Stephen M. Howell

University of California, Davis

Papers

10

Total Citations

159

H-Index

6

About

Stephen M. Howell is a prominent orthopedic surgeon and researcher whose work has fundamentally advanced the science of total knee arthroplasty (TKA), with a particular focus on kinematic alignment techniques. He is best known for developing and refining **kinematically aligned TKA**, a personalized surgical approach that corrects arthritic deformity by restoring a patient's constitutional alignment rather than imposing a standardized mechanical axis. His contributions include establishing caliper-verified measurement protocols, manual instrumentation systems, and rigorous verification checks that make kinematic alignment accessible regardless of surgeon experience — a finding supported by his highly cited 2022 study (44 citations). Howell has also investigated the biomechanical importance of prosthetic trochlear positioning relative to the quadriceps vector, demonstrating its significant impact on patient-reported outcomes (40 citations). Beyond knee surgery, he has explored accuracy in robot-assisted total hip arthroplasty, evaluating clinically meaningful errors in femoral anteversion and offset. His comprehensive 2023 review synthesizing peer-reviewed evidence on caliper-verified kinematic alignment (22 citations) reflects his commitment to evidence-based surgical education. Collectively, Howell's research has reshaped how surgeons conceptualize joint replacement, placing individualized anatomy at the center of implant positioning strategy.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

6
H-Index
10
Papers
159
Total Citations
16
Avg Citations/Paper
🏆 Most Cited Paper
Negligible effect of surgeon experience on the accuracy and time to perform unrestricted caliper verified kinematically aligned TKA with manual instruments
44 citations · 2022
📈 Most Prolific Year: 2023 (3 Papers)
🤝 Key Collaborators: 11
🏛 Institutions: University of California, Davis

Top Papers

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Key Collaborators

Contact & Links

Available for collaboration
Content generated · 14 days ago