Thomas Kuivila, MD

Thomas Kuivila, MD, is Staff Physician, Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Cleveland Clinic. He is the Vice Chair for Education of the Orthopaedic & Rheumatologic Institute and is the Residency Program Director in Orthopaedic Surgery.

Dr. Kuivila’s special interests include congenital and developmental spinal disorders to include scoliosis, kyphosis and sponylolysis and lithesis. He is also an expert in pediatric orthopaedic traumatology. His research interests include bioabsorbable fixation and minimally invasive scoliosis surgery.

He did his orthopaedic surgery residency at Cleveland Clinic, served as an A-O international orthopaedic traumatology fellow in Graz, Austria and was a pediatric orthopaedic surgery fellow at Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital in Providence, R.I. Dr. Kuivila then spent six years in the United States Air Force Medical Corps. There, he served as Orthopaedic Department Chairman at Keesler U.S.A.F. Medical Center in Biloxi, Miss., and subsequently as the Chief of Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at Wilford Hall U.S.A.F. Medical Center in San Antonio, Tex.

While in San Antonio, he was also the U.S.A.F. residency program director in orthopaedic surgery and a consultant to the Air Force Surgeon General. Dr. Kuivila brings to the department considerable experience and expertise in the management of complex acquired and congenital pediatric and adolescent orthopaedic disorders of the spine and extremities.

Education & Professional Highlights

Appointed
1995

Education & Fellowships

Fellowship - Rhode Island Hospital, Brown University School of Medicine
Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery
Providence, RI USA
1989

Residency - Cleveland Clinic
Orthopaedic Surgery
Cleveland, OH USA
1988

Fellowship - Universitat Klinik fur Unfallchirugie, Landeskrankenhaus
Traumatology
Graz,
1987

Internship - Cleveland Clinic
Orthopaedic Surgery
Cleveland, OH USA
1984

Medical Education - Oregon Health Sciences University School of Medicine
Portland, OR USA
1983

Undergraduate - Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR USA
1979

Professional Highlights

Director, Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program, Cleveland Clinic
Distinguished Teaching Award, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Golden Apple Teaching Award

Certifications

Orthopaedic Surgery

Specialty Interests

Pediatric, Adolescent and Young Adult Spinal Surgery; Pediatric Orthopaedic Trauma and Post-Traumatic Deformity

Awards & Honors

Best Doctors in America, Pediatric Orthopaedic Surgery, 2003-2011

Memberships

American Orthopaedic Association
Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America
Fellow, American College of Surgeons
Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons

Research & Publications

See publications for Thomas Kuivila, MD.

(Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)

Industry Relationships

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As of 6/29/2022, Dr. Kuivila has reported no financial relationship with industry that is applicable to this listing. In general, patients should feel free to contact their doctor about any of the relationships and how the relationships are overseen by Cleveland Clinic. To learn more about Cleveland Clinic's policies on collaborations with industry and innovation management, go to our Integrity in Innovation page.

Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.

* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.

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