Phone Icon

Make An Appointment:

Call:

(314) 514-3500

St. Louis Area Office Locations

Hospital Locations

View All Locations >>
  1. Home
  2. Patient Care
  3. Find a Physician
  4. Physician Directory
  5. Melissa Wright, MD
  6. Bio
Photo of Dr. Melissa Wright

Melissa Wright, MD

Assistant Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery

Division of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

Phone Icon

(314) 514-3500

Dr. Wright is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in shoulder and elbow surgery. She treats all injuries and conditions of the shoulder and elbow, including shoulder arthritis, trauma, instability, dislocation, fractures and tears. She approaches patient care conservatively, and offers both nonoperative and operative care as appropriate.

In addition to providing exceptional patient care, Dr. Wright has a passion for education and is involved with the WashU Orthopedics residency and fellowship training programs, and provides education to orthopedic surgeons around the country at national meetings. She is also involved in political advocacy work to improve access to orthopedic care. 

Common Diagnoses Treated

  • AC joint injuries
  • Biceps pain and injury
  • Clavicle fractures
  • Humerus fracture
  • Elbow arthritis
  • Elbow dislocation
  • Elbow ligament tears
  • Elbow fractures
  • Elbow instability
  • Fractures of the shoulder and elbow
  • Frozen shoulder
  • Labral injuries and tears
  • Proximal humerus fractures
  • Rotator cuff pain
  • Rotator cuff tears
  • Shoulder arthritis
  • Shoulder and elbow injuries in the athlete
  • Shoulder dislocation
  • Shoulder instability
  • Tendinitis
  • Traumatic injuries of the shoulder and elbow

Common Procedures

  • Arthroscopic labral repair
  • Arthroscopy of the shoulder and elbow
  • Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair
  • Distal biceps surgery
  • Fracture fixation in shoulder and elbow
  • Reconstruction of tendon and ligament injuries in the shoulder and elbow
  • Total, reverse, revision and stemless shoulder replacements
  • Shoulder stabilization procedures (open and arthroscopic)

Clinical Office Locations

Hospital Affiliations

  • Barnes-Jewish Hospital
  • Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital
  • Wright MA and Della Rocca GJ. AAOS Clinical Practice Guideline Summary on the Treatment of Clavicle Fractures. J Acad Orth Surg. Accepted June 2023. 
  • Leape CP, Donaldson ST, Haislup BD, Wright MA, Murthi AM. Predicting successful outpatient total shoulder arthroplasty. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2023 Mar 28:S1058-2746(23)00289-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2023.02.131. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36997152. 
  • Wright MA, Murthi AM, Aleem A, Zmistowski B. Patient Disparities and Provider Diversity in Orthopaedic Surgery: A Complex Relationship. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2023 Feb 1;31(3):132-139. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-22-00410. Epub 2022 Dec 22. PMID: 36563332.
  • Carroll AH, Ashmyan R, Wright MA, Abbasi P, Gillin TR, Murthi AM. Impact of radiocapitellar interposition arthroplasty on ulnohumeral joint biomechanics. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2023 Mar;32(3):480-485. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2022.09.008. Epub 2022 Oct 14. PMID: 36252785. 
  • Sequeira SB, Wright MA, Murthi AM. Payor Type Is Associated with Increased Rates of Reoperation and Healthcare Utilization following Rotator Cuff Repair: A National Database Study. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022 Oct 4:S1058-2746(22)00739-X. Epub ahead of print. 
  • Sequeira SB, Wright MA, Murthi AM. Gender disparities in shoulder and elbow publications. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022 Dec;31(12):e613-e619. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2022.07.018. Epub 2022 Sep 5. PMID: 36067939.
  • Engler ID, Hart PA, Swanson DP, Kirsch JM, Murphy JP, Wright MA, Murthi A, and Jawa A. High prevalence of early stress shielding in stemless shoulder arthroplasty. JSES Seminars in Arthroplasty. Accepted July 2022. Epub ahead of print.
  • Haislup BD, Trent S, Sequeira S, Murthi AM, Wright MA. The relationship between academic influence, NIH funding, and industry payments among academic shoulder and elbow surgeons. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022 Aug 3:S1058-2746(22)00602-4. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2022.06.019. 
  • Leape CP, Hawken JB, Geng X, Wright MA, Murthi AM. An investigation into gender bias in the evaluation of orthopaedic trainee arthroscopic skills. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022;31(11):2402-9. PMID: 35788056
  • Wright, MA. Experiences in training and practice as a woman and orthopaedic surgeon. Current Orthopaedic Practice, 2022, 33(3): 226-227.  
  • Carroll AH, Rigor P, Wright MA, Murthi AM. Fragility of randomized controlled trials for treatment of proximal humerus fractures. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2022;31(8):1610-16. 
  • Todd E, Wright M, Murthi AM. Long-Term Follow-Up of a Posterior Glenohumeral Fracture-Dislocation Treated with Open Reduction and Internal Fixation-A Case Report. Current Orthopaedic Practice. Accepted January 2022. 
  • Wright MA, Abbasi P, Murthi AM. Biomechanical comparison of zoned-conformity glenoid versus standard glenoid in total shoulder arthroplasty: impact on rotator cuff strain and glenohumeral translation. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2021 Jul;30(7S):S109-S115. doi: 10.1016/j.jse.2021.03.137. Epub 2021 Mar 24. PMID: 33774167. 
  • Wright M, Keener J, Chamberlain M. Comparison of clinical outcomes after anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty and reverse shoulder arthroplasty in patients 70 years and older with glenohumeral osteoarthritis and an intact rotator cuff. J Am Acad Orthop Surg, 2020; 28(5): e222-e229.  
  • Wright M, Adelani M, Dy C, O’Keefe R, Calfee RP. What is the Impact of Social Deprivation on Physical and Mental Health in Orthopedic Patients? Clin Orthop Rel Res, 2019; 477(8): 1825-1835. 

Research Interests

Dr. Wright's research interests include shoulder replacement outcomes, the biomechanics of shoulder replacement, the impact of social deprivation on orthopaedic care and gender disparities related to shoulder and elbow care.

Background

Dr. Wright earned her medical degree and completed a residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, MO. She then completed fellowship training in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery from MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, in Baltimore, MD. 

Board Certifications

  • Board Certified, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Medical Degree

  • Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO

Residency

  • Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine/Barnes-Jewish Hospital, St. Louis, MO

Fellowship

  • Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, MedStar Union Memorial Hospital, Baltimore, MD

Honors and Awards

  • Mark Frankle ASES Health Policy Fellowship Award, April 2021
  • MedStar Union Memorial Hospital Department of Orthopaedics Roger H. Michael Research Award, June 2020

Professional Societies and Organizations

  • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons
  • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
  • Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society
  • J. Robert Gladden Orthopedic Society

Request an Appointment