Roger L. Mell, M.D., 91, former chief of orthopedic surgery at St. Luke’s West in Chesterfield, Missouri, and a well-respected leader in orthopedics, passed away on Sunday, April 14, 2024, in Kirkwood, Missouri.
Former Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at St. Luke’s West Dies at 91
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Remembrances#obituary#rogermell
Mell earned his medical degree from Washington University in Saint Louis, and then completed orthopedic surgery internships at Barnes Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Shriners Hospital, and the John Cochran Veterans Hospital.
Once his medical training was completed, he joined St. Louis Clayton Orthopedic Group from 1971 to 1979 and then started his own private practice in Chesterfield, Mell Orthopedics, Ltd, which later became Mell & Jones Orthopedics.
Mell was affiliated with St. Luke’s West and served as chief of orthopedic surgery there from 1980 to 2005.
He served as president of Southern Medical Association, Washington University Medical Alumni Association, and St. Luke’s Hospital Medical Staff Association.
He also belonged to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, St. Louis Orthopedic Association, and the St. Louis Rheumatism Society.
Mell was born on March 19, 1933, in Bonne Terre, Missouri, to Myrtle Alice Mell and Henry Charles Mell.
He has three older siblings, and they all grew up in Farmington, Missouri, where their father owned the Mell’s Hardware & Furniture store.
After graduating from Farmington High School, Mell initially embarked on an electrical engineering path. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri College of Engineering in 1956 and worked as an electrical engineer at the Esso Oil Refinery in Baton Louge, Louisiana, after serving as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Air Force for two years, attaining the rank of First Lieutenant. He piloted the T-34, T-28, T-33 and trained in the F-86 D & L models.
After marrying his wife Joan White Mell, the couple moved to St. Louis, Missouri, so he could begin medical school. When Mell wasn’t in the hospital, he was devoted to his faith as a member of Central Presbyterian Church. He was also a member of the St. Louis Club.
After he retired, he built and flew two experimental aircrafts: an RV-7 and an RV-12. Mell passed away just two weeks after his wife Joan did. They are survived by their four children, Mike, David, Julie, and Peter as well as their seven grandchildren and their great grandson.
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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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