Wayne (Buzz) Burkhead MD

A graduate of Southern Methodist University, Dr. W. Z. (Buz) Burkhead joined the W. B. Carrell Clinic™ in 1983. He earned his MD degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. He then completed a residency in Orthopedic surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. This was followed by a fellowship in shoulder reconstructive surgery at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio under Charles A. Rockwood, Jr., MD, one of the premier shoulder surgeons in the world. The author of scientific articles, book chapters, and textbooks on the rotator cuff and dislocating shoulder, Dr. Burkhead has lectured at national, as well as international conferences. He was selected 1991 Presidential Guest Lecturer of the Japanese Shoulder Society and was a 1997 Traveling Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. Most recently Dr. Burkhead was elected and served as President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.

Dr. Burkhead is widely known for the creation of modular replacement for the shoulder, and the development of advanced techniques to improve the results from rotator cuff repair and surgery for the dislocating shoulder. Dr. Burkhead has a special interest in arthritis of the shoulder, athletic and industrial injuries of the shoulder. He has performed thousands of arthroscopic, reconstructive, and replacement surgeries of the shoulder on patients ranging from the professional athlete to the manual laborer. Dr. Burkhead served as consultant Shoulder Surgeon to the Dallas Cowboys from 1990 until 1998 under head team physician Robert Vandermeer.

Mostly he takes care of regular folks and has prided himself in taking care of several generations of family members. He has operated to replace the shoulder of the grandfather, repaired the rotator cuff of his son or daughter and restored stability to the shoulder of the grandson in several families. Other areas of interest include revision of previously failed shoulder surgery, rotator cuff repair with graft material, advanced shoulder replacement designs and application.

Board certified, he is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and a member and past President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. He is also a Clinical Professor of Orthopedics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. Dr. Burkhead has privileges at Presbyterian Hospital of Dallas and North Central Surgical Hospitals. Dr Burkhead has trained 38 shoulder surgeons over the last 23 years. The Fellows and their research are funded by the WB Carrell shoulder and Elbow Foundation.

The father of three, Dr. Burkhead is the lead singer and founder of the all-doctor classic rock band Doctor. The band continues to play for charitable benefits. It is the only rock and roll band that takes insurance. Dr Burkhead has 3 CDs of original music which are available in the office and online at ITunes and Spotify. Cd sales are donated to his Foundation.