A. Bobby Chhabra, MD

Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Virginia Division Head Orthopaedic Hand Division

Dr. A. Bobby Chhabra graduated from the Johns Hopkins University with undergraduate degree in Biology before completing his medical education at the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He completed his Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Virginia Health System.  He received his fellowship training in hand and upper extremity, microvascular and congenital hand surgery at the Hand Center of San Antonio and Texas Scottish Rite Hospital. He returned to the University of Virginia in 2002 during which time he helped create the University of Virginia Hand Center.  Dr. Chhabra is currently the Lillian T. Pratt Distinguished Professor and Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery and Professor of Plastic Surgery at the University of Virginia.  He is the Division Head of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery. He is also the hand and upper extremity consultant for the University of Virginia Department of Athletics. His areas of expertise include hand, wrist, and elbow trauma and arthritis with a particular interest in athletic injuries and congenital hand surgery. He has a basic science laboratory that is investigating flexor tendon healing using growth factor and stem cell technology and tissue engineering principles.

Dr. Chhabra is a nationally recognized Orthopaedic educator and has been a  course director for several Orthopaedic board review courses.  He has received the University of Virginia Master Educator Award and the University of Virginia School of Medicine Award  for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Chhabra is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and a fellow of the American Orthopaedic Association. He is past President of the Virginia Orthopaedic Society.

Education: Johns Hopkins University, BA, Molecular Biology 1991
University of Virginia School of Medicine, Doctor of Medicine, 1995

Residency: General Surgery Internship
Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Orthopaedic Basic Science
Residency in Orthopaedic Surgery,
University of Virginia 1995-2001

Fellowship: Fellowship in Hand, Upper Extremity,  Microvascular & Congenital Hand Surgery, Hand Center of San Antonio, TX 2001-2002

Orthopaedic Surgery, through the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2004
Certificate of Added Qualification for Surgery of the Hand, 2005, Virginia

Chair, Department of Orthopaedics, University of Virginia
Lillian T. Pratt Distinguished Professor of Orthopaedic SurgeryDivision Head, Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery, University of VirginiaProfessor of Orthopaedic SurgeryProfessor of Plastic Surgery                                                   
Director, UVa Orthopaedic Hand Surgery Fellowship
Hand and Upper Extremity Consultant, UVa Athletics

Specialty: Orthopaedics

Subspecialty: Hand, Wrist, and Elbow Surgery, Microsurgery

Sports Related Injuries to the Hand, Wrist, and Elbow
Congenital and Pediatric Hand Surgery
Trauma and Arthritis of the Hand, Wrist, and Elbow
Microvascular Surgery

2010 – 2011 President, Virginia Orthopaedic Society
2010 Charles W. Miller Chief Resident Teaching Award, University of Virginia, Department of Orthopaedics
September 2009 Appointed to the Executive Council of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Board Member at Large
June 2009 Charles J. Frankel Endowed Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery
May 2009 President-Elect, Virginia Orthopaedic SocietyJune 2008 Induction into the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA)
2007 – 2013 “Best Doctors in America” Award
2007 Recipient of the University of Virginia Master Educator Award
2006 Recipient of the University of Virginia School of Medicine Award for Excellence in Teaching
2006 Inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Educators
2006 Charles W. Miller Chief Resident Teaching Award, University of Virginia, Department of Orthopaedics
2006 Best Lecturer Award, Colorado Orthopaedic Review Course
2006 Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation, Career Development Award
2004 Robert Pruner Resident Teaching Award, University of Virginia, Department of Orthopaedics

Dr. Chhabra’s main area of research is focused on enhancing healing of flexor tendon lacerations in the hand. He has an active laboratory investigating the effect of growth factors and tissue engineering principles and how these tools can be used to accelerate flexor tendon healing to allow for improved clinical outcomes. His work has been presented at numerous meetings including the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, and the Orthopaedic Research Society. His research is supported by the NIH/NIAMS.

Additional Websites for Dr. Chhabra: A. Bobby Chhabra, MD “Find a Doctor” Page
A. Bobby Chhabra, MD American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
A. Bobby Chhabra, MD Healthgrades Page
A. Bobby Chhabra, MD LinkedIn Page
A. Bobby Chhabra, MD Visual CV Page

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