Dr. John Tracy Watson, MD

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Get to know Orthopedic Surgeon Dr. John Tracy Watson, who serves patients in St. Louis, Missouri.

An experienced orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Watson is affiliated with SSM Health, working with patients at Saint Louis University Hospital and St. Mary’s Hospital. He also serves as a Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Division of Orthopedic Trauma, at Saint Louis University School of Medicine.

The doctor treats limb deformities, leg length discrepancies, nonunions, malunions and bone infections. He uses innovations such as Ilizarov external fixation to correct limb deformities, as well as technologies he helped develop, such as an implantable limb lengthening technique that uses magnets to gradually lengthen bones and a composite bone grafting technique that uses the patient’s own bone-forming cells drawn through a needle, rather than harvesting large sections of bone.

A graduate of the Creighton University School of Medicine, he went on to further his training by completing a residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Texas. Later, he completed a fellowship in orthopedic trauma at the Kantonsspital St. Gallen in Switzerland.

An expert in his field, the doctor is board-certified in orthopedic surgery by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS). The ABOS is an organization with the goal of establishing educational and professional standards for orthopedic residents and surgeons as well as evaluating the qualifications and competence of orthopedic surgeons.

Remaining up to date in his field, Dr. Watson is an active member of the Orthopedic Trauma Association for North America, the National Trauma Institute and Foundation for Orthopedic Trauma, and the Biologic Implants and Regenerative Medicine Committee of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. His research interests include bone graft substitutes, biomechanics of implants in fracture repair and treatments for articular injuries and hip fractures.

Orthopedic surgery is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and non-surgical means to treat musculoskeletal trauma, spine diseases, sports injuries, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors, and congenital disorders.

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