George Russell
President of the J. Robert Gladden Society
Dr. George V. Russell is a professor of orthopaedic surgery and a nationally recognized leader in orthopaedic trauma. He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Denison University (1988), his Doctor of Medicine from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (1992), and his Master of Business Administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University (2012).
Dr. Russell spent much of his career at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, where he developed a reputation for his clinical and scholarly contributions to the field of orthopaedic trauma, particularly in the management of obesity-related musculoskeletal injuries. He is the originator of the Clamshell Osteotomy, a surgical technique widely adopted for the correction of multiplanar diaphyseal malunions. During his tenure at UMMC, Dr. Russell was repeatedly recognized for excellence in teaching, having been voted Professor of the Year three times. Dr. Russell served as Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery from 2013 to 2021. He was named the inaugural James L. Hughes, MD Endowed Chair in Orthopaedic Surgery in 2014 and served as CEO of University Physicians beginning in 2021.
In 2023, Dr. Russell was recruited to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, where he currently serves as Chief of Orthopaedic Trauma, Executive Vice Chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and Associate Chief of the Orthopaedic Service Line. His clinical practice focuses on pelvic and acetabular fractures, with a growing interest in fragility fractures in the geriatric population.
Dr. Russell currently serves as President of the J. Robert Gladden Society and is the 2nd President-Elect for the Orthopaedic Trauma Association.
Outside of his professional commitments, Dr. Russell enjoys an active lifestyle, having completed Ironman triathlons in New Zealand and South Africa. He currently enjoys hiking, CrossFit, and golf. He is married to Stephanie Russell, an accomplished CrossFit athlete and an Ironman finisher. They have three daughters—Kristen, Jessica, and Ivy—and one granddaughter, Scottie.
