About

John Wolf, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesia and Critical Care at UChicago Medicine. He specializes in anesthesiology and practices at the Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine in Hyde Park, Chicago. Dr. Wolf completed his medical education at Creighton University School of Medicine, followed by an internship, residency, and fellowship at the University of Chicago. He is board certified in anesthesiology and speaks English. Dr. Wolf is affiliated with UChicago Medicine, where he is involved in patient care, research, and teaching within the Department of Anesthesia and Critical Care. The institution emphasizes ethical behavior and integrity in all aspects of healthcare delivery, including compliance with laws and regulations, and Dr. Wolf participates in this culture. UChicago Medicine also supports transparency regarding physicians' external professional relationships, which may include collaborations with pharmaceutical and medical device companies to develop new treatments and products to improve clinical outcomes for patients.

Research topics

• Medicine
• Surgery
• Biology
• Nursing
• Anatomy
• Oncology
• Internal medicine
• Physical therapy
• Cancer research
• Cell biology
• Genetics
• Pathology
• Biomedical engineering
• Materials science

Selected publications

• Intraoperative Bone-Quality Assessments Are Reliable Compared with Opportunistic CT-Based Hounsfield Unit Measurements

  Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery · 2026-04-10

  article

  BACKGROUND: Bone density can impact treatment decisions for orthopaedic conditions. While ad-hoc intraoperative surgeon assessment of bone quality is common, the accuracy of such evaluation remains unknown. The primary purpose of this study was to determine whether orthopaedic surgeons' intraoperative assessment of bone quality closely correlated with validated measures. METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we enrolled adult patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery at a Level-I trauma center. Eligibility required an opportunistic computed tomography (CT) scan of the lumbar spine, glenoid, wrist, pelvis/femur, proximal tibia, or calcaneus. Seven surgeons, blinded to objective measures of bone quality, provided intraoperative bone-quality assessments using a 10-point Likert scale and categorized bone quality as normal, osteopenic, or osteoporotic. Hounsfield units (HUs) were measured on CT using a previously published technique. All images were reviewed by a single orthopaedic surgeon, blinded to intraoperative bone-quality assessments. RESULTS: Of the 229 patients enrolled, 215 had available CT data and were included in the study. The average age of these patients was 44 years (range, 18 to 95 years), with 40.5% being female. Over half of the patients (61%) were Black or African American, while a quarter of the patients (25%) were White. The most common surgical sites included the femur (39 patients, 18.1%), ankle (31, 14.4%), and acetabulum (26, 12.1%). A positive linear relationship between HU and surgeon bone-quality assessments was observed (r = 0.66; p < 0.0001), which was consistent across surgical anatomic sites. Abnormal bone quality was correctly identified by surgeon assessment with 84% sensitivity and 97% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that surgeons can reliably detect abnormal bone quality through intraoperative assessment across numerous surgical sites. Intraoperative assessments may provide actionable and reliable feedback regarding bone density without additional cost or radiation in cases when opportunistic scans are not available. This information can inform intraoperative decision-making and presents opportunities for bone-health interventions. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

  PublisherDOI

• Is there a correlation between season and weather patterns on trauma admissions?

  Injury · 2026-03-20

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Hypertrophic Nodules on the Knuckles.

  PubMed · 2025-06-01

  articleSenior author
  Publisher

• 97P: Matching-adjusted indirect comparison (MAIC) of sotorasib vs adagrasib for previously treated advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with KRAS G12C mutation

  Journal of Thoracic Oncology · 2025-03-01

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Comparative Analysis of Knee Osteoarthritis Treatment Information on Popular Social Media Platforms

  JAAOS Global Research and Reviews · 2025-06-01 · 3 citations

  articleOpen access

  INTRODUCTION: With the rise of social media as a source for health information, there is concern about the spread of unregulated, potentially misleading content. This study aimed to evaluate the quality of knee osteoarthritis (OA) treatment information on TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram platforms where patients often seek medical advice. METHODS: TikTok videos, Instagram posts, and YouTube videos focusing on knee OA treatment and meeting specific engagement thresholds were identified using a standardized search. Six reviewers, including orthopaedic faculty and residents, assessed the content's accuracy and reliability using a 10-question Social Media Outreach Content Assessment & Review Tool (SOCART), adapted from the DISCERN instrument. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance, linear regression, and mixed methods. RESULTS: The study reviewed 130 social media posts (YouTube: 30, TikTok: 50, Instagram: 50). YouTube had the highest median number of followers/subscribers, whereas TikTok had the most likes/day and comments/day. Most TikTok (66.7%) and Instagram (92.0%) content creators were from private practices, whereas YouTube creators were mainly affiliated with academic institutions (40.0%). YouTube scored the highest in SOCART assessments (32.86 ± 0.89/50), markedly outperforming Instagram (21.30 ± 0.69/50) and TikTok (20.34 ± 0.87/50; P < 0.001). Content from academic institutions scored higher than that from nonacademic sources (28.04 ± 1.05 vs. 21.77 ± 0.859, P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: YouTube's high ratings in all SOCART instrument categories suggest that it presents higher-quality information about knee OA treatments relative to Instagram and TikTok. However, YouTube content was still found to be inaccurate and unreliable, making it unsatisfactory for dissemination of important health information. In addition, despite having the lowest SOCART scores, TikTok received the most engagement. This study highlights two important findings: social media presents a risk for patient misinformation when seeking medical advice, and it creates opportunities for physicians to connect with patients using platforms with higher user engagement. Physicians and medical societies can use this information during educational content creation to inform platform choice and dissemination strategies.

  PublisherDOI

• A Changing Landscape in Surgical Treatment of Basilar Thumb Arthritis: Is the Rate of Denervation Increasing?

  The Journal Of Hand Surgery · 2025-02-05 · 1 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Gunshot-Related Metacarpal Fractures: A Retrospective Study and Single Urban Center Experience

  Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online · 2025-08-12

  articleOpen access

  Purpose: As gun violence continues to grow, hand surgeons are increasingly called upon to manage complex ballistic hand fractures. However, there is a relative scarcity of literature on civilian gunshot-related metacarpal fractures. In this study, we examine the management strategies and outcomes for ballistic metacarpal fractures at a high-volume, level-1 urban trauma center. Methods: Through the use of an institutional database of all patients with firearm-related fractures who presented to our level 1 trauma center, we identified all patients with ballistic hand fractures over a 4-year period (2019-2023). Charts were reviewed for metacarpal fractures and associated injuries, and physical examination characteristics at initial presentation. We evaluated the surgical treatments, postoperative complications, and outcomes following the treatment of these injuries. Results: Over a 4-year period, 98 patients sustained a total of 139 firearm-related metacarpal fractures. Of these, 28 patients with 39 fractures were lost to follow-up. Among the remaining, a total of 100 metacarpal fractures were treated with a mean follow-up of 5.5 months (range, 2-24 months). Of these, 79 (79%) required surgical intervention. Soft tissue injuries associated with these fractures were observed in 36% of cases. Among the 79 surgically treated fractures, complications included a 13% nonunion rate, an 18% malunion rate, and a 4% incidence of deep infections. Overall, the most common complication was stiffness, reported in 62% of operative metacarpals. The average active range of motion at the metacarpophalangeal joint was 58. Conclusions: This large retrospective series of gunshot-related metacarpal injuries treated at a high-volume trauma center presents findings and outcomes for a challenging injury. The findings showed a moderate risk of nonunion and high rates of stiffness following these injuries, emphasizing the critical need for further research to develop optimal management strategies aimed at reducing complications in the treatment of firearm-related metacarpal fractures. Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic IV.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Ballistic Distal Radius Fractures: A Single-Center Experience in Management and Outcomes

  Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online · 2025-08-04

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Purpose: Gunshot wounds (GSWs) to the upper extremities can be devastating and often require surgical treatment. Ballistic injuries to the distal radius in particular present a complex challenge for hand surgeons because of concerns of bony comminution, neurovascular injury, and injury to surrounding structures. This study compares the demographics, management, and complications of nonballistic versus ballistic distal radius fractures (DRFs). Methods: In this retrospective study, patients over the age of 16 years with radiographically confirmed DRFs were reviewed from 2018 to 2023. Demographic data, surgical details, and postoperative complication data were collected. X-ray imaging was evaluated for fracture healing. In addition to comparison of all patients, 1:1 matched cohort comparison was conducted, controlling for age, smoking, and fracture classification. Results: Of the 265 patients, 21 had DRFs due to GSWs, and 244 sustained DRFs from other mechanisms. GSW patients were significantly younger and predominantly male. Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen classification demonstrated higher intra- and extra-articular comminution in GSW patients, and GSW patients had higher rates of distal radioulnar joint instability and carpal fractures. Additional injuries outside the upper extremity and neurovascular symptoms were also more common in GSW patients. GSW patients were more likely to undergo surgery and had longer times to surgery. Despite the delayed surgical intervention, no differences were observed in fixation methods, time to full weight bearing, or complications between groups. After 1:1 matching, there remained a significantly higher proportion of men in the GSW cohort, a higher rate of carpal fractures, a higher rate of nonhand injuries, and a greater time to surgery in the GSW cohort. There remained no significant difference in complications. Conclusions: Because of their complexity, GSWs to the upper extremities present considerable management issues. The present study compares ballistic to nonballistic injuries to the distal radius. Although there were differences in presentation and surgical management, there were no significant differences in complications. Type of study/level of evidence: Prognostic IV.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Genomic Landscape of Human Papillomavirus Positive Early-Stage Oropharyngeal Carcinoma

  International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics · 2025-09-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Efficacy of Low-Dose Versus High-Dose Corticosteroid Injections for Soft Tissue Pathology of the Hand

  The Journal Of Hand Surgery · 2025-11-06 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Frequent coauthors

• Tong‐Chuan He

  Molecular Oncology (United States)

  164 shared

• Zongyue Zeng

  First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University

  117 shared

• Russell R. Reid

  University of Chicago Medical Center

  101 shared

• Yixiao Feng

  Southwest University

  89 shared

• Mikhail Pakvasa

  University of California, Irvine

  78 shared

• Wenping Luo

  Southwest University

  60 shared

• Brett D. Owens

  Brown University

  58 shared

• Jiaming Fan

  Shandong First Medical University

  55 shared

Labs

• John Wolf LaboratoryPI

Education

• MD

  University of Pennsylvania

  1996