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The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is excited to welcome Matthew C. Hess, M.D., as a new faculty member and one of two specialists trained in pediatric and adult orthopaedic surgical oncology in the state of Alabama. Hess joins the department as an assistant professor in the Oncology Section. Additionally, Hess will serve on the Children’s of Alabama Orthopedics team and work with UAB O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center’s bone cancer and multidisciplinary sarcoma teams.

We are excited to announce Walt Smith, M.D., has joined the UAB Marnix E. Heersink School of Medicine Department of Orthopaedic Surgery as an assistant professor in the Sports Medicine Section. He will also serve as a UAB Sports and Exercise Medicine physician.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Hospital has been recognized as the best hospital in Alabama by U.S. News & World Report in its 2024-2025 Best Hospital rankings. UAB Hospital also holds the top position as the best hospital in the Birmingham metro area. Additionally, six UAB programs have been designated as High Performing, including the UAB Medicine Orthopaedics.

This year, the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery launched its summer Medical Student Orthopaedic Research Program. The program, established through a grant provided by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery (AAOS), provides medical students in their first, second, or third year with an eight-week summer research experience that exposes them to the opportunities within the medical science of orthopaedic surgery.

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is excited to announce those who matched with our fellowship programs for 2025. Residents from across the United States matched with four of our renowned fellowships, including the department’s Spine Fellowship, Trauma Fellowship, Adult Reconstructive and Total Joints Fellowship, and our ACGME-accredited Hand and Upper Extremity Fellowship.

10 UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and UAB Medicine Orthopaedics employees were recipients of the 2024 UAB Service Awards.

Four faculty members in the UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery have been named 2024 Castle Connolly Top Doctors – Scott Doyle, M.D., William Garth, M.D., Herrick Siegel, M.D., and Steven Theiss, M.D.

Congratulations to the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery PGY-4 residents on their recent fellowship matches! We are excited to announce where our residents plan to go next.

Scott Mabry, M.D.Scott Mabry, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, is utilizing mixed reality technology in total hip replacements.

Aaron Casp, M.D.Aaron Casp, M.D., assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, recently traveled with the United States Alpine Ski Team to the 2024 Stifel Palisades Tahoe Cup.

Pioneering research on advancements in equestrian sports medicine was on display at one of sports medicine’s greatest stages. With a focus on enhancing athlete performance and well-being, recent contributions from a research team led by Associate Professor Sara Gould, M.D., M.P.H., marked significant strides in the equestrian community.

We are excited to announce the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s incoming residents! Six exceptional medical students from throughout the country recently matched with our department for their upcoming residencies.

Amit Momaya, M.D., section chief of the Sports Medicine Section and associate professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, recently joined the Convergence Medical Advisory Board, marking a significant collaboration in the realm of orthopaedic innovation. Convergence Medical, a 2022-founded pre-clinical start-up, brings together a unique synergy of medical expertise and engineering prowess, focusing on pushing the boundaries of arthroscopy.

Joseph P. Johnson, M.D., assistant professor in the Trauma Section of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, was an author of a recently published article titled “Pelvic Ring Injuries: Stable or Not?”

Drs. Eugene Brabston, Aaron Casp, and Amit Momaya, faculty members in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery’s Sports and Exercise Medicine Section, are co-authors of articles that were recently published by notable medical journals.

Drs. Eugene Brabston, Aaron Casp, Thomas Evely, and Amit Momaya, faculty members in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and current UAB Orthopaedic Surgery resident Dr. Collier Campbell are authors of a recently published article titled “Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction With Quadriceps Tendon Autograft: Surgical Technique Using Augmentation With a Biocomposite Scaffold.”

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery is home to some of the best orthopaedic surgeons in the state, specializing in the areas of foot and ankle, hand and upper extremity, joint, oncology, pediatrics, spine, sports medicine, and trauma. The department is dedicated to unmatched education under leading faculty, groundbreaking research efforts, and maintaining excellence in patient care–making UAB Orthopaedic Surgery a preferred orthopaedic provider.

In our Meet the Faculty series, we get to know more about our leading faculty members–their medical backgrounds, current research, clinical interests, and what they believe makes UAB Orthopaedic Surgery one of the best places for orthopaedic services.

Meet Joseph P. Johnson, M.D.

Assistant Professor, Trauma Section

Joseph P. Johnson, M.D., received his medical doctorate from the Emory University School of Medicine. He then attended Brown University/Rhode Island Hospital, where he completed both his residency and an orthopedic trauma fellowship. After graduating, he completed an AO short-term fellowship in orthopaedic trauma at Leeds General Infirmary in Leeds, United Kingdom.

Drs. Eugene Brabston, Aaron Casp, Thomas Evely, and Amit Momaya, faculty members in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and current UAB Orthopaedic Surgery resident Dr. Hank DeBell are authors of a recently published article titled “Posterior lateral meniscal overhang is associated with ACL tears: A retrospective case-control study.”

This study, done in conjunction with members of the UAB Department of Radiology, looked at imaging findings related to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Investigators noted a higher occurrence of the lateral meniscus extending beyond the posterior border of the tibia in patients with ACL tears. This study aimed to compare the frequency and extent of posterior lateral meniscal overhang (LMO) in patients with ACL tears to patients without ACL tears.

Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), researchers analyzed and compared 117 knees with ACL tears and a control group of 89 knees without tears. Overall, the study found that patients with ACL tears show a higher prevalence of LMO compared to uninjured patients.

Other co-authors of the study include former department members Dr. Joseph Elphingstone and Dr. Matt Hargreaves.

The UAB Department of Orthopaedic Surgery held its annual department-wide holiday party on Monday, Dec. 11, at Back Forty Birmingham.

At the end of each year, the department invites all its employees and their families to come together to celebrate the winter holidays and spend time with colleagues outside of the office. Attendees enjoyed southern-inspired food, live music, and a photo booth to remember the night!

Check out some of the event photos below!

Herrick J. Siegel, M.D., professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, is serving as co-director of the Complex Hip & Knee Revision Symposium, held Feb. 3 in Phoenix, Arizona.

The symposium, held by Depuy Synthes, allows attendees to gain hands-on experience in a cadaveric lab. The event also features a panel of orthopaedic surgeons with fellowship training in trauma and adult reconstruction. In addition to serving as co-director of the symposium, Siegel will also be one of the panelists.

Participants can expect discussions on various cases and topics, including revision hip surgery, periprosthetic fractures, and more.

To learn more about the upcoming symposium, click here.