Guest Speaker

Richard H. Rothman, M.D., Ph.D., was born in Philadelphia and educated at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree with a major in History in 1958, and thereafter graduated from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1962. He received a Ph.D. Degree in Anatomy at Thomas Jefferson University in 1965. He has practiced academic Orthopaedic Surgery in Philadelphia since that time founding the Rothman Institute, which is one of the country’s largest academic orthopaedic departments and serves as Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Thomas Jefferson University Medical School.

He has been on the Board of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and also was a Trustee of the University of Pennsylvania and the Brandywine Museum. Among the awards he has received are the Sir John Charnley Award for outstanding service and achievement in total joint replacement and the Frank Stinchfield Award of the Hip Society.

In addition to his practice of orthopaedic surgery he currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Arthroplasty, which is the most widely read peer-reviewed journal dedicated to total joint replacement. He has published 225 original research papers and 15 orthopaedic textbooks encompassing spine and joint replacement surgery.

Among his notable achievements in the field of research was the development of the Accolade total hip system, which has become one of the most prominent and widely used hip systems in the United States, Australia, Canada, and Asia. This artificial hip has been used in over 200,000 patients and helped restore them to active independent lifestyles. This system is notable for its high level of effectiveness, durability, surgical precision and ease. It has won large acceptance among the community of total joint replacement surgeons.

Dr. Rothman has also been active in the development improvement of highly cross-linked polyethylene bearings including Crossfire and X3, as well as the continued development of the Trident shell.

His business interests include founding and acting as Chairman of the Board of Specialty Care Network, a publicly held company now known as Healthgrades. He has served as an advisor for the Carlyle Group in the healthcare space.

He has been extremely active in undergraduate and graduate medical education continuing programs related to total joint replacement. He has traveled and lectured extensively throughout the United States, Europe and particularly during recent years in Asia including extensive teaching assignments in China, India and Korea. He has helped many hundreds of European, American and Asian surgeons learn contemporary surgical techniques, modern perioperative management skills, and better pain control systems. His techniques used for the prevention of fatal pulmonary embolism have proven to be highly effective and widely used during the past 10 years.

Many thousands of patients have benefited from his research and teaching efforts. His orthopaedic institute in Philadelphia now embraces 55 full-time physicians and is a model of high quality, affordability, and compassion.

His wife and four children are an integral part of his life and share his interest in mountain climbing, running, and support of education and the arts.