Advance Together: Arthroplasty and Arthroscopic Surgery Fellowships at St.Mary’s
St Mary's is a level 3 trauma center with no poly trauma, no spine trauma and no head injury trauma. Fellows will get exposure to primary, complex primary and revision hip and knee arthroplasty as well as joint preservation options for management of the young adult knee. They will also learn from robotic assisted total knee arthroplasty and partial (unicompartmental, patellofemoral) knee arthroplasty. The fellowship incorporates diagnosis, evaluation, and management of degenerative, rheumatoid and post-traumatic arthritis. During this 12-month fellowship you will work with multiple different staff and expect to gain experience in management of significant bone defects, periprosthetic fractures and periprosthetic joint infections.
Arthroscopic Fellows will enhance resident education by direct OR teaching, functioning in an incremental fashion as the Fellow becomes more confident and comfortable arthroscopically. Fellows are responsible for journal clubs scheduled at St Mary's Hospital on a monthly basis. Fellows will choose the topic and the articles and assign them to the resident staff for presentation. Fellows will actively participate in weekly Grand Rounds and be called upon to examine and formulate a differential diagnosis and treatment plan in conjunction with the resident staff. Fellows are encouraged present a topic and didactically teach both residents and medical students. The fellow will also be responsible for helping to prepare resident academic half-day didactic teaching in Sports medicine and departmental Grand rounds at McGill. Additionally, we expect the trainees to complete at least one research project which will lead to publication.
Mores information available at: https://www.mcgill.ca/pgme/files/pgme/st._marys_hospital_arthroplasty_fellowship_june_2025.pdf
Testimonials
Dr. Moussa Kafelov completed his medical degree at the Medical University of Sofia, followed by residency training in Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology at University Emergency Hospital “N.I. Pirogov” in Bulgaria. He is a Fellow of the European Board of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (FEBOT) and holds a PhD from Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, where his research focused on robotic knee arthroplasty.
Dr. Kafelov has pursued advanced subspecialty training in sports medicine and arthroscopy through fellowship at Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal and adult hip and knee reconstruction at McGill University–St. Mary’s Hospital in Montreal. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and presented internationally on robotic-assisted joint replacement, functional alignment, and knee arthroplasty.
His clinical practice focuses on hip and knee reconstruction, sports medicine, and arthroscopic surgery. He is dedicated to delivering evidence-based, patient-centered care and optimizing functional outcomes through modern surgical techniques and individualized treatment strategies.
SMH Arthroplasty Fellowship Program 2025-2026
Having already secured a sports fellowship at CHUM, I began looking for a hip and knee reconstruction fellowship in Montreal that would truly set itself apart — one with a high case volume, genuine hands-on autonomy in a supportive environment, and mentorship that would push me toward becoming the surgeon I wanted to be. After looking into several programs, the orthopaedic group at Saint Mary's Hospital stood out, as it manages the largest joint-replacement volume in the province. I reached out to the program director, Dr. Paul Stephenson, and submitted my application not long after.
That choice turned out to be the right one. According to my logbook, I completed 200 primary joint replacements and around 25 revisions (not always as lead surgeon). ROSA robotic system is available in the unit. Since keeping up my arthroscopic skills mattered to me, I was able to do sports cases almost weekly. On-call falls roughly once a month on a weekend. Fellows get to work alongside every consultant in the group, which makes for a highly rewarding experience. Zimmer provided outstanding support throughout, with instrumentation and implants reliably on hand all year.
On the academic side, the program expects two journal clubs and an abstract for the COA, and it helps to have a concept in mind ahead of time. The team brings you into scientific meetings well before your official start date, so the transition goes smoothly.
All in all, I completed this high-volume fellowship in a very friendly setting, working with people genuinely committed to teaching. I'm grateful to the entire team for their professionalism and dedication.
Dr. Moussa Kafelov
My fellowship at St. Mary’s Hospital was an incredibly rewarding experience, both professionally and personally. It provided me with valuable exposure to sports medicine, excellent surgical training, and the opportunity to learn from outstanding faculty and colleagues. I am truly grateful to everyone at St. Mary’s for their mentorship, support, and for making this such a memorable year.
Dr. Muteb Alqhtani, Arthroscopic Fellowship, 2025-2026