Biography
Alex Gornitzky, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon with specialized fellowship training is pediatric orthopedic surgery. In addition to seeing patients at C. S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor and Northville Health Center, he offers a Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery Clinic at MyMichigan Health Park Bay.
Dr. Gornitzky is a clinical assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Michigan in the division of Pediatric Orthopaedics. He specializes in treating all pediatric orthopedic conditions, including trauma and fractures, congenital limb anomalies and limb length discrepancies, neuromuscular conditions such as Cerebral Palsy, and foot and ankle disorders such as clubfoot. Dr. Gornitzky is particularly interested in complex hip problems in growing children, including hip dysplasia, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, and Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis.
He grew up in New Jersey and always dreamed of being a pediatric physician. Dr. Gornitzky earned his bachelor’s degree in biology from Yale University, where he was also a 4-year varsity swimmer. He then completed medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, including Alpha Omega Alpha honors. While at Penn he served as a Benjamin Fox Research Fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He then went on to complete an orthopedic residency at the University of California before returning to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for a clinical fellowship in pediatric orthopedic surgery. Dr Gornitzky joined the clinical faculty at the University of Michigan in 2022.
Philosophy of Care
His philosophy of care is to get to know each family as individuals, and then to develop a customized plan addressing their specific needs. “My goal is to safely get every kid back to doing normal kid things, and to be there with them every step of the journey,” he added. “For me, the greatest part of being a pediatric orthopedist is to see the smiles on kid’s faces when they get back to what they love.”
Special Interests and Procedures
In addition to his clinical role, Dr. Gornitzky is involved with a variety of research projects looking at clinical outcomes following pediatric fracture and hip surgery. He is particularly interested in better understanding the individual psychosocial circumstances that impact a patient’s surgical experience, including how to use that knowledge to then customize treatment to their exact needs. Dr. Gornitzky holds a special interest in open hip preservation procedures such as peri-acetabular osteotomy in adolescents and young adults.
Outside of work, he enjoys hiking and exploring nature with his wife and dog, as well as woodworking, movies and watching basketball. Dr. Gornitzky is very excited to explore all the cultural, food, sports and nature opportunities across Ann Arbor and the wider Michigan area.