Dr. Thomas Bemenderfer

Headshot of Dr. Thomas Bemenderfer at South Bend Orthopaedics

Dr. Thomas Bemenderfer

Dr. Bemenderfer is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle trauma, degenerative arthritis, and deformity correction.

South Bend Orthopaedics expert knee care icon with a white x-ray of a foot in a dark blue circle

Orthopedic Foot & Ankle Surgeon at South Bend Orthopaedics

Profile

Specialties

Education

Appointment

Profile

 

Dr. Bemenderfer is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in foot and ankle trauma, degenerative arthritis, and deformity correction. He earned his Bachelor of Science-Business at the University of Notre Dame. He earned his Medical Degree from the Indiana University School of Medicine and Master of Business Administration from the Kelley School of Business. He was a chief resident in orthopaedic surgery at the Carolinas Medical Center and trained under the mentorship of Drs. Bob Anderson, Hodges Davis, Kent Ellington, Carroll Jones, Todd Irwin, and Scott Shawen in Charlotte, North Carolina. He then completed a foot and ankle fellowship at the Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan further learning to manage complexities of the lower extremity under the guidance of Drs. John Anderson, Donald Bohay, and John Maskill.

Dr. Bemenderfer continues his medical education regularly, through research articles and courses on the latest techniques. His current scholastic interests include total ankle arthroplasty and minimally invasive techniques in foot and ankle surgery. His mission is to provide excellent patient care, restore and optimize function, and improve quality of life of his patients.

Outside of work, Dr. Bemenderfer devotes his time to his family. He and his wife, Sara, have one young son who fills each day with love and laughter. The Bemenderfer’s are avid Notre Dame fans. You can regularly spot Dr. Bemenderfer with his family decked out in ND gear and cheering on the Irish.

University of Notre Dame

  • Consulting Physician

Team Experience

  • Carolina Panthers
  • Charlotte, North Carolina, High School Football
  • Northwestern University

Medical Society Memberships

  • AOA C. McCollister Evarts Leadership Resident
  • SOCIETES AOA Carolyn L. Kuckein Student Research Fellow
  • James Gordan Kidd, JR MD Research Fellow
  • American Medical Association Member & Representative
  • American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society
  • American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society, Practice Management Committee Member

Local & National Recognition 

  • Top Five Articles. Foot & Ankle Specialist. Does Patient-Specific Instrumentation Have a Higher Rate of Early Osteolysis Than Standard Referencing Techniques in Total Ankle Arthroplasty? A Radiographic Analysis 2021
  • BEST Orthopedic Surgeons in Michiana 2023

Publications

1. Wally MK, Bemenderfer TB, McKnight RR, Gorbaty JD, Jeray K, Seymour RB, Karunakar MA. Quality and Content
of Internet-Based Information for Osteoporosis and Fragility Fracture Diagnoses. JAAOSGRR 2021
2. McCauley R, Shariff F, Steinberg M, Bemenderfer TB, Davis P, Thompson M, Lesh C, Walsh M, Evans E. Blunt
Thoracic Trauma-Induced Mitral Papillary Muscle Avulsion with Pericardial Rupture and Cardiac Herniation:
Difficult and Delayed Diagnoses. Case Reports in Surgery 2020
3. Bemenderfer TB, Boersma JB, Pryor MJ, Maskill JD, Anderson JG, Bohay DR. Outcome of Concomitant First
Metatarsophalageal and Tarsometatarsal Arthrodesis for Severe Hallux Valgus. FAO 2020
4. Bemenderfer TB, Boersma JB, Bohay DR, Anderson JG, Maskill JD. Long-term Outcomes of Coalition Resection in
Adult Tarsal Coalition. FAO 2020
5. Bemenderfer TB, Boersma JB, Pryor MJ, Maskill JD, Bohay DR, Anderson JG. Outcome of Bunion Correction with
First Tarsometatarsal Arthrodesis in Adult Acquired Flatfoot Deformity Correction. FAO 2020
6. Bemenderfer TB, Boersma JB, Maskill JD, Anderson JG, Bohay DR. Long-term Outcomes of Immediate
Weightbearing with Anchorless Achilles Debridement and Secondary Reconstruction for Insertional Achilles
Tendonopathy. FAO 2020
7. Bemenderfer TB, Davis WH, Anderson RB, Wing KJ, Escudero MI, Waly F, Penner MJ. Heterotopic Ossification in
Total Ankle Arthroplasty: Case Series and Systematic Review. JFAS 2020
8. Ellington JK, Raikin S, Bemenderfer TB. What Strategies Can Be Implemented to Help Isolate the Causative Organism
in Patients with Infection of the Foot and Ankle? FAI 2019
9. Ellington JK, Bemenderfer TB. What Are the Indications for One-Stage Versus Two-Stage Exchange Arthroplasty in
Management of the Infected Total Ankle Arthroplasty (TAA)? FAI 2019
10. Ellington JK, Hirose CB, Bemenderfer TB. What Is the Treatment “Algorithm” for Infection After Ankle or Hindfoot
Arthrodesis? FAI 2019
11. Escudero M, Symes M, Bemenderfer TB, Barahona M, Anderson RB, Davis H, Wing KJ, Penner MJ. Does PatientSpecific Instrumentation Have a Higher Rate of Early Osteolysis Than Standard Referencing Techniques in Total Ankle
Arthroplasty? A Radiographic Analysis. FAS 2019
12. Escudero M, Wing KJ, Waly F, Bemenderfer TB, Davis WH, Anderson RB, Penner MJ. The Infinity Total Ankle
System: Early clinical results with 2 to 4 year follow-up. FAS 2018
13. Behrens S, Bemenderfer TB, Schipper O, Anderson RB, Davis WH. Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Revision
Total Ankle Arthroplasty Using an Intramedullary Referencing Implant. Foot & Ankle Orthopaedics 2018
14. Bemenderfer TB, Anderson RB, Odum SM, Davis WH. Effects of Cryopreserved Amniotic Membrane-Umbilical Cord
Allograft on Total Ankle Arthroplasty Wound Healing. JFAS 2018
15. Bemenderfer TB, Ellington JK. Statements on Foot & Ankle Infections. International Consensus Meeting 2018
16. Bemenderfer TB, Rozario N, Moore C, Karunakar M. Morbidity and Mortality in Elective Total Hip Arthroplasty
Following Surgical Care Improvement Project Guidelines. JOA 2017
17. Bemenderfer TB, Rozario N, Moore C, Karunakar M. Morbidity and Mortality in Elective Total Knee Arthroplasty
Following Surgical Care Improvement Project Guidelines. JOA 2016
18. Bogdan Y, Tornetta P, Leighton R, Dahn U, Sagi H, Nalley C, Sanders D, Siegel J, Mullis B, Bemenderfer T, Vallier
H, Boyd A, Schmidt A, Westberg JR, Egol K, Kottmeier S, Collinge C. Treatment and Complications in Orthopaedic
Trauma Patients with Symptomatic Pulmonary Embolism. JOT 2014
19. Harris JS, Bemenderfer TB, Wessel A, Kacena MA. A Review of Mouse Critical Size Defect Models in Weight Bearing
Bones. Bone 2013
20. Bemenderfer TB, Harris JS, Condon K, Kacena MA. Tips and Techniques for Processing and Sectioning Undecalcified
Murine Bone Specimens. In Hilton MK, Skeletal Development and Repair Protocols 2014
21. Jackson JB, Bemenderfer TB, Ellington JK. OKU: Lesser Toe Deformities. Orthopaedic Knowledge Update: Foot &
Ankle 2018

Specialties

Foot & Ankle

Education

Undergraduate

  • University of Notre Dame, South Bend, IN Two-Time Monogram, Football Magna Cum Laude

Medical School

  • Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN Junior AOA Honor Society

Residency

  • Carolinas Medical Center, Charlotte, NC

Fellowship in Foot & Ankle Surgery

  • Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan, Grand Rapids, MI

Board Certification

  • American  Board of Orthopedic Surgery

Appointment

Practice Locations

Hospital & Surgery Center Locations

  • Memorial Hospital of South Bend
  • Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center – Mishawaka Campus
  • Allied Physicians Surgery Center, South Bend
  • Unity Medical & Surgical Hospital – Mishawaka

Dr. Bemenderfer Reviews


American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS)
The Indiana Orthopaedic Society
Unity Physicians Hospital
Saint Joseph Health System
University of Notre Dame
South Bend Lions Football Club
Notre Dame Orthopaedic Society (NDOS)
NASS | Advancing Global Spine Care
Beacon Health System
American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH)
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)
American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics (AOAO)
American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS)
The American Board of Plastic Surgery Inc.
American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS)
The American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS)
AAPA
American Board of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Inc. (ABFAS)
AAOS
American Association for Hand Surgery (AAHS)