Overview

The Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology Service provides comprehensive diagnostic evaluation of neoplastic (benign and malignant) and non-neoplastic diseases arising from soft tissue and bone, thus often being referred to as musculoskeletal or orthopedic pathology. The service covers UAB Hospital (an 1,190-bed tertiary care medical center processing approximately 50,000 Surgical Pathology cases per year) and its satellite clinics as well as out outreach programs. The Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology team works closely with three dozen faculty in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery as well as Musculoskeletal Radiologists and Surgical Oncologists with expertise in sarcoma surgery. The team participates in a number of weekly or monthly multidisciplinary conferences, including an Orthopedic Tumor Board and Sarcoma Management Conference. The Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology team also provides comprehensive expert consultative services often backed by molecular studies. These internationally renowned pathologists offer expert opinions on some of the most difficult bone and soft tissue cases which are typically extremely rare and diverse, thus making the accurate diagnosis especially challenging. 

Accurate diagnosis of sarcomas often requires extensive ancillary studies. Our laboratories provide a broad immunohistochemistry menu and a wide range of molecular diagnostic testing strategies using various techniques including PCR, RT-PCR, Sanger sequencing, CGH, FISH and next-generation sequencing. Resident and fellow education is also an essential component of this service. UAB offers a one-year fellowship in diagnostic Surgical Pathology, the fellows of which regularly rotate on Bone and Soft Tissue service.  A one-year Bone/Soft Tissue Pathology-focused Surgical Pathology fellowship training is also available. Our fellows also participate in clinical research projects during the fellowship, and presentation at national meetings is strongly encouraged.  

Bone and Soft Tissue Pathology Faculty

Gene Siegal, MD, PhD, Robert M. Mowry Endowed Professor and Executive Vice Chair of Pathology - Section Head

Tom Winokur, MD, Professor, Anatomic Pathology