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Daniel J. Sucato, MD, MS, Becomes 40th President & New Board Members Take Office

POSNA Welcomes Daniel J. Sucato, MD, MS, as its 40th President in addition to new board members.

Daniel J. Sucato, MD, MS, is the Chief of Staff at Scottish Rite for Children and Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX.

He was born and raised in Buffalo, NY, where he graduated magna cum laude from Canisius College. He continued his education at the State University of New York School of Medicine at Buffalo, receiving his medical degree and later a Master’s in Biophysics. Remaining in Buffalo at the School of Medicine, he completed his general surgery internship, orthopaedic residency, and basic science research fellowship. During residency, he was strongly influenced by Bob Gillespie, MBChB, who inspired him to continue on into pediatric orthopaedics. He completed the Dorothy and Bryant Edwards Fellowship in Pediatric Orthopaedics and Scoliosis at Scottish Rite for Children under Tony Herring, MD, and subsequently the Hip-Preservation Fellowship at the University of Bern, Switzerland, under Professor Reinhold Ganz. He stayed on at Scottish Rite following his fellowship taking on his “dream job” as one of the staff orthopaedic surgeons in 1998. In 2003, he was selected as one of three International Traveling Fellows for the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), traveling throughout Europe for 3 weeks.

Dr. Sucato’s clinical practice focuses primarily on spinal deformity and hip conditions with an emphasis on complex cases and reconstructions. He has presented and written extensively on a number of these techniques in the form of invited lectures, review papers, and video supplements. He holds multiple patents for spinal implant devices.

He is involved in education at all levels of training including medical school and residency and has served as the fellowship director at Scottish Rite for 10 years. He consistently participates as faculty at IPOS® and in webinars and ICLs associated with POSNA, SRS, and AAOS.

His research focuses on clinical studies primarily but also those involving improved operative techniques. Dr. Sucato has published over 220 scientific peer-reviewed articles, and 50 book chapters, given over 300 presentations at national/international meetings and 45 visiting professorships. He has been awarded the Angelo S.M. Kuo Memorial Award, the Best Clinical Paper Award through POSNA, and both the Russell A. Hibbs and Louis A. Goldstein Award at the SRS meetings. He is a member of several research study groups, including ANCHOR (Academic Network of Conservational Hip Outcomes Research) and the Fox and Harms Study Groups. He chaired the Pediatric Section of the Spine Deformity Study Group (SDSG) during its last 3 years.

Within POSNA, Dr. Sucato has served on numerous committees, including chairing the Industry Relations, Program, and QSVI Education Committees and has been both a junior and senior member-at-large on the Board of Directors prior to joining the Presidential Line. At the SRS, he has chaired the Program and Website Committees and the Education Council for 3 years and has been an at-large member on the Board. He has also served on the Advisory Board of the United States Golf Association Resource Center for Individuals with Disabilities.

Personally, Dr. Sucato loves spending time with his wife, Lisa, and their three children: Emma, 20, Daniel, 18, and Matthew, 17. He enjoys any and all activities with the family, especially accompanying Emma on the piano when preparing for auditions and coaching the boys in their younger days on the soccer field and basketball court. His hobbies include golf, running, skiing, reading, piano playing, and anything Buffalo.

POSNA Welcomes New Board Members: