Three orthopedic surgeons and experts have received awards for their life's work in 2022.
Louis Gerstenfeld, PhD, a professor of orthopedic surgery at the Boston University School of Medicine, earned the first Lifetime Achievement Award from the Orthopedic Research Society International Section of Fracture Repair. He was nominated for pioneering scientific advancements through cross-disciplinary collaboration and technology, his service on several committees and his mentorship.
Dr. Gerstenfeld studied skeletal biology for more than 35 years and has conducted several studies of pharmaceutical compounds for the treatment of fractures and osteoporosis. His lab was one of the first in the U.S. to develop in-vitro models of bone-forming cells and isolate the proteins and cDNA clones of the cell proteins. It also participated in a NASA study of the effect of weightlessness on bone cells for space shuttle launches in 1994 and 1995. He served on orthopedic research panels for the National Institutes of Health, NASA and the Defense Department and participated in special emphasis review panels for the FDA.
Stephen Snyder, MD, earned the Arthroscopy Association of North America's lifetime achievement award. He practices with the Southern California Orthopedic Institute in Los Angeles and was recognized for his contributions to shoulder surgery. His partnerships with device companies helped develop more than 50 surgical tools and products that have advanced patient outcomes. He was the first coordinator of the shoulder arthroscopy section and served on several association committees and on the association's board of directors.
Dr. Snyder is one of five founding partners of the Southern California Orthopedic Institute and began practicing there in 1981.
David Altchek, MD, was honored with New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery's lifetime achievement award. He is the hospital's co-chief emeritus of sports medicine and shoulder service. He has written more than 100 articles and served as North American medical director for the Association of Tennis Professionals and was a former team physician for the U.S. Davis Cup tennis team. He is a clinical orthopedic professor at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City. He has previously received honors from the Association of American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and New York City-based Columbia University.
Other awards he has earned include the T. Campbell Thompson Award for Outstanding Achievement in Orthopaedic Surgery, the Eastern Orthopaedic Association Fellowship Award and the John Jay Award for Distinguished Professional Achievement.