WashU Medicine Orthopedics

08/18/2025

We are thrilled to share that Jay D. Keener, MD, has been appointed as the Sam and Marilyn Fox Distinguished Professor of Orthopedic Surgery.

Dr. Keener is an internationally recognized leader in shoulder and elbow surgery, known for his groundbreaking research on rotator cuff disease and its impact on patient care worldwide. An exemplary clinician-scientist, Dr. Keener is celebrated for his exceptional surgical skill, NIH-funded research, and dedication to training the next generation of orthopedic surgeons.

Since joining our faculty at Washington University in 2006, Dr. Keener has made lasting contributions as a surgeon, educator, and investigator. He has been recognized with numerous awards, including the prestigious AAOS Ann Doner Vaughn Kappa Delta Award for transformational research, and has been repeatedly honored by residents and colleagues for compassionate patient care and excellence in teaching. Under his leadership, the Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship has become one of the top programs in the nation. Dr. Keener has been the co-chair of the internationally recognized ASAP (Advanced Shoulder Arthroplasty) Course in Snowbird, UT since its inception in 2019.

Dr. Keener by the numbers:
350+ scientific and course presentations worldwide
150+ peer reviewed publications
13 Department Excellence in Teaching Awards
3-time recipient of the Jerome J. Gilden Distinguished Physician Award for Compassionate Care (2011, 2017, 2025)
14+ years of NIH-funded research
2014 recipient of the prestigious AAOS Ann Doner Vaughn Kappa Delta Award
Castle Connolly Top Doctor every year since 2011
Top 3 Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship program nationally under his leadership
3,500+ patient appointments annually
520 average surgical cases annually

Please join us in congratulating Dr. Keener on this well-deserved recognition of his exceptional contributions to orthopedic surgery, research, and education.
📸: Dr. Keener and his wife, Tracy.

08/13/2025

As fall sports get started, Elijah Shultz and his family reflect on the care behind this all-star athlete. “Every time Elijah throws a touchdown or hits a home run, we know Dr. Goldfarb is a part of that," shares Elijah's father.

Elijah was born with amniotic band syndrome, missing a leg and most of his fingers. When he was two years old his family started a journey with Charles Goldfarb, MD. "We were amazed to learn that one of the nation’s best hand surgeons was right here in Missouri." At that time, Dr. Goldfarb preformed a delicate surgery to separate fused fingers and give two-year-old Elijah use of his left hand. The results were life changing and opened the door for many activities Elijah fell in love with.

Eight years later, after an injury caused chronic pain, Dr. Goldfarb again provided care – this time reconstructing the index and ring fingers on Elijah’s right hand to improve function.

Now, he's not only dominating as an athlete, but is the fastest typer in his class and can solve a Rubik's cube in under 40 seconds.
St. Louis Children's Hospital

08/11/2025

"Body part that can be held with one hand, but not both?"

Hint: Drs. Aleem, Keener, Strelzow, Wright and Zmistowski are experts on this body part!

08/09/2025

For us, there's no greater reward than giving patients a higher quality of life!

08/07/2025

Spine stretch suggestion: glute bridges.

If glute bridges are a safe and comfortable position for you before surgery, engaging your muscles this way can have many benefits, including:
✅ Strengthen your glutes and hamstrings
✅ Improve posture and core stability
✅ Help reduce lower back pain

08/07/2025

08/05/2025

Our team has the privilege of combining the latest breakthroughs in research, the newest advancements in technology and the best in clinical skill to do incredible things for orthopedic care.

WashU Medicine Orthopedics is leading a first-in-human clinical trial for a cutting-edge hip resurfacing technology, now officially FDA-approved.

From the pioneering lab of Farshid Guilak, PhD, a biotech startup was developed. The group's innovative approach uses 3D weaving and printing to repair large cartilage defects, with the goal of delaying total hip replacement.

Jeffrey Nepple, MD, and John Clohisy Sr., MD, are leading the trial, marking a major leap from research to real-world care.

08/03/2025

Excellence in pediatric spine care is our past, present and future. From diagnosis to treatment, our nationally recognized experts are leading the way with advanced solutions tailored to your child's growing spine.

We know that children and adolescents require special care. Washington University pediatric spine specialists and surgeons provide patients and their family expert, kid-friendly care and for the full range of spinal diseases and conditions of the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine.

08/02/2025

WashU Medicine Orthopedics by the numbers:
🧑‍⚕️ More than 90 specialists
🏥 11 convenient locations
🩻 Walk-in care at four
🩼 Care to over 200,000 patients in the past year
❤️‍🩹 More than 18,000 surgeries in the past year
🧬 329 peer-reviewed studies published by our physicians and researchers in the past year

07/31/2025

We were honored to host traveling fellows from Europe last week. The group spent time with sports medicine experts Robert Brophy, MD; Matthew Smith, MD; Matthew Matava, MD; and Derrick Knapik, MD.

Their days were spent observing excellent surgical talent and learning from our team in clinic and in lively case discussions. They also explored some of the best of St. Louis culture, like CITY SC, the Arch and great restaurants! It was a privilege to share STL, sports medicine knowledge, ideas and experiences with this outstanding international group!

07/29/2025

WashU Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital are among few centers globally using augmented reality in sarcoma surgeries. "We're part of a center where innovation isn't just encouraged – it's expected," says Ian English, MD, orthopedic oncology surgeon.

Augmented reality technology is allowing our team to overlay scans directly onto the patient – giving orthopedic oncology surgeons, like Dr. English, a precise roadmap to guide bone reconstruction and preservation after invasive tumors are removed.

Since sarcoma can be so devastating to musculoskeletal structures, the AR overlay can provide a critical visual check for planning and executing complex hardware placement to restore function.

Learn more ⬇️
https://bit.ly/4lJeylj

07/24/2025