medicine.
1986
Dr. Gary Friedlaender
Inaugural Chair of the department after serving as Section Chief. Also established the first Connecticut Bone and Tissue Bank, the Limb-sparing Bone Tumor Clinical Program, and the Orthopaedic Immunobiology Laboratory.
1986
Research Expansion
Bone Biology, led by Drs. Roland Baron and Agnes Vignèry; Immunology, led by Dr. Mark Horowitz; and Biochemistry led by Dr. Caren Gundberg. This is in addition to the Histology Lab established by Dr. Mark Horowitz and directed by Nancy Troiano in 1984.
1989
Keggi Orthopaedic Foundation (KOF) Established
The KOF supported the training of over 250 international fellows (Yale Visiting Scholars) from Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Tadzhikistan, Georgia, and Vietnam.
1994
Dr. Wayne O. Southwick
Endowed chair established in his honor.
1995
Dr. Michael Baumgaertner
Established the “Tip-Apex Distance” as the international standard to achieve optimal fixation of hip and proximal femoral fractures.
2003
Dr. Wayne O. Southwick
Received the first American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Diversity Award.
2010
Spine Center Established
Collaboration between orthopaedic surgery and neurosurgery, co-directed by Dr. Jonathan Grauer and Dr. Khalid Abbed.
2016
Dr. Lee E. Rubin & Dr. Kristaps J. Keggi
Published the world’s first comprehensive text on Anterior Hip Surgery, The Direct Anterior Approach to Hip Reconstruction.
2017
Dr. Franics Y. Lee
Top NIH-funded orthopaedic surgeon clinician scientist, recruited for translational research expansion in the areas of bone inflammation and surgical innovation on skeletal metastases.
2018
Maureen Carey Endowed Fund for Nursing Education
Established to honor the department’s first head clinic nurse.
2019
Dr. Lisa Lattanza
Appointed the Chair of the Department, becoming its first woman chair.
2020
Dr. Rummana Aslam
Appointed first Chief of the Division of Physiatry.
2020
Yale Orthopaedics Surgical Innovation and Research Collaboration
Founded under the leadership of Drs. Lisa Lattanza, Daniel Wiznia, Steven Tommasini, John Fulkerson, Dan Cooperman, and David Frumberg.
2020
Dr. Christina Allen
Named the first orthopaedic surgeon Medical Director for all of Yale University Athletics, now under the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation.
2021
Dr. Lisa Lattanza
Awarded the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Diversity Award for her lifetime of work promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in orthopaedic surgery, including the founding of The Perry Initiative.
2022
Masters of Science in Personalized Medicine and Applied Engineering
In collaboration with Yale school of Engineering & Applied Science, the department formed a new combined master’s degree program between Yale School of Medicine and Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science. The program will train clinicians and engineers using the most advanced technology for personalized medicine. This degree is the first of its kind in the United States.