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S. Robert Rozbruch, MD

Limb Lengthening
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About Dr. Rozbruch

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Dr. Rozbruch is Chief of the Limb Lengthening and Complex Reconstruction Service and Director of the Osseointegration Limb Replacement Center at Hospital for Special Surgery. He is a Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, and is a member of several national medical societies including fellowship in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Orthopaedic Trauma Association, and ASAMI — The Limb Lengthening & Reconstruction Society of which he was President (2012-2013). He has presented his clinical and research works at numerous national and international medical meetings and has authored over 200 articles in medical journals and chapters in orthopedic textbooks. He edited two authoritative textbooks on limb lengthening and reconstruction. 

Dr. Rozbruch was educated at the University of Pennsylvania graduating Magna Cum Laude in 1985, and he attended Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University, from which he graduated with honors in research in 1990. Residency training at Hospital for Special Surgery in orthopedic surgery (1991-1995) was followed by two fellowships. He did specialized training in Trauma as an AO fellow at the University of Bern in Switzerland. Additional training in adult and pediatric limb lengthening followed at the Maryland Center for Limb Lengthening & Reconstruction.

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Departments

Specialized Centers

Osseointegration Limb Replacement Center
Limb Salvage and Amputation Reconstruction Center (LSARC)
Children and Adolescent Hand and Arm (CHArm) Center

Special Expertise

Limb lengthening (adult & pediatric)
Osseointegration amputation reconstruction
Joint preservation and realignment
Ilizarov reconstruction surgery
Limb deformity correction
Fracture surgery
Nonunions, malunions, bone defects
Joint replacement
Ankle distraction arthroplasty

Patient Stories

Videos

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Insurance

If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.

Credentials

Appointments

Chief, Limb Lengthening and Complex Reconstruction Service, Hospital for Special Surgery
Director, Osseointegration Limb Replacement Center, Hospital for Special Surgery
Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery
Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College
Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
President Emeritus, Limb Lengthening & Reconstruction Society

Affiliations

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 1998, Diplomat
Orthopaedic Trauma Association, 1998, Active Member
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, 1999, Fellow
Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society (ASAMI), June 2002 - present, member and Vice President
Eastern Orthopaedic Association, 2006 - present, member
Weill Cornell Medical College Alumni Association, Member, 1990 to present
Diplomat of the National Board of Medical Examiners, 1991
New York State Society of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Member, 1995 to present
AO Alumni Association, Member, 1996 to present

Certification

American Board of Orthopedic Surgery

Awards

Castle Connolly Top Doctor - 15 Years
Castle Connolly America's Top Doctors, 2006-2020
Castle Connolly Top Doctors in New York Metro Area, 2006-2022
New York Magazine Top Doctors, 2006-2022
University of Pennsylvania Dean's Honor List, 1982-1986
University of Pennsylvania Magna Cum Laude, 1985
Cornell University Medical College David P. Barr Summer Research Fellowship, 1986
Cornell University Medical College NIH Research Fellowship - A Synthetic Matrix for Cartilage Repair, 1987
Cornell University Medical College Research Thesis Honors Award - A Synthetic Matrix for Cartilage Repair, 1988
 

Education

MD, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York

Internship

General Surgery, North Shore University Hospital, Manhasset, NY

Residency

Orthopaedic Surgery, Hospital for Special Surgery, Cornell University, New York

Fellowship

Limb Lengthening and Deformity Correction, Maryland Center for Limb Lengthening & Reconstruction, Baltimore, MD (currently known as the International Center for Limb Lengthening, Robin Institute, Sinai Hospital, Baltimore, MD)
AO/ASIF Orthopaedic Trauma, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

State Licensure

Languages

English

For My Patients

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Patient Forms and Instructions

Publications by Dr. Rozbruch

Patient Education

Professional Education

Selected Journal Articles

Selected Books/Chapters

Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Surgery Case Atlas, Springer International Publishing, Editors: Rozbruch, S. Robert, Hamdy, Reggie (Eds.) Copyright: 2015
3 book set,  2500 pages. The atlas features six sections all pertaining to limb deformity correction: Pediatric Deformity, Trauma, Foot & Ankle (edited by Dr. Fragomen), Adult Deformity (edited by Dr. Rozbruch), Tumor, and Upper Extremity

Fragomen AT, Rozbruch SR: Supramalleolar Osteotomy with External Fixation: Perspective 1. In: Mark E. Easley (Editor), Sam W. Wiesel (Editor-in Chief):  Operative Techniques in Foot and Ankle Surgery; Lippincott Williams Wilkins, Philadelphia 2010

Palatnik Y, Rozbruch SR: Femoral Reconstruction Using External Fixation.  Advances in Orthopedics, vol. 2011, Article ID 967186, 10 pages, 2011. doi:10.4061/2011/967186. 

Rozbruch SR: Limb Lengthening in Skeletally Mature Patients. In: Hamdy RC, McCarthy JJ: Management of Limb-Length Discrepancies; American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Monograph Series 2011.

Rozbruch SR: Fixator assisted plating of limb deformities. Operative Techniques in Orthopaedics. 2011, 21:174-179.

Hamdy R, Rozbruch SR, Sabharwal S: Advances in Distraction Osteogenesis. J Orthop Res virtual issue, July 2011

Rozbruch SR, Fragomen AT: Hybrid Lengthening Techniques: Lengthening and then Nailing (LATN), Lengthening and then Plating (LAP) In: Tsuchiya, Kocaoglu, Eralp (Eds.): Advanced Techniques in Limb Reconstruction Surgery, Springer (in press 2011)

Fragomen AT, Rozbruch SR: Distraction Arthroplasty for Ankle Osteoarthritis.  In: Tsuchiya, Kocaoglu, Eralp (Eds.): Advanced Techniques in Limb Reconstruction Surgery, Springer (in press 2011)

Sabharwal S, Rozbruch SR: What New in Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Surgery? Invited review article in J Bone Joint Surg- Am 2011. 93-A(24): 2324-2332.

Selected Presentations

Special Award:
Best Foot and Ankle Poster, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting
Invited Poster to Orthopedic Research Society
Ankle Distraction Arthroplasty: How Much is Enough?
San Francisco, CA; February 2012

Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society Specialty Day
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting
San Francisco, CA; Feb. 11, 2012
The Top 5 Research Questions I want LLRS to Answer

For a full list of books, articles, presentations, and other publications, download Dr. Rozbruch's CV (pdf).

Research

Research Interests

My research interests relate to limb lengthening, deformity correction, and the Ilizarov method. While my main focus has been on clinical research, I have participated in basic science research to answer relevant clinical questions. My clinical research began with retrospective level 4 studies reviewing my experience. This has evolved with the growth of our service and clinical experience. Research quality has substantially improved to retrospective comparison and prospective comparison studies. I plan to continue to ask clinical questions and implement new treatment modalities within a responsible and organized clinical research program. As the service chief, I plan to mentor, support, and help my colleagues, fellows, residents, and students to follow in this path. As upcoming president of the Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society (LLRS), I plan to lead our national organization in the same direction. I plan to deliver an invited lecture at the upcoming LLRS specialty day of the AAOS entitled, “What are the 5 most important research questions that we should try to answer?” Through this, I hope to inspire and motivate others in the same direction. This may also be a springboard for organizing multi-center research projects.

Ongoing Research Projects:

  • Prospective evaluation of limb lengthening and reconstruction outcomes (Data Registry)
  • Changes in gait following surgical correction of genu varum in children and young adults (Prospective study in conjunction with gait lab at HSS)
  • Biomechanical effects of gradual correction of limb malalignment using external fixation: gait analysis (Prospective study in conjunction with gait lab at HSS)
  • MRI changes in ankles undergoing distraction arthroplasty
  • Oral antibiotics for prevention of pin tract infection: a prospective randomized study
  • Tibio-calcaneal fusion vs. below knee amputation: analysis of gait and function (prospective study)
  • The effect of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injection into bone regenerate during distraction osteogenesis (prospective randomized study)
  • Cell count retrieval with bone marrow aspirate concentration- a prospective comparison of two systems
  • Complex ankle fusion using the Ilizarov method
  • Humerus lengthening using monolateral external fixation- functional outcome
  • Use of antibiotic coated intramedullary rod for ankle fusion
  • Knee arthrodesis and limb lengthening after failed infected knee arthroplasty
  • Tibia lengthening and the role for gastrocnemius recession
  • Treatment of severe hip arthrosis and massive apparent leg length inequality with total hip replacement.

Clinical Trials / Research Studies

Patient Registries

Industry Relationships

Industry Relationships

HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.

Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Rozbruch as of February 15, 2023.

  • HS2, LLC - Ownership Interest
  • Johnson & Johnson - Consultant; Speakers' Bureau
  • NuVasive, Inc. -  Consultant; Royalties; Speaker's Bureau
  • Orthospin - Consultant; Ownership Interest
  • Ostesys - Consultant; Ownership Interest
  • RGD Soleforce - Board Member; Co-founder; Ownership Interest
  • Springer - Royalties; Ownership Interest
  • Stryker - Royalties

HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.

Patients should feel free to ask their HSS physicians questions about these relationships.

Dr. Rozbruch in the News