David L. Helfet, MD
David L. Helfet, MD, was born in Capetown, South Africa. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Cape Town, receiving a BSc in biochemistry with honors, followed by medical school, where he received a M.B.CH.B. degree in 1975. Internship and surgical residency was performed at Edendale Hospital in Pietermaritzburg, S.A. and at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in Baltimore, MD., followed by orthopaedic residency also at Johns Hopkins University, then fellowships at the University of Bern, Insel Hospital (1981) and at UCLA (1981-82).
He was Assistant Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1/82-6/86), Associate Professor and Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma at the University of S. Florida School of Medicine/Tampa General Hospital (7/86-6/91) and at the Cornell University Medical College (7/91-6/98). He is currently Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University and Director of the Combined Orthopaedic Trauma Service at both Hospital for Special Surgery and New York-Presbyterian Hospital.
He has published and lectured extensively on orthopaedic trauma, but especially on fractures of the pelvis and acetabulum, complex fractures of the upper and lower extremity, mal-unions, and non-unions. His expertise has been well recognized; he has received such visiting lectureships as the Presidential Guest and Watson-Jones Memorial Lecture of the British Orthopaedic Association, and has been the recipient of many honors and awards including the Philip D. Wilson Jr. Teaching Award.
Appointments
Professor of Surgery (Orthopaedics), Weill Medical College of Cornell University
Attending Orthopaedic Surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery
Chief of Combined Orthopaedic Trauma, Hospital for Special Surgery
Specialty
Orthopedic Surgery
Subspecialty
Trauma
Certification
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 1984
State Licensure
New York
Education
MD, 1975, University of Cape Town Medical School, Cape Town, South Africa
Residency
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, Assistant Resident in General Surgery, US, 1977-78
Johns Hopkins University, Assistant Resident in Orthopaedic Surgery, US, 1978-80
Johns Hopkins University, Chief Resident in Orthopaedic Surgery, US, 1980-81
Fellowship
University of Bern, Insel Hospital, Trauma-Arthroplasty Professor M.E. Muller, Bern, Switzerland, 1981
University of California, Los Angeles, Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Professor G. Finerman , US, 1981-82
David L. Helfet, MD is the author of the following articles on HSS.edu:
For Patients
For Professionals
Special Expertise
Fractures of the upper and lower extremities (shoulder, upper arm, elbow, forearm, hip, upper leg, knee, lower leg, ankle, etc.)
Non-unions and malunions including correction of deformity
Fractures of the pelvis and acetabulum
Management of complex fractures and poly-traumatized patients with orthopaedic injuries
Minimally invasive fracture surgery
Awards
Philip D. Wilson Jr. Teaching Award, Hospital for Special Surgery 1995 (voted by the residents)
President, Orthopaedic Trauma Association, 1998-1999
Selected Publications
Grose A, Gardner MJ, Hettrich C, Fishman F, Lorich DG, Asprinio DE, Helfet DL: "Open reduction and internal fixation of tibial pilon fractures using a lateral approach", J Orthop Trauma 2007, September 21(8),530-7.
Issack PS, Toro JB, Buly RL, Helfet DL: “Sciatic Nerve Release Following Fracture or Reconstructive Surgery of the Acetabulum”, J of Bone and Joint Surgery, July 2007;89A(7):1432-1437.
Gardner MJ, Lorich DG, Werner CML, Helfet DL: “Second-Generation Concepts for Locked Plating of Proximal Humerus Fractures”, Am J Orthop September 2007; XXXVI(9):460-465.
Werner CML. Lorich DG, Gardner MJ, Helfet DL: “Ankle Fractures: It Is Not Just a “Simple” Ankle Fracture”, Am J Orthop September 2007; XXXVI(9):466-469.
Borens O, Sen MK, Huang RC, Richmond J, Kloen P, Jupiter JB, Helfet DL: “Anterior Tension Band Plating for Anterior Tibial Stress Fractures in High-performance Female Athletes: A Report of 4 Cases”, J Orthop Trauma, 2006;20(6):425-430.
Gardner MJ, Demetrakopoulos D, Briggs SM, Helfet DL, Lorich DG. “Malreduction of the tibiofibular syndesmosis in ankle fractures”. Foot Ankle Int 2006; 27(10):788-92.
Weil YA, Liebergall M, Mosheiff R, Helfet DL, Pearle AD: “Long Bone Fracture Reduction Using a Fluoroscopy-based Navigation System: A Feasibility and Accuracy Study”, Computer Aided Surgery, 2007;12:5, 295-302.
Weil YA, Gardner MJ, Helfet DL, Pearle AD: “Computer Navigation Allows for Accurate Reduction of Femoral Fractures”, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, 460:185-191, July 2007.
Gardner MJ, Briggs SM, Kopjar B, Helfet DL, Lorich DG: “Radiographic outcomes of intertrochanteric hip fractures treated with the trochanteric fixation nail”, Injury 2007; 38: 1189-96.
For more publications, please see the
PubMed listing.
Selected Books/Chapters
Helfet DL , Co-Editor: Fractures of the Pelvis and Acetabulum, Co-edited by Tile M, Kellam J, Lippincott, William & Wilkins, 3rd Edition, May 2003.
Krettek C, Helfet DL: Fractures of the Distal Femur in Skeletal Trauma, Co-Edited by Browner BD, Jupiter JB, Levine AM, Trafton PG, 3rd Edition, Saunders, 2003 pp. 1957-2011.
Helfet DL, Co-Author: AO Manual of Fracture Management: Internal Fixators. AO Publishing, Thieme, 2006.
Clinical Trials
