{"aiVersion":"1","content":{"id":"cmsl3ly3y0004r1bcloh7czef","slug":"how-a-hand-surgeon-helped-save-fingers-the-life-an-20260809","title":"How a Hand Surgeon Helped Save Fingers: The Life and Work of James R. Urbaniak","level":"EASY","publishedAt":"2026-08-09T01:02:47.807Z"},"topic":{"slug":"how-a-hand-surgeon-helped-save-fingers-the-life-an-20260809","category":"science"},"article":{"paragraphs":["James R. Urbaniak was an American orthopedic hand surgeon at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. He served as chief of orthopaedic surgery and taught many residents and fellows. He was born in Fairmont, West Virginia, in 1936. He died on July 18, 2026, at age 90.","In the 1970s he helped start Duke’s replantation team and used an operating microscope to repair fingers and hands. He wrote many scientific papers and helped create a way to classify ring avulsion injuries, now called the Urbaniak classification. His work helped surgeons save injured fingers and return patients to work."],"wordCount":98,"readTime":1},"vocabulary":[{"word":"surgeon","example":"The surgeon repaired the injured finger.","phonetic":"/ˈsɝ.dʒən/","definition":"a doctor who performs operations"},{"word":"replantation","example":"The hospital performed a replantation on the fingertip.","phonetic":"/ˌriː.plænˈteɪ.ʃən/","definition":"surgery to reattach a cut-off body part, such as a finger"},{"word":"microscope","example":"The surgeon used a microscope during the operation.","phonetic":"/ˈmaɪ.krə.skoʊp/","definition":"an instrument that makes very small things look larger"}],"quiz":[{"answer":"James R. Urbaniak","question":"Who was the surgeon in this article?"},{"answer":"Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.","question":"Where did he work?"},{"answer":"July 18, 2026.","question":"When did he die?"}],"discussion":[{"question":"Do you know anyone who had a hand injury? What happened?"},{"question":"Have you ever needed to learn a new skill for work or school? How did you learn it?"},{"question":"What do you think is important when a doctor teaches students?"}]}