How did you become linked with ice hockey?
I was a team physician for the University of Minnesota hockey team, which won
two national championships at the time, and was asked to write a column called
"The Hockey Doc" for Let's Play Hockey on how to identify and best treat injuries
in the sport. Readers send injury questions, and I try to direct them to the best
treatment options. I've been writing the column 20-plus years, and it has helped
many youth hockey players get back on the ice to play the sport they love.
You've published 500 peer-reviewed papers and authored 100-plus
book chapters. What has all that research taught you?
Research made me a more astute clinician, a more proficient, efficient
surgeon and has helped me find ways to treat complex knee injuries that
weren't well-known until my colleagues and I started our work about two
decades ago. We've used every research project to advance the treatment
of many knee pathologies, and I'm very proud of what we've done.
You've operated on Olympians and pro and college athletes. What
can top athletes teach us about maximizing the recovery process?
We've learned how to accelerate rehabilitation after surgery. The acceler-
ated rehab and progression programs recommended for elite athletes can
be applied to all patients to improve their outcomes. It's not uncommon
for elite athletes to get an MRI every one or two months to see how their
recoveries are progressing. Findings from their case studies can help us see
when injuries are healed enough to advance patients' rehab programs.
How can orthopods balance research with clinical expertise?
If they don't continue to grow, they'll fall behind and be unable to offer the
best treatments for patients. We're still making major advancements in
orthopedics. While not every surgeon can perform in-depth research, fol-
lowing their patients to determine objectively if their surgeries are working
is essential for quality outcomes. If surgeons don't at least stay up to date
with current research, they might not be performing cutting-edge care.
Any advice you'd offer leaders looking to recruit top orthopods?
Ensure they have adequate block time and resources to provide maxi-
mum outcomes. The facility's processes and equipment should be syn-
chronized to make sure a highly recruited surgeon can thrive. The oppor-
tunity to perform some research is also key. Surgeons should also have
access to high-quality surgical video that can be broadcast and saved
because of the increasing emphasis we have on using technology to
teach in our profession.
OSM
Dr. LaPrade (drrobertlaprademd.com) is a complex knee and orthopaedic sports
medicine surgeon at Twin Cities Orthopedics in Edina, Minn.
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Q & A
Performing Complex Surgery and Cutting-Edge Research
Robert F. LaPrade, MD, PhD, pioneer surgeon and "The Hockey Doc."
