Michael Khazzam, M.D.

Michael Khazzam, M.D.

  • Robert W. Bucholz, M.D. Professorship in Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Shoulder Conditions
  • Complex Shoulder Repair

Biography

Michael Khazzam, M.D., is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He specializes in reparative and complex shoulder reconstruction surgery.

Dr. Khazzam earned his medical degree at St. George’s University School of Medicine and spent his first year of residency as an intern in the Albert Einstein Medical Center’s Department of Surgery. He then completed two research fellowships, first at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, then in the Medical College of Wisconsin’s Motion Analysis Lab, before completing a residency in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. He then completed a third fellowship in sports medicine and shoulder surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Dr. Khazzam joined UT Southwestern in 2011 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and as a member of the UTSW Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service team. He quickly established himself as a noted doctor for shoulder injuries and disorders.

Dr. Khazzam is very active in clinical and basic science research, with a primary interest in outcomes-based research and evidence-based medicine. He has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and textbook chapters. Topics of his current and ongoing research include clinical outcomes following shoulder surgery, shoulder replacement, rehabilitation strategies after rotator cuff repair, revisional rotator cuff repair, treatment of chronic shoulder instability, and biceps tendinopathy. He also serves as a consultant reviewer for several orthopaedic journals, including Journal of Shoulder & Elbow SurgeryArthroscopy Journal, and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Board certified in orthopaedic surgery, Dr. Khazzam is a member of multiple professional organizations, including the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine; the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery & Orthopaedic Sports Medicine; the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery; and the Arthroscopy Association of North America.

Meet Dr. Khazzam

Shoulder Injury Specialist

Board-certified orthopaedic surgeon Michael Khazzam, M.D., specializes in evaluating and treating atraumatic and traumatic shoulder injuries. These include all forms of shoulder pain and injury, from shoulder arthritis and degenerative problems to rotator cuff tears, shoulder dislocations and instability, and complex shoulder disorders. He also routinely takes care of common sports-related problems such as golf shoulder injury, tennis shoulder injury, and bench press shoulder injury.

"Shoulder injuries run the gamut. Our team works in concert to relieve what for some may have been agony going on for years and for others might be an injury that just happened at that day’s game.”

As a member of UT Southwestern’s Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service team, Dr. Khazzam uses his advanced orthopaedics training to provide highly individualized care for patients of all ages and activity levels, from amateur athletes to seasoned pros and beyond. 

His expertise includes the latest surgical and nonsurgical advancements to alleviate pain and restore function, offering innovative arthroscopic surgery as well as open surgical management procedures, depending on the demands of the disorder. He is uniquely adept at performing revision shoulder surgery, total shoulder replacements, and reverse total shoulder replacements – which are complex surgeries needed for only the severest injuries.

Dr. Khazzam received his training in orthopaedic surgery at the University of Missouri-Columbia before completing a fellowship in sports medicine and shoulder surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville.

Prior to these medical pursuits, though, he received his first academic degree at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, and for a time he was a professional studio musician. He says his transition from musician to physician was not as much of a departure as it might at first seem.

“For me, the disciplines of music and medicine are not so dissimilar,” he says. “They share in requiring responsibility, accountability, dedication, and, for sure, a certain passion.”

Dr. Khazzam carries over his passion into clinical research as well, where he operates a robust program aimed at enhancing treatments for orthopaedic injuries and conditions.

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Education & Training
  • Fellowship - Vanderbilt University Medical Center (2009-2010), Sports Medicine
  • Residency - University of Missouri School of Medicine (2005-2009), Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Fellowship - Medical College of Wisconsin (2004-2005), Research
  • Fellowship - Hospital for Special Surgery (2003-2004), Research
  • Internship - Albert Einstein Medical Center Internal Medicine Residency (2002-2003), Surgery
  • Medical School - St. George's University School of Medicine, Grenada (1998-2002)
Professional Associations & Affiliations
  • Arthroscopy Association of North America (2019), Distinguished Arthroscopy Leader
  • American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (2009)
  • American Medical Association
  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery (2015), Fellow Member
  • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (2015), Neer Circle
  • American Orthopaedic Association (2019)
  • International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (2010)
Honors & Awards
  • D Magazine Best Doctor 2022
  • Lewis Clark Wagner Award for Outstanding Resident Paper Hospital for Special Surgery 2005
Books & Publications

Clinical Focus

  • Shoulder Conditions
  • Complex Shoulder Repair
  • Sports Medicine for the Shoulder

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Q&A by Dr. Khazzam