Developing Orthopedics

Ernest U. (Chappie) Conrad III, M.D.

Cortisone-induced avascular necrosis in an experimental model - (John M. Clark, Jr., M.D., Ph.D.)

Harborview Medical Center

James D. Bruckner, M.D. and Joel Hoekema, M.D.

The UW Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Logo

Together we can develop Orthopedics

Recipe for success

Our success is due to an outstanding faculty who are world renown for their expertise in evaluation and management of patients with bone and joint problems and to the first class medical facilities offered by the University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center, the Sports Medicine Clinic, and the Veterans' Medical Center. A third and most important ingredient in our recipe for success are the research programs that enable our faculty to remain on the cutting edge of knowledge and treatment.

These research programs are made possible in large part by donations and gifts that permanently establish endowed chair programs in areas of importance to our patients. The interest from these chairs is directed exclusively at the targeted area, be it trauma, spine surgery or shoulder and elbow. Without these endowments, research in Orthopedics and Sports Medicine would be slowed to a crawl. With them, strong programs arise which then, in turn, help bring in additional resources from industry and from federal granting agencies such as the NIH.

Endowments and Research

The Ernest M. Burgess Jr. Endowed Chair for Orthopedic Research has made possible investigations in osteoporosis, the most common bone disease affecting most women over the age of 60. One of the many developments has been a new method for the early detection of this condition.

The Sigvard T. Hansen Jr. Endowed Chair for Traumatology Research has enabled many research projects regarding better methods for managing fractures, especially in the severely injured patient.

The Jerome H. Debs II Endowed Chair supports the investigation of injured extremities, particularly the foot and ankle.

The Surgical Dynamics Endowed Chair for Spine Research supports cutting edge spine research, especially regarding new methods for repairing spines damaged by injury or degeneration.

The Douglas T. Harryman II/DePuy Endowed Chair supports the study of new methods for managing shoulder and elbow problems, such as arthritis, rotator cuff tears and dislocations.

Opportunities for the future

We have some new and exciting opportunities for developing orthopedics. We are half way toward the creation of the first ever Endowed Chair for Women's Sports Medicine and Fitness.

We have launched a campaign to outfit the new Orthopedic Science Laboratories at the Harborview Research and Training Building. We are underway with a campaign to support University of Washington Sports Medicine as it moves into its new home in the Hec Edmundson Pavilion.

We are also initiating endowment programs to support research in bone and soft tissue tumors, hand and microvascular surgery, pelvic and hip surgery, arthritis, and pediatric orthopedics.

How can I be a part of Developing Orthopedics?

How can I be a part of Developing Orthopedics?

If you have a particular interest in learning more about any of the programs mentioned above or in starting something completely new, please let us know. We'd love to hear your ideas.

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The Story of the UW Orthopedics Logo

The term "Orthopedics" was coined by French physician Nicolas Andre in 1741, from Latin words meaning "straight child." The emblem of orthopedics has historically been that of a crooked tree being straightened by making it grow next to a straight splint, implying that, with proper care and guidance, crooked bones could be made straight.

In the early 1980s, hand surgeon Alan Bach created a logo for the University of Washington Department of Orthopedics that shows a Douglas fir next to Seattle's own version of the straight splint: the Space Needle.