Alana Mary Munger, M.D.
Alana Munger, M.D., is an assistant professor in the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at City of Hope® Cancer Center Duarte, where she specializes in the surgical treatment of both bone and soft tissue sarcomas, as well as the surgical management and stabilization of metastatic bone disease. Dr. Munger is dedicated to a multidisciplinary, compassionate approach to care that prioritizes patients’ mobility and quality of life.
After completing her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles—where she played soccer and helped her team win the NCAA Division National Championship—Dr. Munger earned her medical degree at Keck School of Medicine of USC, graduating in the top 10% of her class. She completed an internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, followed by a musculoskeletal oncology fellowship at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.
In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Munger is dedicated to diversity, equity and inclusion within the surgical field. During her residency training, she created and remains the host of the “She Can Fix It” podcast, which highlights and empowers the women of orthopaedic surgery. She is also the creator and producer of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society podcast.
With more than two dozen publications in peer-reviewed journals, Dr. Munger is also an active physician-scholar in her field and a member of multiple organizations, including the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society, Orthopaedic Research Society, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society.
Alana Mary Munger, M.D.
Memberships
Musculoskeletal Tumor Society
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
Orthopaedic Research Society
Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society
Awards
2021, YNHH Pediatrics ED Consultant of the Month (Jan 2021). As voted by the Pediatrics Emergency Medicine Residents/Fellows.
2020, YNHH ED Consultant of the Month (Sept 2020). As voted by the emergency Medicine Residents/Fellows.
2018, American Medical Women's Association Janet M. Glasgow Achievement Certificate. Presented to women who graduate in the top 10% of their class.
2018, Dean's Recognition for 2016-2018 Junior/Senior Curriculum. For achieving 28 weeks or more of Honors during the required clerkships.
2016, Most Meritorious Poster at the Keck School of Medicine of USC 2016. Medical Students Research Forum & Poster Day.
2014, UCLA Athletics' 2014 Donald R Shepherd Postgraduate Scholarships Award
2013, UCLA Women's Soccer Coaches Award
2012, UCLA Women's Soccer Coaches Award
2011, UCLA Women's Soccer Most Improved Player
Experience & Education
Assistant Clinical Professor, City of Hope
Division of Orthopedic, Department of Surgery
Duarte, California
2024-Present
Musculoskeletal Oncology Fellowship, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, Texas
2024
Orthopaedic Surgery Residency, Yale New Haven Hospital
New Haven, Connecticut
2023
Orthopaedic Surgery Internship, Yale New Haven Hospital
New Haven, Connecticut
2019
Doctor of Medicine, Physiological Science
Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
2018
Bachelor of Science, Physiology, UCLA
Los Angeles, California
2013
Wang JC, Chang SW, Nwachuku I, Hill W, Munger AM, Suleiman LI, Heckmann ND. The Intersection of Race and Sex: A New Perspective Into Diversity Trends in Orthopaedic Surgery. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2023 Dec 1;31(23):1197-1204. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-23-00329. Epub 2023 Sep 12. PMID: 37703543.
Wang JC, Chang SW, Nwachuku I, Hill WJ, Munger AM, Suleiman LI, Heckmann ND. Trends in Race and Sex Representation Among Entering Orthopaedic Surgery Residents: A Continued Call for Active Diversification Efforts. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2023 Jun 15;31(12):e530-e539. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-22-01007. Epub 2023 Apr 14. PMID: 37071884.
Ottesen TD, Shultz BN, Munger AM, Amick M, Toombs CS, Friedaender GE, Grauer JN. Chondrosarcoma patient characteristics, management, and outcomes based on over 5,000 cases from the National Cancer Database (NCDB). PLoS One. 2022 Jul 28;17(7):e0268215. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268215. PMID: 35901087; PMCID: PMC9333210.
Betini N, Munger AM, Rottmann D, Haims A, Costa J, Lindskog DM. Rare Presentation of Rosai-Dorfman Disease in Soft Tissue: Diagnostic Findings and Surgical Treatment. Case Rep Surg. 2022 Mar 30;2022:8440836. doi: 10.1155/2022/8440836. PMID: 35402057; PMCID: PMC8986417.
Ottesen TD, Shultz BN, Munger AM, Sibindi C, Yurter A, Varthi AG, Grauer JN. Characteristics, Management, and Outcomes of Patients With Osteosarcoma: An Analysis of Outcomes From the National Cancer Database. J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev. 2022 Feb 22;6(2):e22.00009. doi: 10.5435/JAAOSGlobal-D-22-00009. PMID: 35192571; PMCID: PMC8865506.
Morris MT, Alder KD, Moushey A, Munger AM, Milligan K, Toombs C, Conway D, Lee I, Chen F, Tommasini SM, Lee FY. Biomechanical restoration of metastatic cancer-induced peri-acetabular bone defects by ablation-osteoplasty-reinforcement-internal fixation technique (AORIF): To screw or not to screw? Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon). 2022 Feb;92:105565. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiomech.2021.105565. Epub 2022 Jan 3. PMID: 34999389.
Back J, Nguyen MN, Li L, Lee S, Lee I, Chen F, Gillinov L, Chung YH, Alder KD, Kwon HK, Yu KE, Dussik CM, Hao Z, Flores MJ, Kim Y, Ibe IK, Munger AM, Seo SW, Lee FY. Inflammatory conversion of quiescent osteoblasts by metastatic breast cancer cells through pERK1/2 aggravates cancer-induced bone destruction. Bone Res. 2021 Sep 29;9(1):43. doi: 10.1038/s41413-021-00158-w. PMID: 34588427; PMCID: PMC8481290.
Li DT, Li E, Cui JJ, Kahan JB, Petit L, Adeclat GJ, Modrak M, Talty R, Greene JD, Munger AM, Nicholson AD, Cravez E, Cooperman DR, Smith BG. Modification and application of the proximal humerus ossification system to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients. Spine Deform. 2021 Sep;9(5):1341-1348. doi: 10.1007/s43390-021-00338-y. Epub 2021 May 3. PMID: 33939168.
Munger AM, Yu KE, Li DT, Furdock RJ, Boeyer ME, Duren DL, Weber DR, Cooperman DR. The More the Merrier: Integrating Multiple Models of Skeletal Maturity Improves the Accuracy of Growth Prediction. J Pediatr Orthop. 2021 Aug;41(7):e580-e584. doi: 10.1097/bpo.0000000000001847. PMID: 35087259; PMCID: PMC8788880.
Toombs C, Conway D, Munger AM, Alder KD, Latich I, Lee FY. Ablation, Osteoplasty, Reinforcement, and Internal Fixation for Percutaneous Endoskeletal Reconstruction of Periacetabular and Other Periarticular Osteolytic Metastases. Instr Course Lect. 2021;70:503-514. PMID: 33438931.
Hao Z, Li J, Li B, Alder KD, Cahill SV, Munger AM, Lee I, Kwon HK, Back J, Xu S, Kang MJ, Lee FY. Smoking Alters Inflammation and Skeletal Stem and Progenitor Cell Activity During Fracture Healing in Different Murine Strains. J Bone Miner Res. 2021 Jan;36(1):186-198. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.4175. Epub 2020 Sep 24. PMID: 32866293; PMCID: PMC9057220.
Erdman MK, Munger AM, Brown M, Schellenberg M, Tucker D, Inaba K, Fleming ME, Marecek GS. Injury and treatment patterns of ballistic pelvic fractures by anatomic location. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol. 2021 Jan;31(1):111-119. doi: 10.1007/s00590-020-02744-w. Epub 2020 Jul 27. PMID: 32720105.
Yu KE, Alder KD, Morris MT, Munger AM, Lee I, Cahill SV, Kwon HK, Back J, Lee FY. Re-appraising the potential of naringin for natural, novel orthopedic biotherapies. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2020 Dec 8;12:1759720X20966135. doi: 10.1177/1759720X20966135. PMID: 33343723; PMCID: PMC7727086.
Alder KD, Lee I, Munger AM, Kwon HK, Morris MT, Cahill SV, Back J, Yu KE, Lee FY. Intracellular Staphylococcus aureus in bone and joint infections: A mechanism of disease recurrence, inflammation, and bone and cartilage destruction. Bone. 2020 Dec;141:115568. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2020.115568. Epub 2020 Jul 31. PMID: 32745687.
Samuel AM, Munger AM, Lee FY, Friedlaender GE, Ibe IK, Lindskog DM. Bone Scans Have Little Utility in the Evaluation of Well-Differentiated Cartilaginous Lesions of the Humerus. Orthopedics. 2020 Nov 1;43(6):e498-e502. doi: 10.3928/01477447-20200827-05. Epub 2020 Sep 3. PMID: 32882054.
Brown MA, Erdman MK, Munger AM, Miller AN. Despite Growing Number of Women Surgeons, Authorship Gender Disparity in Orthopaedic Literature Persists Over 30 Years. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2020 Jul;478(7):1542-1552. doi: 10.1097/CORR.0000000000000849. PMID: 31283733; PMCID: PMC7310313.
Pathak N, Munger AM, Charifa A, Laskin WB, Bisson E, Kupfer GM, Rubin LE. Total knee arthroplasty in hemophilia A. Arthroplast Today. 2020 Mar 6;6(1):52-58.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.artd.2019.12.008. PMID: 32211475; PMCID: PMC7083729.
Munger AM, Ibe IK, Rottmann D, Conway D, Costa J, Lindskog DM. Synovial Myxoma: Found in Canines, Rabbits, and Now Humans Too?: A Case Report. JBJS Case Connect. 2020 Jan-Mar;10(1):e0490. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.CC.19.00490. PMID: 32224675.
Munger AM, Gonsalves NR, Sarkisova N, Clarke E, VandenBerg CD, Pace JL. Confirming the Presence of Unrecognized Meniscal Injuries on Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients With Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears. J Pediatr Orthop. 2019 Oct;39(9):e661-e667. doi: 10.1097/BPO.0000000000001331. PMID: 30628976.
Munger AM, Heckmann N, McKnight B, Dusch MN, Hatch GF 3rd, Omid R. Revisiting the Gender Gap in Orthopaedic Surgery: Investigating the Relationship Between Orthopaedic Surgery Female Faculty and Female Residency Applicants. J Am Acad Orthop Surg. 2019 Apr 15;27(8):295-300. doi: 10.5435/JAAOS-D-17-00686. PMID: 30278014.
Munger AM, Geddes BJ, Lee FY. Defining preoperative imaging findings of sacral chordomas associated with decreased overall survival and local recurrence. J Spine Surg. 2019 Mar;5(1):171-173. doi: 10.21037/jss.2019.03.04. PMID: 31032452; PMCID: PMC6465459.
Munger AM, Chow DC, Playford MP, Parikh NI, Gangcuangco LM, Nakamoto BK, Kallianpur KJ, Ndhlovu LC, Shikuma CM, Mehta NN. Characterization of lipid composition and high-density lipoprotein function in HIV-infected individuals on stable antiretroviral regimens. AIDS Res Hum Retroviruses. 2015 Feb;31(2):221-8. doi: 10.1089/AID.2014.0239. Epub 2014 Dec 29. PMID: 25416403; PMCID: PMC4313425.