About the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Leadership in orthopaedic healing, education and research
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery has developed centers of excellence in all the orthopaedic subspecialties. We are the official doctors of the USC Trojan athletes and orthopaedic consultants for Los Angeles’ top professional athletic teams. At the USC Epstein Family Center for Sports Medicine, our physicians also assist elite performing artists at USC and throughout Los Angeles, from student pianists to professional ballet dancers and stunt performers.
The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery embraces a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach to patient care programs and research. We work with physical and occupational therapists to enhance patient outcomes.
Educating and mentoring a future generation of orthopaedic specialists is a high priority for our department. We feature a broad, rich educational program for medical students, residents and fellows.
As faculty of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, our physicians also engage in research that directly benefits patients.
Facts & Figures
- The department’s chair, Jay R. Lieberman, MD, is a past president of the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. Jeffrey Wang, MD, is the president of the North American Spine Society. These are just some of numerous national and international leadership positions held by our faculty members.
- Dr. Lieberman is a pioneer in the field of regional gene therapy for bone repair. His laboratory was the first to successfully heal a critical-sized femoral defect using bone marrow cells genetically manipulated to overexpress bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs).
- The laboratory of Reza Omid, MD, was the first to prove the biomechanical benefits of the lower trapezius transfer in comparison to the classic latissimus transfer.
- The department’s prestigious residency program provides excellent clinical experience. It also has one of the strongest didactic programs in the country.
Our Mission
