| William G. Ward, Sr., M.D.
Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery
Director, Adult Reconstruction and Orthopaedic Oncology
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Wake Forest University Health Sciences |
Address: | Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Medical Center Boulevard
Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157-1070 | |
Patients - To Schedule an Appointment: (336) 716-8093
Academic Office: (336) 716-3952
Facsimile: (336) 716-6286
Medical School
Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina
Orthopaedic Residency
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
Oncology Fellowship
University of California, Los Angeles, California
Sports Medicine Fellowship
Cleveland Orthopaedic Clinic, Cleveland, Ohio
Specialty Certification
Diplomate – American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Areas of Expertise and Consultancy Disclosure
Oncology, Adult Reconstruction Surgery, Surface Replacement Hip Surgery (Birmingham Hip Resurfacing), Minimally Invasive Hip Replacement Surgery, Knee Replacement with Computerized Navigation, Unicompartmental Knee Replacement (Oxford Knee).
Dr. Ward is a past president of the North American Musculoskeletal Tumor Society. He has performed and published research work on a wide variety of topics, especially in the field of endoprosthetic design and performance including the design of hinge knee replacements. As a cutting-edge researcher and clinical scientist, he has embraced a number of new technologies over the years. He was one of the first seven North Carolina surgeons to be trained on, and begin utilizing, the Zimmer-Two incision minimally invasive hip replacement. He subsequently mastered the single incision posterior hip minimally invasive hip replacement which he prefers over the 2-incision technique. He was one of the first two North Carolina surgeons to be trained and begin performing the FDA’s first approved surface replacement, the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing Replacement. He is one of a handful of North Carolina orthopaedic surgeons to routinely utilize computerized navigation on knee replacements to produce a more reproducible and more reliably aligned total knee replacement. Due to his experience, expertise, research, and knowledge, he has been asked to serve as a consultant to industry as they design new and improved bone and joint prostheses and procedures.
Dr. Ward is a paid consultant for Smith and Nephew Corporation. He was selected by Smith and Nephew to serve on their design team, designing a new type of knee replacement for difficult reconstructive cases such as revision knee replacements and for tumor resection of the bone. He also serves as surgical instructor for Smith and Nephew, for Birmingham Hip Resurfacing and minimally invasive hip replacements. He teaches other surgeons how to perform the Birmingham Hip Resurfacing procedures in cadaver labs and surgeons visit Dr. Ward to observe him performing Birmingham Hip Resurfacings.
Dr. Ward was selected by Wright Medical Technology Corporation to serve as a paid consultant for designing, refining and teaching the techniques of computerized navigation for knee replacements.
For his consulting work, Dr. Ward is paid a fee on an hourly basis. He receives no royalties on any products nor does he receive any remuneration for his usage of any particular products. He uses implants from multiple companies, including Smith and Nephew as well as Wright Medical. He always chooses the implants that most closely match his individual patient’s needs, in conjunction with his own beliefs, experiences and training.
Research Interests:
Dr. Ward is interested in the development of bone and tissue conserving joint replacements such as hip surface replacements and unicompartmental knee replacements. For a PowerPoint® slide show presenting a preliminary analysis of his first 50 Birmingham Hip Resurfacing patients, click here. (For Dr. Ward’s interview, click here). Dr. Ward is also instrumental in the development of new types of prosthetic devices (artificial joints) for patients who have undergone surgery because of cancer, arthritis and trauma. Customized implants must often be used in these patients to restore bony anatomy after tumors are removed. Custom implants are also needed in some trauma patients as a result of the severity of their injury. In addition, Dr. Ward is developing new types of prosthetic devices that will not loosen despite years of use. Loosening of prosthetic joints may occur several years after surgery and necessitates surgery to replace the prosthesis. Dr. Ward has designed modifications to artificial joints which allow body tissues to grow into the prosthesis to avoid or delay loosening. Dr. Ward is also involved in studies which will focus on health-related quality of life and outcomes in patients who undergo surgery to replace hip and knee joints. He is specifically interested in facilitating an active lifestyle for his patients that require joint replacement surgery.
Dr. Ward is also the principal investigator in a multi-institutional study on the effect of tissue matching (histocompatibility cross-matching) on the incorporation, healing, function and response to massive bone allografts (bone grafts derived from another individual via the bone bank). Such bone grafts are used to restore bone stock following bone resections, tumor resections and trauma. This research has determined that cross-matching is not required for the successful incorporation of massive bone allografts, if the allografts are properly prepared for transplantation.
Dr. Ward is also involved in research and in clinical practice regarding the development, utilization and verification of fine needle aspiration biopsy for establishing the diagnosis in bone and soft tissue tumors. This biopsy technique minimizes the risk of tumor bleeding and local tumor spread as well as shortens the time to diagnosis for the patient. It is cost effective and minimizes the discomfort to the patient. Through fine needle aspiration biopsy, Dr. Ward is often able to render an accurate diagnosis to the patient at the time of the first clinic visit. However, the technique requires experience in both the accurate performance of the technique and in the pathologic interpretation of the biopsy material. Through the careful selection of appropriate patients for fine needle aspiration biopsy, Dr. Ward is able to render accurate diagnoses quickly and with minimal discomfort to the patient. This allows for earlier institution of appropriate therapies in patients with malignant, life-threatening diseases and conditions.
Dr. Ward also maintains a tumor case registry of all treated patients, enabling assessment of treatment techniques, diagnostic tests, and other pertinent research analyses. The registry currently includes well over 2000 cases of bone and soft tissue tumors personally treated by Dr. Ward.
Publications:
For a listing of over 80 of Dr. Ward’s recent publications, click on PubMed, a service provided by the National Library of Medicine, to see a search of his publications.
Memberships: