PHOTO COURTESY CAMPBELL CLINIC
Dr. Frederick Azar, Campbell Clinic
Editor's Note: Every year, this magazine presents its list of the Top Doctors in Memphis. The physicians are selected by Castle Connolly, a healthcare research company and the official source for Top Doctors for the past 25 years. Castle Connolly’s established nomination survey, research, screening and selection process, under the direction of an MD, involves thousands of physicians as well as academic medical centers, specialty hospitals, and regional and community hospitals all across the nation. The complete list of more than 250 Top Doctors in Memphis, arranged by 45 specialties, is published in the June/July issue of Memphis magazine.
A specialist in orthopaedics and the chief of staff for one of the world’s leading research centers in that field, Dr. Frederick Azar envisions a time when patients won’t need the high-tech metal and plastic implants currently used to replace damaged joints. Instead, he looks forward to the growing use of orthobiotics.
“We’re talking about stem cells and gene therapy and a much more developed treatment that’s not available today,” he says. “These approaches, which are more biological than artificial, may not happen in our lifetimes, but I think someday they will even lead to the natural restoration of damaged cartilage and the treatment of arthritis. We already have patients who come to us looking for alternatives to surgery, but we’re not quite there yet.”
Growing up in Greenville, Mississippi, Azar says his parents instilled in him the desire “to use your God-given talents and interests and help your fellow man and make some contribution to society.” He already loved science and biology, so the field of medicine was a natural fit. He earned a bachelor’s degree in pre-professional studies at Notre Dame, then studied medicine at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. After a residency in orthopaedic surgery at UT-Memphis, and a fellowship in sports medicine at the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, he joined the staff of Campbell Clinic in 1995.
In those days, patient recovery after joint surgery often involved long stays in the hospital. One of the most impressive advances he’s witnessed is less invasive arthroscopic surgery — working through small incisions instead of opening up the whole joint — which allows for shorter recovery time. “Today, a lot of our procedures can be done on an outpatient basis, or even same-day surgery,” he says. “It’s not uncommon for a patient to have knee-replacement surgery and go home the following day.”
That’s especially remarkable considering how complicated some joints in the human body can be. “A shoulder is especially complex,” he explains, “since it’s actually a compact structure that’s composed of three separate joints, with multiple tendons, ligaments, and muscles, but yet still allows more range of motion than any other joint in the body.”
A damaged knee joint can be particularly troublesome. Patients with elbow or shoulder injuries can still walk around, but a bad knee can be immobilizing. What’s more, he says, “A knee injury, which can be caused by someone simply stepping off the curb, can be a life-threatening injury, because of the vascular structures there.” That’s why Azar is so impressed with advances he’s seen in implants, surgical procedures, and improvements in pain management.
As the team physician for the Memphis Grizzlies and University of Memphis Tigers, Azar has seen a lifetime of knee, shoulder, and elbow injuries. He also treats players for the 901FC and the Memphis Hustle teams.
“I really enjoy everything about my job,” he says. “It’s extremely gratifying and fulfilling to help someone get their function back. I feel very blessed to be doing what I do each and every day here at the Campbell Clinic.”
