T. David Tarity, MD, FAAOS, FAAHKS, is an assistant professor of clinical orthopaedic surgery at Penn Medicine. Dr. Tarity sees patients at Penn Medicine University City and Penn Medicine Valley Forge, where he specializes in hip and knee replacements, including robotic joint replacements.
What conditions do you treat at Penn Medicine?
I treat mainly osteoarthritis of the hip and knee joints but also other conditions including inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid disease, post-traumatic arthritis and septic arthritis as well as osteonecrosis.
What is the most exciting thing about being a part of the Penn Orthopaedics team?
The most exciting part of the Penn Orthopaedics team is the commitment from everyone to provide the best musculoskeletal care for every unique patient we treat. The team is constantly evaluating ways to improve the delivery of this care with a focus on maximizing patient outcomes from non-surgical and surgical management of their conditions.
What is your philosophy on patient care?
I believe in shared decision making with the patient regarding their care. I view my role as a teacher to make sure the nature of the problem as well as the treatment options, both non-surgical and surgical, are effectively communicated and the patient has a good understanding of the problem and treatment options.
What kinds of research are you involved in at Penn and what does that mean for patients?
I am involved in a multicenter study evaluating patients with arthritis who have poorly controlled diabetes. The goal is to elucidate barriers for patients with poorly controlled diabetes to undergo elective total hip and knee replacement and to identify opportunities for improvement.
What do you enjoy doing outside of practicing medicine?
Outside of medicine, I enjoy spending time with my wife and three children, participating/watching various sports, and traveling.