Paul Tornetta, MD, PhD
Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
Biography
Dr. Paul Tornetta, III is Chief and Chair, Professor and Residency Program Director in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and the Director of Orthopaedic Trauma for the Boston Medical Center. Dr. Tornetta received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and mathematics from Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Penn. He earned his medical degree from SUNY-Health Science Center at Brooklyn (NY), where he also completed his internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery, followed by a fellowship in Acetabular/Pelvic Fractures at the Hospital of the Good Samaritan in Los Angeles under Joel Matta, MD. He received his PhD from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands.
Dr. Tornetta has expertise in multicenter trials and trial methodology, serving on the executive committees of the SPRINT, FAITH, TRUST, and FLOW trials. He leads the Orthopaedic Trauma Research Consortium and was on the executive committee of the department of defense funded METRC consortium. He has lectured extensively worldwide on orthopaedic trauma, evidence-based literature application, and education. He has served on the faculty of more than 250 American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery (AAOS) CME, Orthopaedic Trauma Association (OTA) and international symposia and skills courses as well as developing new educational programs for these organizations. An author of more than 300 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Tornetta is also a lead editor for Rockwood and Green’s textbook on fracture care (an industry standard) and an editor of multiple other textbooks and textbook series. The AAOS’s new resident orthopaedic core knowledge curriculum (ROCK) was released under his co-editorship and guidance. He has contributed to the field with the development of new surgical techniques as well as implants.
Dr. Tornetta has served many roles for national and international orthopaedic associations. He has been the chair of multiple committees, served on the board, was Chair of the Council on Education for the AAOS, is a past president of the OTA and was an American British Canadian (ABC) traveling fellow. He is currently in the Presidential line for the AAOS and his Presidential year will be 2024-2025. The recipient of numerous awards and honors, including the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation clinical research award, Two Kappa Delta Awards, several BUSM Robert E. Leach Resident Teaching Awards and OTA Bovill Awards, Dr. Tornetta has been named a Castle Connolly Top Doctor every year since 1999 and Boston Magazine Top Doc since 2006.
Other Positions
- Chief and Chair, Orthopaedic Surgery, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Education
- SUNY Downstate Medical Center, MD
- Franklin & Marshall College, BA
Publications
- Published on 3/1/2025
Obremskey WT, O'Toole RV, Morshed S, Tornetta P, Murray CK, Jones CB, Scharfstein DO, Taylor TJ, Carlini AR, DeSanto JM, Castillo RC, Bosse MJ, Karunakar MA, Seymour RB, Sims SH, Weinrib DA, Churchill C, Carroll EA, Pilson HT, Goodman JB, Holden MB, Miller AN, Sietsema DL, Stahel PF, Mir H, Schmidt AH, Westberg JR, Mullis B, Shively KD, Hymes RA, Konda SR, Vallier HA, Breslin MA, Smith CS, Crickard CV, Reid JS, Baker M, Eglseder WA, LeBrun C, Manson T, Mascarenhas DC, Nascone J, Pollak AN, Schloss MG, Sciadini MF, Degani Y, Miclau T, Weiss DB, Yarboro SR, McVey ED, Firoozabadi R, Agel J, Burgos EJ, Gajari V, Rodriguez-Buitrago A, Tummuru RR, Trochez KM. Oral vs Intravenous Antibiotics for Fracture-Related Infections: The POvIV Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Surg. 2025 Mar 01; 160(3):276-284. PMID: 39841468.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/9/2025
Megafu MN, Point Du Jour E, Nguyen J, Megafu E, Mian H, Singhal S, Tornetta P, Parisien RL. The statistical stability of clavicle fracture management: A systematic review of randomized controlled trials with fragility analysis. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil. 2025 Jan; 38(1):63-70. PMID: 39970459.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/22/2024
Novikov D, Kelley MG, Kain MS, Tornetta P. Low Rate of Teriparatide Supplementation for the Treatment of Osteoporotic Pelvic Fractures in Elderly Females. Geriatr Orthop Surg Rehabil. 2024; 15:21514593241296396. PMID: 39584187.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/1/2024
Collinge CA, Giga K, Roser T, Lebus GF, Beltran MJ, Crist B, Sems SA, Gardner MJ, Sagi HC, Archdeacon MT, Mir HR, Rodriguez-Buitrago A, Mitchell P, Tornetta P. Treatment Failure After Repair of Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures in Patients Compared by "Decade of Life": An Analysis of 565 Cases in Adults Less Than 60 years of Age. J Orthop Trauma. 2024 Aug 01; 38(8):418-425. PMID: 39007657.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/1/2024
Roser T, Collinge CA, Giga K, Lebus GF, Beltran MJ, Crist B, Sems SA, Gardner MJ, Sagi HC, Archdeacon MT, Mir HR, Rodriguez-Buitrago A, Mitchell P, Tornetta P. Optimal Fixation Strategies for Displaced Femoral Neck Fractures in Patients 18-59 Years of Age: An Analysis of 565 Cases Treated at 26 Level 1 Trauma Centers. J Orthop Trauma. 2024 Aug 01; 38(8):403-409. PMID: 39007655.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/16/2024
Samineni A, Tornetta P. Diversity on the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons National Meeting Podium: Changes Over Two Decades. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2024 Sep 01; 32(17):793-799. PMID: 39018664.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/2/2024
Carlini AR, Agel J, Bosse MJ, Frey KP, Staguhn ED, Vallier HA, Obremskey W, Swiontkowski MF, Cannada LK, Tornetta P, MacKenzie EJ, O'Toole RV, Reider L, Allen LE, Collins SC, Castillo RC. Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID) for the Short Musculoskeletal Function Assessment (SMFA) in Severe Lower Extremity Trauma: Pooled Data from 7 Multicenter, Prospective Clinical Trials. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024 Oct 02; 106(19):1767-1775. PMID: 38954643.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/1/2024
Tornetta P. Presidential Address-It's Not About Me. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2024 Jun 01; 32(11):481-484. PMID: 38758162.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/1/2024
Flagstad I, Albright P, Pedri T, Kleinsmith RM, Schmidt A, Alley M, Westberg JR, Fidel Moreno A, Henry G, Tatman LM, Obremskey WT, Tornetta P, Cunningham BP. Early Versus Delayed Definitive Fixation Relative to Fasciotomy Closure in High-Energy Tibial Plateau Fractures With Compartment Syndrome. J Orthop Trauma. 2024 Jun 01; 38(6):195-200. PMID: 38466820.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/1/2024
Yendluri A, Megafu MN, Wang A, Cordero JK, Podolnick JD, Forsh DA, Tornetta P, Parisien RL. The Fragility of Statistical Findings in the Femoral Neck Fracture Literature: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. J Orthop Trauma. 2024 Jun 01; 38(6):e230-e237. PMID: 38442195.
Read at: PubMed
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