Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Gele B. Moloney, MD

  • Associate Professor
  • Division Chief, UPMC Mercy Orthopaedics

Education & Training

  • MD, SUNY at Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
  • Residency, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA
  • Fellowship, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY

Representative Publications

Zhao E, Tarkin IS, Moloney GB “Subcuticular barbed suture and skin glue wound closure decreases reoperation and length of stay in geriatric hip fractures when compared to staples” JAAOS Global October 2021

Tisherman RT, Hankins ML, Moloney GB, Tarkin IS “Distal locking of short cephalomedullary nails decreases varus collapse in unstable intertrochanteric fractures - a biomechanical analysis” Injury February 2021 52: 414-418  

Couch BK, Maher PL, Fourman MS, Moloney GB, Siska PA, Tarkin IS “Increased medial displacement of humeral shaft correlates with increased incidence of nerve injury in proximal humerus fractures” Accepted for Publication Iowa Ortho Journal March 2021  

O’Toole R, et al, Moloney GB, METRC Group “Effect of Intrawound Vancomycin Powder in Operatively Treated High Risk Tibia Fractures: A Randomized Controlled Trial” JAMA Surgery May 2021 

Wawrose R, Grossman L, Tagliaferro M, Moloney GB, Tarkin IS “Temporizing External Fixation vs Splinting Following Ankle Fracture Dislocation” Foot and Ankle International 2020 Feb;41(2):177-182  

Cochran G, Pacella M, Ringwald W, Repine M, Hruschak V, Beaugard C, Sewall C, Rosen D, Alarcon LH, Tarkin IS, Moloney GB, Corcos A “Opioid use patterns and risk characteristics among injured patients”. Subst Abus. 2020 

Moloney GB, Tarkin IS "Optimal management of the patient with an open distal femur fracture" Op Tech Ortho Surg 2018 July 

Gausden E, Moloney GB, Lorich DG, et al “Gait Analysis following Intertrochanteric Hip Fracture Treated with Cephalomedullary Nail: Does Shortening Result in Gait Impairment?” J Orthop Trauma June 2018 

Verbeek DO, van der List JP, Moloney GB, Wellman DS, Helfet DL "Assessing postoperative reduction after acetabular fracture surgery: A standardized digital computed tomography-based method" J Orthop Trauma 2018 July 32(7)e284-e288 

Hoellwarth JS, Fourman MS, Crossett LC, Goodman M, Siska PA, Moloney GB, Tarkin IS “Equivalent mortality and complication rates following periprosthetic distal femur fractures managed with either lateral locked plating or a distal femoral replacement” Injury 2018 Feb; 49(2) 392-397 

Moloney GB, Pan TJ, Van Eck CF, Patel D, Tarkin IS. “Geriatric distal femur fracture: are we underestimating the rate of local and systemic complications”, Injury August 2016.

Moloney GB, Toro JB, Helfet DL, Wellman DS, “Proximal periprosthetic femur fractures: Strageties for internal fixation” American Journal of Orthopaedics May 2016

Araujo P, Moloney G, Rincon G, Carey R, Zhang X, Harner C. “Use of a fluoroscopic overlay to guide femoral tunnel placement during posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.” American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2014 Nov; 42(11)2673-2679

Moloney G, Westrick E, Siska PA, Tarkin IS. “Treatment of periprosthetic femur fractures around a well fixed hip arthroplasty implant: span the whole bone.” Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery 2014 Jan 134(1) 9-14

Moloney G, Araujo P, Rabuck S, Carey R, Rincon G, Zhang X, Harner C. “Use of a fluoroscopic overlay to assist arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.” American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013 Aug; 41(8)1794-1800

Bear DM, Moloney G, Goitz, RJ, Balk ML, Imbriglia JE. “Joint space height correlates with arthroscopic grading of wrist arthritis” Hand 2013 ePub ahead of print

Tanaka M, Vyas D, Moloney GB, Bedi A, Pearle AD, Musahl V. “What does it take to have a high-grade pivot shift.” Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology and Arthroscopy 2012 April;20(4)737-742  

Araujo PH, Ahlden M, Hoshino Y, Muller B, Moloney GB, Fu FH, Musahl V. “Comparison of three non-invasive quantative measurement systems for the pivot shift test” Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology and Arthroscopy 2012 April;20(4):692-697 

Research Interests

Research interests include outcomes after orthopaedic trauma, periprosthetic fracture treatment, and geriatric fracture care. Clinical interests include upper extremity trauma, periarticular fractures, nonunion and malunion care, and treatment of pelvic and acetabular fractures.  Resident education is a priority.

Research Grants

Major Extremity Trauma Research Consortium (METRC) 
Site Principal Investigator (2016 – present) 
PAIN: Improving pain management in high energy orthopaedic trauma 
VANCO: Local antibiotic therapy to reduce infection after operative treatment of fractures at high risk of infection: A multicenter randomized controlled trial 
STREAM: Streamlining trauma research evaluation with advanced measurement 
TAOS: Comparison of Transtibial Amputation with and without a Tibia-Fibula Synostosis 
Pilot BIND: Prehospital Application of Pelvic Binders 
Early Weight Bearing: Randomized controlled trial evaluating standard vs early weight bearing following ankle fracture fixation 
EMS Bind: Prospective evaluation of the effectiveness of pelvic binders in pelvic fracture care 

Albert B. Ferguson, MD Research Grant. Awarded 2021 
Biomechanical analysis of supplemental medial column screw fixation of distal femur fractures 

Albert B. Ferguson, MD Research Grant. Awarded 2019 
Biomechanical analysis of femoral cephalomedullary nail fixation with and without distal locking screw 

Orthopaedic Trauma Association Research Grant.  Awarded 2018 
Heterotopic ossification in a murine model of lower extremity blast injury 

Albert B. Ferguson, MD Research Grant. Awarded 2017 
Effect of pes planus on outcomes following ankle fracture fixation 

Albert B. Ferguson, MD Research Grant. Awarded 2011 
Effect of lateral meniscus root tears on tibiofemoral kinematics