Orthopaedic surgery focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention of diseases of the musculoskeletal system including the bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, tendons and nerves. Many orthopaedic surgeons spend a significant amount of their efforts in the non-surgical management of these diseases.

Orthopaedic Surgery has a proud history at the University of Toronto. The division originated after World War II. Prior to that, fracture management was undertaken by general surgeons, as most management was non-operative. Although he was a general surgeon, Dr. W. E. Gallie, Chair for the Department of Surgery, practiced some orthopaedics. The Division initially was composed of surgeons from two hospitals, Toronto General Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children, under the leadership of the inaugural Chair, R.I. Harris. Over the next several years, the division grew under the leadership of Chairs Ted Dewar, Bob Salter, Allan Gross, Jim Waddell and Ben Alman. The number of core teaching hospitals expanded to include Sunnybrook, Toronto Western, Toronto East General, St. Michael’s and Mount Sinai. Several significant achievements in Orthopaedics including arthroscopy, pediatric hip surgery and fracture management, and hip replacement in North America, have their origins in Toronto.

Today, our thriving division includes 65 surgeons at the core teaching hospitals, 8 full time non-clinician scientists, 50 residents and over 60 clinical and research fellows. We treat the full spectrum of diseases and conditions in orthopaedics within our programs, which include adult trauma, lower extremity reconstruction and arthroplasty (hip and knee replacement), upper extremity reconstruction (shoulder and elbow surgery), sports medicine and arthroscopy, foot and ankle surgery, spine, paediatrics, hand surgery and oncology.

Our division and its members are recognized across the globe and we attract a large number of medical observers who travel to visit and see firsthand the innovative techniques developed here. We train the largest number of residents in the country including tomorrow’s generation of surgeon-scientists. Our fellowship program is larger than all other divisions in the Department of Surgery combined and we train academic surgeons from across the world.

As a Division, our goal is to lead the global transformation of orthopaedic care, education and research. Our 2016-2021 Strategic Plan details our bold initiatives to help us meet this ambitious goal. As the Chair, I welcome you to the division website and invite any comments or questions about our program or our specialty.

Peter C. Ferguson, MD MSc FRCSC
Albert and Temmy Latner Chair
Division of Orthopaedics
Department of Surgery, University of Toronto