R. Bruce Heppenstall, MD, former chief of orthopedic surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and professor emeritus of orthopedic surgery at the university's Perelman School of Medicine, has died at 82.
Dr. Heppenstall first joined UPenn in 1969 as an orthopedic resident and was promoted to assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery in 1974. By 1980, he became a full professor, according to a March 12 obituary.
Dr. Heppenstall went on to hold dual appointments as the chief of the fracture service at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and the chief of orthopedic surgery at the Philadelphia Veterans Affair Medical Center.
In 2016, Dr. Heppenstall retired from UPenn and took emeritus status. The department of orthopedic surgery created the annual Bruce Heppenstall Trauma Lectureship to recognize his contributions.