Ken Yamaguchi, MD

Ken Yamaguchi, MD, the Sam and Marilyn Fox Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, is being honored as an outstanding educator and mentor who has been instrumental in guiding fellows to successful careers in academic and clinical orthopaedic surgery.

Yamaguchi, considered one of the nation’s premier shoulder and elbow surgeons, is regarded by current and former fellows as an equally skilled educator. They describe him as an approachable and humble teacher who leads by example, a perfectionist gifted at motivating others to strive for excellence, and an outstanding communicator. They credit him with providing the autonomy to master surgical skills, offering sage advice on how to conduct research, and maintaining a supportive relationship after training is complete; in the process, Yamaguchi has imparted a lasting influence on how his trainees approach every aspect of their work.

Yamaguchi directed the Shoulder and Elbow/Upper Extremity Fellowship Program from 1999 to 2004. His clinical interests include degenerative, traumatic, and orthopedic sports disorders of the shoulder and elbow, arthroscopic surgery, shoulder replacement, rotator cuff disorders, arthritis of the shoulder and elbow, and repetitive motion disorders.

He currently serves on several committees of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and has held several leadership positions in that organization. He has published well over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts, articles and book chapters and is a frequent guest lecturer nationally and internationally.

Yamaguchi received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1983 and 1985, respectively, and his medical degree from George Washington University in 1989. He completed a surgical internship and orthopaedic surgery residency and chief residency at George Washington University, and then a fellowship at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. He joined the Washington University faculty in 1995.