Benjamin A. Alman, M.D., A.J. Latner Professor and Chair of Orthopaedics at the University of Toronto, is set to become the new chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine.
Benjamin A. Alman, M.D. to Lead Duke Orthopedics
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Dr. Alman, who will assume this new role in June 2013, currently serves as a senior scientist in the Research Institute’s Developmental and Stem Cell Biology Program at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, where he has been on faculty for the past 16 years. He is also vice chair of research in the Department of Surgery and interim director of the Toronto Musculoskeletal Centre at the University of Toronto.
In the January 9, 2013 news release, Nancy Andrews, M.D., Ph.D., dean of the Duke School of Medicine, stated that Dr. Alman is “the ideal leader for our orthopaedic surgery department, one of the country’s most esteemed programs. In his new role, he will lead a respected team of more than 60 clinical and research faculty and 55 residents and fellows committed to advancing scientific discovery and enhancing patient care.”
His clinical practice focuses on the care of children with syndromes, spinal deformity, neuromuscular disorders, and tumors involving the bones, joints and soft tissues. He also runs an active basic science research program, studying the role of developmental signaling pathways in musculoskeletal tumors and reparative processes.
That research has brought Dr. Alman numerous awards, including the J. Edouard Sampson Award for outstanding research, the Arthur H. Heune Award for outstanding contributions in pediatric orthopaedics, and most recently the Lodwick Award for the best publication in the musculoskeletal field and the Charles Tator Surgeon-Scientist Mentoring Award.
Dr. David Attarian will serve as interim chair of the department until June.
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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