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Benjamin F. Plucknette, DO, PT, DPT, FAAOS

Benjamin F. Plucknette, DO, PT, DPT, FAAOS

Biography

Benjamin F. Plucknette is a Board Certified Hand and Orthopaedic Surgeon specializing in treating hand, wrist, and elbow conditions. Upon completing 16 years of Air Force service, Dr. Plucknette returned home to Rochester and began practicing at Greater Rochester Orthopaedics in 2024.

He is the former Chief of the Hand and Microvascular Surgery Division at the San Antonio Military Medical Center (San Antonio, TX), the Department of Defense’s only Level-1 trauma center. This center included the most extensive military orthopedic surgery residency program in the United States of America and was responsible for treating both military members and civilian trauma patients. While there, he also served as the Assistant Program Director of Medical Simulation for the Orthopaedic Surgery Residency from 2019 - 2024. His military service included a deployment to Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, as part of Operations Freedom’s Sentinel/Resolute Support, where he was the Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery at Craig Joint Theater Hospital.

Dr. Plucknette continues to hold the academic rank of Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and is active in a number of professional capacities. He serves as the Vice Chairman of the Military Relations Committee for the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and participated in their prestigious Young Leaders program in 2022. He is a reviewer for several of the premier, peer-reviewed journals in the field of hand surgery. He continues to give invited lectures multiple times yearly to international and domestic surgeon audiences.

He was born and raised in Rochester, New York, to parents who met while serving in the Air Force. He is married to a fellow Rochester native and has four children. His family was on the Jimmy Kimmel Show in 2019 after they were the subject of a viral video with over 100 million views (the kid who shaved siblings' heads).

Professional Organizations

  • Chief Resident, Orthopaedic Surgery, July 2016 – June 2017
  • San Antonio Military Medical Center
  • Core Faculty, Orthopaedic Surgery/Hand Surgery, August 2018 – June 2024
  • San Antonio Military Medical Center – San Antonio, TX
  • Associate Program Director – Medical Simulation, 2019 – 2024
  • Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
  • San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium – San Antonio, TX
  • Chief, Orthopaedic Surgery, November 2020 – May 2021
  • Craig Joint Theater Hospital – Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan
  • Chief of Hand Surgery, March 2022 – June 2024
  • San Antonio Military Medical Center – San Antonio, TX
  • Treasurer, April 2022 – Present
  • San Antonio Military Medical Center Alumni Association

Committee Positions

  • Military Relations Committee, 2020
  • Vice-Chairman, 2024
  • American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • Young Leaders, 2022
  • American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • Self-Assessment Examination Committee, 2023
  • American Society for Surgery of the Hand
  • Practice Division Committee, 2024
  • American Society for Surgery of the Hand

Current Academic Appointment

  • Assistant Professor of Surgery, 2018 – Present
  • Department of Surgery
  • F. Edward Hébert SOM – Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences

Editorial Activity

  • Reviewer, Journal of Hand Surgery, 2023
  • Reviewer, Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online, 2024

Book Chapters

  • Plucknette BF, Hussain HM, Osterman AL. Treatment of Lunotriquetral Injuries. In del Piñal F. Distal radius fractures and carpal instabilities: FESSH IFSSH 2019 instructional book: Thieme, 2019.
  • Plucknette BF, Jacoby SM. Common Infections of the Hand. In Skirven TM, Osterman AL, Fedorczyk J, Amadio PC, Felder S, Shin EK. Rehabilitation of the Hand and Upper Extremity, E-Book:
  • Elsevier Health Sciences, 2020.

Podium Presentations

  • Plucknette BF, Krueger CA, Wenke JC. Ertl Versus Traditional Transtibial Amputations: Patterns and Outcomes In The US Service Member Population, 2013
  • Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons – Vail, CO
  • Plucknette BF, Tennent DJ, Burns TC. Lateral External-Fixation Adjacent to Radial Nerve (LEARN), 2015
  • Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons – St. Petersburg, FL
  • Plucknette BF, Krueger CA, Rivera JC, et al. Combat Related Bridge Synostosis Versus Traditional Transtibial Amputation: Comparison of Military Specific Outcomes, 2015
  • George E. Omer Research and Alumni Lectureship – San Antonio, TX
  • Plucknette BF, Tennent DJ, Burns TC. Lateral External-Fixation Adjacent to Radial Nerve (LEARN), 2017
  • George E. Omer Research and Alumni Lectureship – San Antonio, TX
  • Plucknette BF, Gaspar M, Kane PM. Do Post-Operative Prophylactic Oral Antibiotics Lower the Infection Rate Following Operative Fixation of Distal Radius Fractures?, 2018
  • Lawrence H. Schneider Lectureship – Philadelphia, PA
  • Plucknette BF. Management of Elbow Trauma for the On Call Surgeon, 2021
  • San Antonio Orthopaedic Society – San Antonio, TX
  • Plucknette BF. Deployment Medicine: Challenges and Opportunities, 2021
  • Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons – Squaw Valley, CA
  • Plucknette BF. The Size and Shape of Radial Head Arthroplasty – How to Get it Right, 2022
  • 77th Annual Meeting -American Society for Surgery of the Hand – Boston, MA

Podcasts

  • Orthopaedic Trauma Association, September 28, 2021
  • Challenging Distal Elbow Trauma and the Solutions Provided in the Distal Elbow Set

Audio Reviews

  • Perspectives – Journal of Hand Surgery, September 2023
  • Perspectives – Journal of Hand Surgery, December 2023

Webinars

  • Society Of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons: Grand Rounds, May 1, 2023
  • Traumatic Elbow Instability
  • Orthobullets Coinflips, August 5, 2024
  • Monteggia Nonunion in 45M

Poster Presentations

  • Plucknette, B, Brogan, MS. The Effects of Age on Foot Sensation Using Semmes-Weinstein Monofilaments, May 2008
  • Symposium on Advanced Wound Care – San Diego, CA
  • Clippinger BB, Plucknette B, Kozin S, Zlotolow D. The One-Bone Forearm in Children, October 2018
  • Annual Meeting of the American Association for Hand Surgery – Palm Desert, CA
  • McClain W, Cognetti DJ, Hoof M, Plucknette BF. Recurrent Osteomyelitis Requiring Surgical Management Secondary to Nail Biting, December 2021
  • Annual Meeting of the Society Of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons – Squaw Valley, CA
  • Bates TJ, Lynch TB, Achay JA, Powers RT, Sabbag C, Plucknette BF, Wilson DJ. Medial Elbow Exposure: Taylor-Scham vs. FCU-Split., December 2021
  • Annual Meeting of the Society Of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons – Squaw Valley, CA

Moderation

  • 21st Annual George E. Omer, Jr. Research Symposium and Alumni Lectureship, June 2019
  • Hand Surgery Section – San Antonio, TX
  • Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, March 2022
  • OTA Specialty Day – Case Presentations: Upper Extremity Gunshot Wounds – Chicago, IL
  • 24th Annual George E. Omer Jr. Research Symposium and Alumni Lectureship, June 2022
  • Upper Extremity and Hand Section – San Antonio, TX

Newsletters

  • When Black and White Turns Gray – Transitioning from Resident to Attending, April 2024
  • American Society for Surgery of the Hand Perspectives
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Publications

  • Montgomery EK, Rask DMG, Wilson DJ, Plucknette BF, Sabbag CM. Microsurgical Techniques for Digital Nerve Injuries and Vascular Injuries. JBJS Essential Surgical Techniques. 14(3):e23.00033, Jul-Sept 2024. Doi:10.2106/JBJS.ST23.00033
  • Baker JD, Mason G, Bowers Z, Wilson D, Plucknette B, Sabbag C. Implementation of a Hand Training Curriculum in Junior Resident Education: Experience at a Military Orthopedic Residency Program. J Hand Surg Glob Online 2024;6(4):545-550, doi:10.1016/j.jhsg.2024.04.008. PMID: 39166195.
  • Lynch TB, Sabbag CM, Wilson DJ, Plucknette BF. Complex Fractures of the Radial and Ulnar Shaft. J Orthop Trauma 2024;38(9S):S21-S25, doi:10.1097/BOT.0000000000002855. PMID: 39150290.
  • Plucknette BF (as part of the ASSH Self-Assessment Examination Committee). ASSH Self-Examination 2024. Editor LE Weiss. Am Soc Surg Hand. 2024.
  • Cognetti DJ, Rask DMG, Bates TJ, Swan ER, Lynch TB, Smith T, Powers R, Plucknette BF. At-Risk Median Motor Branch to the Thenar Musculature Crossing Under the Flexor Carpi Radialis in the Forearm: A Case Report. JBJS Case Connect. 2024;14:1. DOI: e23.00299. PMID: 38306446.
  • DeFoor, MT, Micallef CJ, Lybeck DO, Wilson DJ, Plucknette BF, Sabbag CM. Free Functional Muscle Transfer and One Bone Forearm for Upper-Extremity Limb Savage After High-Energy Ballistic Trauma. J Hand Surg Glob Online 2023;5(5):701-706, doi:10.1016/j.jhsg.2023.06.005. PMID: 37790815.
  • Rask DMG, Adams MH, Liverneaux P, Plucknette BF, Wilson DJ, Alderete JF, Sabbag CM. Targeted Muscle Reinnervation in Upper Extremity Amputation in Military Hand Surgery: A systematic review. Hand Surg Rehabil 2023;42(5):392-399, doi:10.1016/j.hansur.2023.07.006. PMID: 37499798.
  • Hegeman EM, Fisher MWA, Cognetti DJ, Plucknette BF, Alderete JF, Wilson D, Causey MW. Traumatic Transradial Forearm Amputation Temporized with Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation: A Brief Report. Mil Med 2024;189(1-2):e27-e33, doi:10.1093/milmed/usad148. PMID: 37192200.
  • Bates T, Lynch TB, Achay J, Powers R, Sabbag CM, Wilson D, Plucknette BF. Medial Elbow Exposure: Modified Taylor-Scham Versus FCU-Split. J Orthop Trauma. 2023 Feb 1;37(2):e63-e67. Doi: 10.1177/15589447221105545. PMID: 36026542.
  • Powers R, Lynch T, Bates T, Rask D, Achay JA, Plucknette B, Wilson D. Extensor Tendon Integrity After Percutaneous Placement of Intramedullary Metacarpal Screws: A Cadaveric Study. Hand (NY) 2023;18(8):1336-1341, doi:10.1177/15589447221105545. PMID: 35794844.
  • Clippinger BB, Plucknette BF, Soldado F, Turvey R, Barrera-Ochoa S, Kozin SH, Zlotolow DA. The One-Bone Forearm in Children: Surgical Technique and a Retrospective Review of Outcomes. J Hand Surg Am 2022;47(2):189 e1-189 e9. DOI: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2021.04.009. PMID: 34112543.
  • Hoof M, Cognetti DJ, McClain WD, Plucknette B. Recurrent Osteomyelitis Requiring Surgical Management Secondary to Nail-Biting: A Case Report. JBJS Case Connect 2021;11(4), doi:10.2106/JBJS.CC.21.00346. PMID: 34613955.
  • Bates TJ, Plucknette BF. Avoiding Complications in Distal Radius Fractures. J Orthop Trauma 2021;35(Suppl 3):s27-s32. DOI: 10.1097/BOT.0000000000002205. PMID: 34415879.
  • Plucknette BF, Tennent DJ, Hsu JR, Bates T, Burns TC. Lateral External-fixation Adjacent to Radial Nerve. Cureus 2020;12(3):e7435. DOI: 10.7759/cureus.7435. PMID: 32351815.
  • Plucknette BF, Rhee PC. An Unusual Variant of a Floating Forearm Injury: A Case Report and Review. Hand (N Y) 2018;13(6):NP32-NP38. DOI: 10.1177/1558944718789411. PMID: 30019952.
  • Plucknette BF, Krueger CA, Rivera JC, Wenke JC. Combat-related bridge synostosis versus traditional transtibial amputation: comparison of military-specific outcomes. Strategies Trauma
  • Limb Reconstr 2016;11(1):5-11. DOI: 10.1007/s11751-015-0240-4. PMID: 26644067.
  • Plucknette BF, Doan JD, Edmonds EW. Extrusion of the Hamate: A Case Report with Proposed Classification Amendment. JBJS Case Connect 2015;5(3):e72. DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.N.00220. PMID: 29252858.
  • Plucknette BF, Brogan MS, Anain JM, Terryberry KJ. Normative Values for Foot Sensation: Challenging the 5.07 Monofilament. J Diab Foot Comp. 2012;4(1):16-25.

Professional Training & Education

  • Bachelor of Science with Honors, 2002 – 2006
  • Daemen College – Buffalo, NY
  • Doctorate of Physical Therapy, 2006 – 2008
  • Daemen College – Buffalo, NY
  • Doctorate of Osteopathic Medicine, 2008 – 2012
  • Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine – New York, NY
  • Orthopaedic Surgery Internship – San Antonio Military Medical Center, 2012 – 2013
  • San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium – Fort Sam Houston, TX
  • Orthopaedic Surgery Residency – San Antonio Military Medical Center, 2013 – 2017
  • San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium – Fort Sam Houston, TX
  • Hand Surgery Fellowship – The Philadelphia Hand to Shoulder Center, 2017 – 2018
  • Thomas Jefferson University – Philadelphia, PA
  • Orthopaedic Hand Surgeon – Greater Rochester Orthopaedics, Present
  • Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery – Uniformed Services University School of Medicine, Present
  • Vice-Chairman – Military Relations Committee – American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Present