Joseph Buckwalter, IV, MD, MS, FAOA, Professor of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation and the Arthur Steindler Chair of Orthopaedics at the University of Iowa, was recognized with the 2021 Distinguished Contributions to Orthopaedics Award.
An acknowledged leader within the orthopaedic specialty, Dr. Buckwalter has extensively contributed to the areas of orthopaedic education and research. He has served as the head of his department for 14 years, served as a senior editor of the Journal of Orthopaedic Research for more than 25 years, and is a Past President of the AOA (2001).
His extensive leadership roles include serving as chair of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Council on Research, as President of Orthopaedic Research Society, and as President of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. Past awards for research include the Kappa Delta Award, the Cabaud Award for Research in Sports Medicine, the American Orthopaedic Association Award for Distinguished Achievement in Orthopaedic Research, the Orthopaedic Research Society and American Orthopaedic Association Alfred Shands Award for Research, the Orthopaedic Research Society-Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Distinguished Investigator Award, the Orthopaedic Research Society Fellow Award, the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) Basic Science Award, the University of Iowa Inventor Award, the University of Iowa College of Medicine Impact Scholar Award, and a College of Medicine Teacher of the Year Award.
During his virtual acceptance speech, Dr. Buckwalter stated “I am deeply honored by the Distinguished Contributions to Orthopaedics Award. My contributions were made possible by the opportunities I’ve had and the support I have received.” He went on to acknowledge the long tradition of excellence in orthopaedic patient care of which he is a part at his institution, naming mentors, colleagues, organizations, and family members to whom he is grateful. “I thank all those who made [this award] possible.”
About The American Orthopaedic Association
The first orthopaedic association in the world, founded in 1887, The American Orthopaedic Association is a small, select organization of elected orthopaedic leaders.
Membership in The American Orthopaedic Association is an earned membership that comes at the end of a stringent peer-reviewed process. Fewer than 10% of practicing orthopaedic surgeons have achieved AOA Membership. Members of The American Orthopaedic Association are referred to as Fellows of The American Orthopaedic Association (FAOA). This designation after a surgeon's name means that the surgeon has achieved recognition for exceptional accomplishments and leadership in the orthopaedic specialty.
Our programs are designed to provide leadership education for surgeons from residency through retirement. The AOA helps orthopaedic surgeons gain and enhance skills and concepts not taught during residency. This includes leadership development courses, content and training for academic orthopaedists, and providing thought leadership on and solutions for critical issues facing the broad orthopaedic community. Find out more at www.aoassn.org, follow us on Twitter @aoa1887, or on LinkedIn.