Felix "Buddy" Savoie III, MD, named 90th president of American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

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The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) announced Tulane University School of Medicine orthopaedic surgeon Felix H. "Buddy" Savoie III, MD, FAAOS, as its new president for 2022-2023. Dr. Savoie takes this top leadership role in his third year of a four-year term of volunteer service on the Board of Directors. He will assume the position following the AAOS 2022 Annual Meeting in Chicago, March 22-26, 2022.

"I am honored and humbled to serve as AAOS president," Dr. Savoie said. "I look forward to contributing to the future of orthopaedic medicine, leading the charge to preserve patient access to the highest quality orthopaedic care, and working to overcome barriers to providing the very best care for patients in a value-based healthcare system."

Dr. Savoie has made a significant and lasting impact as a physician, advocate, mentor, and researcher. He has been a leader both within his practice areas of shoulder and elbow surgery, arthroscopy, and sports medicine, and in the larger orthopaedic field. His leadership roles include serving as president of the Louisiana Orthopaedic Association (2016), president of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (2016), chair of the Orthopaedic Learning Center (2016), president of the Arthroscopy Association of North America (2010), and co-chair of the shoulder committee of the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (2015-20).

In addition to building a successful clinical and surgical practice, Dr. Savoie has devoted his career to growing and advancing the field of orthopaedics:

  • He has a history of leadership within the AAOS. Prior to becoming president, he served as a member of the Education Council, the Research and Quality Council, and the Political Action Committee of the AAOS (PAC). He also served as chair of the Committee Appointment Program Committee.
  • He has trained hundreds of medical students, residents, and fellows, including a host of surgeons who visit from across the world to observe and rotate with him year-round.
  • He has authored more than 1,000 publications and continues to develop new academic and clinical research using his own data, alongside other international innovators.
  • He serves as a Board examiner for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS) and has been a member of the editorial board and reviewer for numerous peer-reviewed journals, including The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, Journal of Shoulder & Elbow Surgery, Journal of Arthroscopy, Clinical Orthopaedics Related Research and American Journal of Sports Medicine.

"Now more than ever, I am proud to be part of the AAOS," he added. "With vision and perseverance, I look forward to creating a bright future for our members — and our patients. Together, we will address the inequities within our specialty and continue to pave the way for the future of musculoskeletal healthcare."

Dr. Savoie is chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, chief of the Division of Sports Medicine, and the Ray J. Haddad Professor of Orthopaedics at Tulane University School of Medicine, where he was recruited in 2007 to rebuild the program after Hurricane Katrina. The program has become highly successful in achieving excellent patient outcomes and as a training ground for the next generation of orthopaedic experts.