Jit Balakumar, Paediatric & Adult Orthopaedic Surgeon

Jit Balakumar is a highly trained orthopaedic surgeon with extensive expertise in lower limb surgery, namely, joint preservation surgeries of the hip (hip arthroscopy, osteotomies and impingement surgery), sports injury surgeries of the knee and scoliosis surgery in children.

In 2008 he was recognized for his talents and was accepted into the very competitive and highly sought after paediatric surgery fellowship at Harvard’s Children’s Hospital Boston. This is an American-accredited fellowship program which rarely grants acceptance to foreign-trained surgeons. There, Dr Balakumar completed a full-year of hands-on surgical training with some of the brightest minds and hands in orthopaedics. He honed his skills with emerging techniques in joint preservation surgeries across the paediatric, adolescent and adult populations.

His unique understanding of orthopaedics across all age groups makes Dr Balakumar quite versatile in treating conditions to afford the optimal outcome. He has a number of publications in peer review orthopaedic literature and continues to present at international orthopaedic meetings. Dr Balakumar also teaches orthopaedic surgeons, trainees and medical students.

Qualifications

• 2006 - Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons,  FRACS (Orth) 
• ECFMG (American College of Medicine and Physicians)
• 1998 - MBBS (Monash)

Fellowships

• 2008-9 - Paediatric Surgery Fellowship,
  Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard University
• 2009 - Observership at Stedman Hawkins
  Sports Medicine Clinic- Vail/Colarado/USA
• 2008 - Sports Knee Surgery Fellowship,
  Universite Cinq, Paris, France
• 2006-7 - Trauma Fellowship,
  Royal Melbourne Hospital

Memberships

• Australian Orthopaedic Association (AOA)
• Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
• American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
• Paediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA)
• Australian Paediatric Orthopaedic Society (APOS)
• Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association
• International Society for Hip Arthroscopy (ISHA)
• Alumni of the Harvard Children’s Hospital Boston

Articles

1. Altuntas AO, Balakumar J, Howells RJ, Graham HK. Posterior divergent dislocation of the elbow in children and adolescents: a report of three cases and review of the literature. J Pediatr Orthop. 2005;25(3):317-21.
2. Ziebarth K, Balakumar J, Domayer S, Kim YJ, Millis MB. Bernese Periacetabular Osteotomy in Males: Is There an Increased Risk of Femoroacetabular Impingement (FAI) After Bernese Periacetabular Osteotomy?   Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2010 Sep 17. [Epub ahead of print]
3. Dawes B, Jaremko J, Balakumar. Radiographic assessment of bone remodelling in slipped upper femoral epiphyses using Klein’s line and the alpha angle of femoral-acetabular impingement: a retrospective review. – Accepted to Journal of Paediatric Orthopaedics

Podium Presentations

1. A Radiographic Assessment Of Bone Remodelling In Sufe - Jit Balakumar – AOA – Adelaide, October 2010
2. Results following Bernese Periacetabular Osteotomy In The Male Population  -Jit Balakumar – AOA, Adelaide 2010.
3. Surgical Hip Dislocation for Slipped Upper Femoral Epiphysis - Slongo T, Kakaty D, Krause F  ,Ziebarth K Jit Balakumar
4. Universitätsklinik Inselspitalm Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Berne, Berne, Switzerland, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard -2010 – APOS, Melbourne Results Following Bernese Periacetabular Osteotomy in the Male Population. Submitted into Clinical Orthopaedic Related Research - Jitendra Balakumar MBBS, FRACS(Orth),Kai Ziebarth, MD,Catherine Matero, B.A., Stephan Domayer , MD, Young Jo-Kim, MD, PhD, Michael Millis, MD, 2010 APOS
5. Hemivetebrae Excision – a  technique that can be used for Congenital Hemivetebra Excision – 2010 – Spine Society of Australia Meeting, Melbourne
6. Quels sont les facteurs qui influencent la flexion postopératoire d'une PTG ? Balakumar,  Bercovy, M Beldame, Raleigh, E SOFCOT (Poster Presentation) Paris, 2008
7. Sporting Activities after Total Knee Arthroplasty, Berocvy, M. Raleigh, E. Balakumar, J. AAOS Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, Feb 2009
8. Is High Flexion Important in Post Operative Total Knee Athroplasty? Jitendra Balakumar, FRACS(Orth), MBBS, AUSTRALIA – ISAKOS( International Knee Sosciety Meeting 2009, Kyoto, Japan
9. Pelvic Fracture Outcome Study, Balakumar, M.Esser 2005 – Australian Academy of Orthopaedic  Surgeons

Teaching & Academic Responsibilities

• Involved in registrar teaching both academically and surgically at the Royal Children’s Hospital and Bone School Programme.
• Also teaches undergraduate medical students at Melbourne University.
• Is an active member of the Monash University Interview Panel for Medicine Selection.

Courses and Meetings

• Australian Orthopaedic Association Meeting, Adelaide 2010
• Australian Pediatric Orthopaedic Association Meeting 2010
• Master Course in Spine Surgery 2010
• Paediatric Orthopaedic Meeting & Course for North American, Hawai 2010
• Asia Pacific Orthopaedic Association Meeting & Course(Paed) 2010
• Australian Paediatric Orthopaedic Association Meeting 2009
• Australian Spine Society Meeting 2009, Melbourne
• Paediatric Orthopaedic Meeting for North America 2009, Boston
• American Academy Advanced Course and Symposium on Pelvic Osteotomies 2009
• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons 2009, Las Vegas
• Corial Hip Course, Annecy France 2008
• Copeland Shoulder Meeting, Marbella, SPAIN 2008
• AO – Advances in Fracture Management – Melbourne 2007
• Trauma Masters Course – Noosa 2007
• Hand Society Principles Course, QLD, AUSTRALIA 2006
• Concepts in Sports Injury, Arthoplasty, Trauma. Fiji 2006
• Radiation Safety course – Austin Hospital 2006
• Paediatric Society Meeting, Instructional Lectures, 2005
• Aust Registrars Biomechanics Course, Prince of Wales hosp.
• AO – ASIF – Principles of Operative Fracture Treatment, Brisbane 2002
• Basic Surgical Training Program 2000-02, Melbourne
• AORA 2003-2005
• EMST - Early Management of Severe Trauma, Melbourne 2001
• CCrISP – Care of the Critically Ill Surgical Patient, RACS, Melbourne, 2001
• Basic Surgical Skills Course, RACS, 1999