Newswise — Orthopaedic surgeon Paul Tornetta III, MD, was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) at the organization's 2009 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas, for the Member-at-Large position.

Dr. Tornetta is currently the director of orthopaedic trauma at the Boston Medical Center and professor, vice chairman, and the residency program director of orthopaedic surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine.

"I am indeed honored," said Dr. Tornetta, "to serve on the Academy's Board of Directors. I am eager to help with the many challenges which are currently facing the orthopaedic profession."

Dr. Tornetta earned his medical degree and completed his internship and orthopaedic residency training at the State University of New York Health Science Center at Brooklyn. Following a fellowship at Hospital of the Good Samaritan in Los Angeles, California, Dr. Tornetta was appointed the director of orthopaedic Trauma at Kings County Hospital Center and the University Hospital of Brooklyn.

Devoted to teaching orthopaedic residents, Dr. Tornetta is also committed to improving the quality of patient care through his research. "I have known Dr. Tornetta for 17 years and have closely followed his career, said M. Bradford Henley, MD, professor of orthopaedics, Harborview Medical Center, University of Washington and an AAOS board member. "Throughout those years, I have been impressed by his dedication to patients, his focus on orthopaedic resident education, and his tireless commitment to the improvement and quality of orthopaedic care, education and research.

Dr. Tornetta's research interests focus on both the clinical and technical aspects of orthopaedic trauma surgery and the injured patient. Currently his studies involve elderly patients' injury patterns, fracture healing, and minimally invasive surgery. The author of more than 100 scientific papers, symposia and book chapters, Dr. Tornetta is also a three time recipient of the Robert E. Leach Resident Teaching Award. A former president of the Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA), Dr. Tornetta is currently the Chairman of the OTA Strategic Planning & Board Development Committee. He is also a member of the AAOS Instructional Course and Guidelines Oversight Committees. Dr. Tornetta serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma and as an editor and reviewer for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the Journal of Trauma.

"As an Academy board member," noted Dr. Tornetta, "I will work to instill a sense of urgency in making the required changes needed to provide the highest level of care for our patients, education for our colleagues, and research to improve patient outcomes.

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AAOS 2009 Annual Meeting