Evalina L. Burger-Van der Walt, MD, FAAOS, Named Member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Board of Directors
LAS VEGAS (March 9, 2023)—Orthopaedic spine surgeon Evalina L. Burger-Van der Walt, MD, FAAOS, was named a member-at-large of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) Board of Directors. She will assume this position following the AAOS 2023 Annual Meeting in Las Vegas this week.
Evalina L. Burger, MD, FAAOS
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Dr. Burger-Van der Walt is professor and chair of the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. In addition to her AAOS directorship position, she previously chaired the AAOS Bylaws Committee and was honored by the AAOS in 2022 as the “Active Fellow of the Month.”
With her extensive involvement in orthopaedics and spine surgery throughout the world, she brings a global perspective to AAOS’ Board of Directors. Among her activities international in scope, she was a member of The Royal Society of Medicine, chair of the Spine Section for the International Conference on Orthopaedics and Trauma and member of the International Orthopaedic Diversity Alliance. She also previously served as a member of the Scoliosis Research Society’s Board of Directors and Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation’s Board of Directors. She serves on many editorial boards including the South African Orthopaedic Journal. She was the first South African female orthopedic surgeon to receive the American-British-Canadian Traveling Fellowship from the American Orthopaedic Association.
Best known for her scientific work on thermoplastic behavior of metal rods, she was also part of the research group that received the Scoliosis Research Society’s Thomas Whitecloud award for demonstrating the advantages of disc replacement.
After beginning her career in South Africa, Dr. Burger-Van der Walt came to the United States in 2001 to practice at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, where she established the adult spine unit. In 2006, she was recruited to University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She served as vice chair and assumed the position of chair of the department in 2018. She is the first surgeon to serve as the Robert D’Ambrosia endowed chair of orthopedic surgery at CU Orthopedics. She earned her B. Med. Sc. and M.B.Ch.B Degrees from the University of Orange Free State and her M. Med (Ortho) graduate degree from the University of Pretoria. She completed residencies in South Africa and was an officer in the country’s medical core.
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About the AAOS
With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. The AAOS is the trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal health. It provides the highest quality, most comprehensive education to help orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals at every career level to best treat patients in their daily practices. The AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments, and related musculoskeletal health care issues; and it leads the health care discussion on advancing quality.
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For more information, contact:
| Deanna Killackey | 847-384-4035 | 630-815-5195 | killackey@aaos.org |
| Lauren P. Riley | 847-384-4031 | 708-227-1773 | pearson@aaos.org |