AO Trauma North America Board

After obtaining a bachelor's degree from Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas, Dr. Crist earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine. He completed his residency at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, Wichita, and a fellowship in orthopaedic trauma at the University of California-Davis. Dr. Crist is the Director of the Orthopaedic Trauma Fellowship, and the Vice Chairman for Business Development. He specializes in orthopaedic trauma/fracture care, limb deformity/nonunion/malunion, hip and pelvis reconstruction including total hip arthroplasty, and young adult hip disorders/hip preservation. Dr. Crist is a Tenured Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Missouri School of Medicine and is the Stannard Family Endowed Professor. He has research interests in fracture care, nonunions, deformity, infections, anterior total hip arthroplasty, patient-centered outcomes and hip preservation procedures. From the beginning of his career, he’s been involved with AO and continues to enjoy teaching at AO events, participating in committee and leadership roles, and being a part of the AO Family.

Leah Gitajn, MD, completed her General Surgery internship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and completed Orthopaedic Residency at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program. She then completed Trauma Fellowship at R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. In 2017 she joined Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center where she currently serves as an Associate Professor at Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine.