David Ruch, MD, Virginia Flowers Baker Distinguished Professor and Division Chief, leads a multistage graft technique that restores function and avoids amputation.
Photo courtesy of Duke Health.
After a devastating ATV accident caused severe humeral bone loss, amputation seemed inevitable. Instead, Dr. David Ruch, Virginia Flowers Baker Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and chief of the Hand, Wrist, and Upper Extremity Division, led a complex, multistage reconstruction that saved the limb and restored function.
Using cutting-edge orthopaedic techniques—including induced membrane strategy, antibiotic cement spacers, and autologous bone grafting—Ruch and his team rebuilt the patient’s arm, achieving meaningful elbow motion and full hand use two years post-surgery.
This case highlights Duke’s expertise in limb salvage surgery, upper extremity reconstruction, and advanced orthopaedic care for traumatic injuries.