Orthopaedic Center

Orthopaedic Surgeons are inducted into the Academy

Drs. Alpesh A. Patel and Robert Z. Tashjian were inducted as fellows of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) on March 10, 2010 during ceremonies at the Academy’s 2010 Annual Meeting in New Orleans.

The Academy is the largest medical association for musculoskeletal specialists. Its fellows have completed medical school, plus at least five years of specialty study in orthopaedics in an accredited residency program, passed a comprehensive oral and written exam, and been certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.

With more than 35,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (www.aaos.org) or (www.orthoinfo.aaos.org), is a not-for-profit organization that provides education programs for orthopaedic surgeons, allied health professionals and the public. An advocate for improved patient care, the Academy is participating in the Bone and Joint Decade (www.usbjd.org), the global initiative to raise awareness of musculoskeletal health, stimulate research and improve people’s quality of life. The years 2002-2011 have been declared National Bone and Joint Decade in support of these objectives.

Dr. Patel has done significant and extensive research in the field of spine surgery and is the author of more than fifty five scientific papers and abstracts. He has a special interest in cervical spine surgery, adult spine, spinal cord injuries, arthritis of the spine, and spine trauma including spine cancers and tumors. He is a member of the Cervical Spine Research Society, Lumbar Spine Research Society, American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Evaluations Committee and the North American Spine Society serving as co-chair for the Young Surgeon’s Forum for 2008 and 2009. Dr. Patel serves on many local committees contributing new technology and methods in the treatment of the spine. He is the spine consultant for the University of Utah Athletics as well as BYU Athletics and sits on the Multidisciplinary Trauma Care Committee. He has been chosen by the American Orthopaedic Association-Japanese Orthopaedic Association as a Traveling Fellow and will be traveling through the month of May 2010 in Japan to teach and learn about new surgical techniques.

Dr. Tashjian is an Assistant Professor, specializing in shoulder and elbow surgery. He received his medical doctorate from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston, MA. Dr. Tashjian completed an orthopaedic residency at Brown Medical School in Providence, RI followed by an orthopaedic trauma fellowship at Brown under the direction of Peter G. Trafton, M.D. He also completed an additional fellowship in shoulder and elbow surgery at Washington University in St. Louis, MO under the direction of Ken Yamaguchi, M.D. An assistant professor of the University of Utah School of Medicine, Department of Orthopedics, Salt Lake City, UT, Dr. Tashjian is the author of more than 75 scientific papers and abstracts with a special interest in shoulder and elbow surgery. He is a member of the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA). Dr. Tashjian’s clinical practice focuses on all aspects of open and arthroscopic shoulder surgery and elbow reconstruction.