Thurston, Prof. Alan

ED, MB, ChB, MSc(Oxon), FRACS, FNZOA

Specialty

Orthopaedic / Hand Surgery

Training

Entered the Dunedin School of Medicine with a Manawatu Co-operative Society Scholarship and graduated MB, ChB in 1972 with distinction in anatomy and the David White Prize in Clinical Surgery.  Trained in orthopaedic surgery in New Zealand and in hand surgery in the UK and Canada.  Is primarily employed at the Wellington School of Medicine & Health Sciences and Wellington Hospital as Associate Professor of Orthopædic Surgery and Consultant Hand Surgeon.  He is also a limb-fitting surgeon for the New Zealand Artificial Limb Board.

Background information

His principle clinical interests are in hand / wrist and elbow surgery and his other interests include amputations and limb fitting.  His research interests include clinical aspects of hand and wrist surgery, biomaterials, the biomechanical aspects of amputee stumps and prosthetics. 

Career highlights

He was awarded a Research Fellowship in Oxford and graduated MSc (bioengineering), awarded the Broadfoot Memorial Essay Prize in 1985, the A.B.C. Travelling Fellowship in 1986 and the Douglas Iverach Postgraduate Fellowship in Medicine in 1991.  He was awarded the Kenneth Fitzpatrick Russell Memorial Medal by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, 2002.

He has had published 10 papers on surgical/orthopaedic history and some 40 papers on aspects of his research and review papers for scholarly journals.  Has recently been an invited guest speaker at specialist conferences and meetings in Canada, Germany, Switzerland, Korea, Australia and Rarotonga.

Prof Thurston has been

• Member of the Executive Committee, NZOA, 1994 - 2002.
• President, New Zealand Society for Surgery of the Hand, 1998 – 2002.
• Editorial Secretary, NZOA.
• Honorary Surgeon to four Governors General of New Zealand.

and is currently

• Member of the Editorial Advisory Board for “Current Orthopædics” (Now “Orthopædics and Trauma”).
• Editorial referee for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (European Volume).
• Specialist advisor to the ACC.
• Specialist advisor and referee for the New Zealand Health Research Council.

Operates at

Wakefield and Bowen Hospitals

Consults at

Wakefield Specialist Medical Centre, Rintoul Street entrance, Newtown, Wellington

and
Bowen Centre, Churchill Drive, Crofton Downs, Wellington

CONTACT DETAILS:
Ph: (04) 381 8120
Fax: (04) 381 8121
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