NEW YORK, January 26, 2026 -(BUSINESS WIRE)- Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) has named Austin T. Fragomen, MD, as Chief of the Limb Lengthening and Complex Reconstruction Service. Dr. Fragomen, who has devoted his entire medical career to HSS, began practicing in 2005 after completing a one-year fellowship in Limb Lengthening and Complex Reconstruction at HSS.
Dr. Fragomen succeeds S. Robert Rozbruch, MD, who founded the service in 2005 and has led it with distinction over the past 20 years. Dr. Rozbruch will continue practicing at HSS, focusing on his clinical work and research.
In his new role, Dr. Fragomen will oversee one of the foremost centers dedicated to limb lengthening and reconstruction worldwide—a highly specialized service providing treatment for a broad spectrum of conditions affecting the limbs. Patients from across the United States and around the world have come to HSS for the special expertise that the team offers.
“We are immensely grateful and thank Dr. Rozbruch for his many years of leadership as a clinician, researcher, and educator,” said Douglas E. Padgett, MD, HSS Surgeon-in-Chief and Medical Director. “Over the years, Dr. Fragomen has demonstrated his deep commitment to advancing the field of limb lengthening and complex reconstruction. He has played a key role at HSS and in the broader orthopedic community, often finding solutions for patients with the most complex conditions.”
Dr. Fragomen and colleagues provide expert care for patients with leg length discrepancies or deformities; limb malalignment and pain caused by bowlegs or knock knees; foot and ankle deformities; and complications related to bone healing, alignment or infection after trauma. Specialized practitioners also perform upper extremity lengthening and deformity correction; bone reconstruction or transport after tumor excision; limb salvage procedures; and osseointegration limb replacement for patients with an amputation.
“In addition to the skill and expertise of our highly specialized surgeons, our close collaboration with other services at HSS ensures coordinated and comprehensive care for patients with these complex medical problems,” Dr. Fragomen explains.
As Director of the Limb Lengthening and Complex Reconstruction Fellowship Program at HSS and a professor of clinical orthopedic surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College, Dr. Fragomen has a longstanding commitment to education and training. Over the years, he has served as a valued mentor to countless medical school students, orthopedic surgery residents and fellows.
He has also welcomed surgeons from across the United States and around the world who come to HSS for monthlong observerships to learn advanced techniques and approaches to complex orthopedic challenges.
Dr. Fragomen is also deeply engaged in research and has published nearly 200 scientific papers and book chapters. He has presented his work at medical meetings across the United States and abroad and has lectured extensively on topics related to residency training programs. He is an active member of numerous professional organizations, including the Limb Lengthening and Reconstruction Society-ASAMI North America, serving as the group’s president from 2019 to 2021.
In his new role, Dr. Fragomen includes among his goals maintaining and enhancing HSS’s reputation as a world leader in patient care, research and education in limb deformity, limb lengthening, limb reconstruction and replacement. “We will continue to train the next generation of highly specialized orthopedic surgeons so they can bring safe and effective treatments to populations around the globe,” Dr. Fragomen said. “At the same time, we remain committed to ensuring that patients here at home have access to the services and expertise they need.”
About HSS
HSS is the world’s leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. At its core is Hospital for Special Surgery, nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics (for the 16th consecutive year), No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2025-2026), and the best pediatric orthopedic hospital in NY, NJ and CT by U.S. News & World Report “Best Children’s Hospitals” list (2025-2026). In a survey of medical professionals in more than 20 countries by Newsweek, HSS is ranked world #1 in orthopedics for a fifth consecutive year (2025). Founded in 1863, the Hospital has the lowest readmission rates in the nation for orthopedics, and among the lowest infection and complication rates. HSS was the first in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center five consecutive times. An affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College, HSS has a main campus in New York City and facilities in New Jersey, Connecticut and in the Long Island and Westchester County regions of New York State, as well as in Florida. In addition to patient care, HSS leads the field in research, innovation and education. The HSS Research Institute comprises 20 laboratories and 300 staff members focused on leading the advancement of musculoskeletal health through prevention of degeneration, tissue repair and tissue regeneration. In addition, more than 200 HSS clinical investigators are working to improve patient outcomes through better ways to prevent, diagnose, and treat orthopedic, rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. The HSS Innovation Institute works to realize the potential of new drugs, therapeutics and devices. The HSS Education Institute is a trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal knowledge and research for physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, academic trainees, and consumers in more than 165 countries. The institution is collaborating with medical centers and other organizations to advance the quality and value of musculoskeletal care and to make world-class HSS care more widely accessible nationally and internationally. www.hss.edu.
Contacts
Tracy Hickenbottom/Rachael Rennich
212-606-1197
mediarelations@hss.edu
