Richard Gelberman, MD

Richard Gelberman, MD

Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery

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(314) 514-3500

Fellowship trained in hand surgery, microsurgery, and children's orthopaedics, and the author of more than 275 manuscripts. He is the recipient of the Kappa Delta, Nicolas Andry, Emanuel Kaplan and Sumner Koch awards for Orthopaedic Surgery research. Dr. Gelberman served as the Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine from 1995-2014. In the past, he has served as the Director of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chairman of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' Council on Education and President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. He is also a former president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In 2003, Dr. Gelberman was elected to the Institute of Medicine, a component of the National Academy of Sciences that deals with a broad range of health policy issues. He is past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand and recent past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Common Diagnoses Treated

  • Carpal instability
  • Congenital hand problems
  • Fractures of the hand and wrist; Ligamentous injuries of the hand and wrist
  • Nerve compression
  • Nerve laceration
  • Rheumatoid arthritis
  • Tendon injuries

Common Procedures

  • Fractures and ligamentous injuries of the hand
  • Fractures of the radius and carpus
  • Operative reconstructive procedures of the wrist
  • Reconstruction of the rheumatoid hand and wrist
  • Tendon and nerve repair

Clinical Office Locations

  • Dr. Gelberman is not accepting new patients.      

Hospital Affiliations

  • Barnes-Jewish Hospital
  • Shriners Hospital for Children
  • St. Louis Children's Hospital

Academic Office Mailing Address

  • Washington University School of Medicine

    Campus Box 8233

    660 Euclid Avenue

    Saint Louis, MO 63110

Research Interests

Tendon repair, carpal instability, peripheral nerve repair and peripheral nerve compression

Clinical Interests

All conditions of the hand and wrist in adults. Special interests include traumatic and degenerative conditions of the hand and wrist, fractures of the carpus and radius, tendon and nerve injuries, and wrist deformities due to rheumatoid arthritis.

Background

Fellowship trained in hand surgery, microsurgery, and children's orthopaedics, and the author of more than 275 manuscripts. He is the recipient of the Kappa Delta, Nicolas Andry, Emanuel Kaplan, Sumner Koch, and Marshall Urist Awards for Orthopaedic Surgery research. Dr. Gelberman served as the Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine from 1995-2014. In the past, he has served as the Director of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Chairman of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' Council on Education and President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. He is also a former president of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. In 2003, Dr. Gelberman was elected to the Institute of Medicine, a component of the National Academy of Sciences that deals with a broad range of health policy issues. He is past Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the American Foundation for Surgery of the Hand and recent past Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 1976
  • Certificate of Added Qualifications (hand surgery). Recertified, 2007

Medical Degree

  • University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine

Residency

  • Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Wisconsin

Fellowship

  • Pediatric Orthopaedics, Boston Children's Hospital/Harvard University
  • Hand & Microvascular Surgery, Duke University Medical Center

Honors and Awards:

  • 1983 Emanuel Kaplan Award from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • 1985 Elizabeth Winston Lanier/Kappa Delta Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society
  • 1989 Nicolas Andry Award for Orthopaedic Research from the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons
  • 1989 Sumner Koch Award from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • 1989 Elizabeth Winston Lanier/Kappa Delta Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society
  • 1990-91 Teacher of the Year Award, Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program
  • 1994-99 Chairman of the Council on Education, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
  • 1996 Marshall Urist Award for Research from the Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons
  • 1996-99 Director, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
  • 1997 Emanuel Kaplan Award from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • 2001 President, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
  • 2003 Julia M. Bruner Award from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • 2003 Elected to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences
  • 2005 Teacher of the Year Palma Chironis Award from Washington University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
  • 2006 President, American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • 2007 Emanuel Kaplan Award for Anatomic Excellence from the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • 2008 Distinguished Clinician Educator Award from the American Orthopaedic Association
  • 2013 Carl and Gerty Cori Award for Faculty Achievement from Washington University
  • 2016 Founders Distinguished Faculty Award from Washington University
  • 2016 American Orthopaedic Association's Career Award for Distinguished Contributions to Orthopaedic Surgery

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