Biography

Dr. Masem is a board certified orthopedic surgeon with advanced certification in surgery of the hand. He is an active member in the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, American Medical Association, California Medical Association, California Orthopedic Association, and Western Orthopedic Association.

Dr. Masem grew up in Minnesota, attending Macalester College and the University of Minnesota Medical School where he graduated from medical school in 1975. Dr. Masem completed his internship and additional training in general surgery and his residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of California, San Francisco. He completed a hand surgery fellowship program with Jack Tupper, M.D. in Oakland, California. Upon completion of his clinical training, Dr. Masem spent two years as an orthopaedic research physician at the University of Bern in Bern, Switzerland, and at the Laboratory for Experimental Surgery in Davos, Switzerland. Dr. Masem completed his training in hand, upper extremity, and microsurgery as Clinical and Research Fellow in the Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, at the Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA. Dr. Masem began his private practice in Oakland, California in September of 1987.

Currently, Dr. Masem is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, training and teaching Orthopaedic residents and fellows in techniques of upper extremity surgery and diagnosis. Dr. Masem is Chief of the Division of Hand Surgery at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center and Immediate Past Chairman of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Alta Bates Summit Medical Center. Since 1995, Dr. Masem has been a consultant in hand and upper extremity injuries for the University of California, Berkeley athletic teams and an attending at the University Health Service.

Dr. Masem has authored a number of articles and has given numerous lectures on both basic science and the clinical aspects of upper extremity orthopaedic surgery.

Career

• 1987-present, Private Practice, Oakland, California
• 1987-present, Attending in Orthopedic Surgery, Hand and Upper Extremity Clinic, Highland/Alameda County General Hospital, Oakland, California
• 1987-present, Attending in Orthopedic Surgery, Hand Surgery Clinic, Children's Hospital, Oakland, California
• 1992-present, Attending in Orthopedic Surgery, Hand Clinic, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California
• 1993-present, Consultant in Hand Surgery, University of California Athletic Teams, Sports Medicine Program, University of California, Berkeley California
• 1996-present, Consultation in Upper Extremity Orthopedic Surgery, University Health Services, University of California, Berkeley, California
• 1997-present, Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco California
• 1997-2003, Chairman, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Alta Bates Summit Medical Center, Oakland, California
• 2003-present, Chief, Department of Hand and Upper Extremity Surgery, Alta Bates Summit Hospital Medical Center, Oakland, California

Education

• 1975, M. D., University of Minnesota
• 1975-78, Residency in Surgery, H.C. Moffitt-University of California Hospital, San Francisco, California
• 1978-80, Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar- U.C. San Francisco, Stanford University Program
• 1980-83, Residency in Orthopedic Surgery, University of California, San Francisco California
• 1983, A. O. Clinical Fellow, Orthopedic Clinic of the Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
• 1984, Hand Surgery Fellowship with Jack Tupper, M. D. Oakland, California
• 1985, Orthopedic Research Physician, M. E. Mueller Institute for Biomechanics, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland and Institute for Experimental Surgery, Davos, Switzerland
• 1986-87, Clinical and Research Fellow in Surgery, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, Hand and Microsurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
• 1986-87, Clinical Fellow in Surgery, Division of Plastic, Reconstructive, Hand and Microsurgery, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts

Publications

• "Occupational Disability Following total Hip Arthroplasty", Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Proceedings, Fall 1980.
• "Factors Influencing Return to Work Following total Hip Arthroplasty", LeRoy Abbott Society Proceedings, Spring, 1982.
• "Regeneration in Irradiated Rat Peripheral Nerves", Leroy Abbott Society Proceedings, Spring 1983.
• "The Role of the Schwann Cell in Peripheral Nerve Regeneration", Proceedings of the Residents' and Fellows' Session, American Society for Surgery of the Hand, February 1986.
• "The Response of Tendons and Soft Tissues to Metal Internal Fixation Plates", Orthopedic Research Society Proceedings, February 1986.
• "The Biomechanical Response of Tendons to Metal Internal Fixation Plates", Orthopedic Transactions, 1986.
• "Reconstruction of Post-Traumatic Deformity of the Distal Radius and Ulna", Jesse B. Jupiter, M. D. and Mathias Masem, M. D., Hand Clinics, Volume 4, No. 3, pp. 377-390, August 1988.
• "Microvascular Anastomosis Patency with Low-Dose Heparin Therapy: An Experimental Study", Surgical Forum, Volume 38, 1987.
• "Therapeutic Value of Intravenous Heparin in Microvascular Surgery: An experimental vascular thrombosis study:. B. M. Greenberg, M. D., M. Masem, M. D. and J. W. May, Jr, M. D. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Volume 82, No, 3, 463- 470.
• O. R. I. F. of Comminuted Intra-articular Distal Radius Fractures. "The Upper Extremity Pilon". J. B. Jupiter, M. D., M. Masem, M. D., D. Chen, M. D., Orthopedic Trans- actions, published by Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Volume 13, No. l, spring 1989.
• "The Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Assessing Elevated Intracompartmental Pressure in the Rabbitt Hindlimb." B. M. Greenberg, M.D., M. Masem, M.D., M. Ragozzino, M.D., D.A. Schoenfeld, PhD and J. W. May, Jr., M.D. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Volume 82, No. 4, pp 678-683, October 1989.
• "Comparative Bacterial Cleaning Abilities of Muscle versus Subcutaneous Tissue, with and without Dead Bone", Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Volume 85, No, 5 pp. 773-781 May 1990.

Membership & Committees

• American Society for Surgery of the Hand-Member
• American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery-Fellow
• Habilus Hand Society-Member
• California Orthopedic Association
• Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association
• California Medical Association
• American Medical Association