Robert Morris Szabo, M.D., M.P.H.
Specialties
Orthopaedic Surgery - Hand
Orthopaedic Surgery - Shoulder
Orthopaedic Surgery - Elbow
Orthopaedic Surgery - Wrist
Orthopaedic Surgery - Microvascular
Orthopaedic Surgery - Peripheral Nerve
Orthopaedic Surgery
Department
Title
- Chief of Hand and Upper Extremity Service, 1983-2019
- Professor of Orthopedic Surgery
- Professor of Plastic Surgery
- Fellowship Director, Hand and Upper Extremity
Reviews
Lawrence J. Ellison Ambulatory Care Center
4860 Y St., 3800 & 1700 (Clinic)
Sacramento, CA 95817
Driving Directions
Primary Phone:
916-734-2700
Additional Phone Numbers
Physician Referrals: 800-4-UCDAVIS (800-482-3284)
Philosophy of Care
My practice philosophy is to treat all patients as I would want members of my family treated. I am committed to excellence in upper extremity care, focusing on diagnosing, educating and treating all patients with compassion and empathy.
Clinical Interests
Robert M. Szabo is one of the country's leading hand surgeons. His clinical interests include hand and upper-extremity problems such as brachial plexus and peripheral nerve surgery; shoulder, elbow and wrist joint replacements; wrist reconstruction, including arthroscopy; congenital deformities, including llizarov reconstructions; tumors; and microvascular reconstructive free-tissue transfers.
Dr. Szabo is an editorial board member of The Journal of Wrist, an editorial board member of the Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma, and an editorial board member of the Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances, in addition to being a reviewer for several other orthopaedic journals.
Research/Academic Interests
Dr. Szabo's research interests include nerve compression lesions, nerve repair and regeneration biology, wrist biomechanics and imaging, and the epidemiology of orthopaedic conditions.
Division
Plastic Surgery
Hand and Upper Extremity
Center/Program Affiliation
UC Davis Comprehensive Cancer Center
UC Davis Children's Hospital
Education
M.D., State University of New York School of Medicine, Buffalo NY 1977
M.P.H., Public Health/Epidemiology, UC Berkeley School of Public Health, Berkeley CA 1995
B.A., New York University, Bronx NY 1973
Residency
General Surgery & Orthopaedic Surgery, Mount Sinai Medical Center, New York City NY 1977-1982
Fellowships
Ilizarov Surgery Fellowship Program, Lecco, Italy 1991
Hand and Microvascular Surgery, UC San Diego, San Diego CA 1982-1983
Board Certifications
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2017
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hand Surgery, 2017
Professional Memberships
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
American Hand Therapist Foundation, Board Member
American Orthopaedic Association
American Society for Surgery of the Hand
Association of Bone and Joint Surgeons
Orthopaedic Research Society
Western Orthopaedic Association
Honors and Awards
Past President, American Society for Surgery of the Hand,
Outstanding Faculty of the Year Award, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of California, Davis, 2015
Recognized as a Top Doctor For Cancer �Hand�, Newsweek Magazine, 2015
Honored Professor at "Five Decades of Evolution in Tendon and Nerve Surgery: Mad Men at Work", 16th Annual Philadelphia Hand Surgery Symposium, Philadelphia, PA, 2014
Fellow Research Award for Outstanding Performance in Research for �Real-Time 2D and 3D MR Imaging During Active Wrist Motion,� from the UC Davis Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2013
Resident/Co-Author Award for paper presentation on �Biomechanical Properties of Volar Hybrid and Locked Plate Fixation in Distal Radius Fractures� at the Calfornia Orthopaedic Association�s 2011 Annual Meeting and QME Course, Dana Point, CA, 2011
The New England Hand Society Honorary Member Award, 2011
U.S. News and World Report Top Doctors, 2011-2018,
Sacramento Super Doctors, Top Doctors, 2011
Sacramento Magazine Best Doctors, 2011-2018,
Alpha Omega Alpha,
Bunnel Traveling Fellow,
Japanese Traveling Fellow,
Nicholas Andry Award,
Select Recent Publications
Boutin RD, Netto AP, Nakamura D, Bateni C, Szabo RM, Cronan M, Foster B, Barfield WR, Seibert JA, Chaudhari AJ. "Knuckle Cracking": Can Blinded Observers Detect Changes with Physical Examination and Sonography? Clin Orthop Relat Res.2017 Jan 3.
Netto, A, Szabo RM,: “Radial Shortening and Ulnar Lengthening Operations for Kienbock's Disease.”.Kienbock's Disease: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment. 2016.
Szabo RM: “Sauve-Kapandji Procedure for Distal Radioulnar Joint Arthritis.” Ch. 89, Operative Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery, Volume 3: Hand, Shoulder, and Elbow, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW). 2016.
Lalonde, D, Szabo, RM, Baratz, M “Chapter 39: Tendon Transfers” “Lalonde: Wide Awake Hand Surgery”. CRC Press. 2016; pgs 227-232.
Immerman I, Szabo RM. “Chapter 7: Steroid Injections.” Tennis Elbow: Clinical Management. Wolf JM (Editor), Springer, New York, NY. 2015.
Kim SH, Wise BL, Zhang Y, Szabo RM. Increasing incidence of shoulder arthroplasty in the United States. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2011 Dec 21;93(24):2249-54.
Fajardo MR, Kim SH, Szabo RM. “The Incidence of Carpal Tunnel Release: Trends and Implications Within the United States Ambulatory Care Setting.” Journal of Hand Surgery. 2012;37(8): 1599-1605.
Szabo RM. “Tendon Transfers for Radial Nerve Palsy.” Tendon Transfer Surgery of the Upper Extremity: A Master Skills Publication, Van Heest A, Goldfarb C (co-Editors), American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Chicago, IL, Chapter 4, pp. 35-46. 2012.
Zafonte B, Rendulic D, Szabo RM. “Flexor Pulley System: Anatomy, Injury, and Management.” The Journal of Hand Surgery, 2014;39(12): 2525-2532.
Immerman I, Livermore MS, Szabo RM. “The Use of Emergency Department Services for Hand, Wrist, and Forearm Fractures in the United States in 2008.” The Journal of Surgical Orthopaedic Advances. 2014;23(2): 98-104.