Dr. Robert F. LaPrade, Vail, Colorado orthopaedic knee surgeon, has been chosen for the “Orthopaedic Nobel Prize” for his research on the treatments for posterolateral (PLC) knee injuries. The 2013 OREF Clinical Research Award was given to Dr. LaPrade by The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, and the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. He was chosen for his submitted paper, “Improving Outcomes for Posterolateral Knee Injuries”.
Located on the outside of the knee joint, the posterolateral corner of the knee functions to stabilize the knee against direct or external forces. PLC knee injuries are usually considered complex in nature and can be devastating for athletes because this injury can seriously impact athletic performance.
Dr. LaPrade, who serves as the Chief Medical Research Officer for the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, along with his team of research collaborators have intensely studied PLC diagnostic approaches, surgical techniques, and post-op protocols, and have spent time tracking patient outcomes related to each over many years. According to Dr. LaPrade, “This award solidly validates our research strategy of defining the anatomy, developing improved means of diagnosing a problem, redefining the clinically relevant biomechanics, developing improved radiographic diagnostic measures, developing biomechanically validated ligament reconstructions, and then validating these reconstructions in patient outcomes studies.”
See full story: “Orthopaedic Nobel Prize” Awarded to Vail Knee Surgeon Dr. Robert LaPrade for Research on Treatments for Posterolateral Knee Injuries
