Richard Steadman

Dr. Richard Steadman is a knee specialist surgeon practising in Vail, Colorado and a Clinical Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas.

Biography

Born in Texas, Steadman received his undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University, while also playing American football for Bear Bryant. Steadman graduated from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

Following internship, two years in the US Army, and residency at Charity Hospital in New Orleans; Steadman moved to Lake Tahoe, California where he practised orthopaedics, with increasing emphasis on the treatment of knee disorders.

Steadman developed special surgical techniques which allowed several US Ski Team members to return to competition and win Olympic medals. In 1976 he was named Chief Physician for the United States Ski Team. In 1989, his work was recognized with his election to the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame.

In 1990, Steadman moved to Vail, Colorado, and with Dr. Richard Hawkins, a specialist in shoulder disorders, formed the Steadman-Hawkins clinic. He started a non-profit sports medicine foundation in order to conduct research on knee surgery and rehabilitation projects, known as the Steadman-Hawkins Sports Medicine Foundation. Steadman has developed numerous techniques for knee surgery and rehabilitation that have made him a world-renowned expert on sports injuries.

In 2001, Steadman was inducted into the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame, for his skills in extending the careers of various skiers.

One of the key accomplishments in his role with the U.S. Ski Team was providing early direction in the little known area of sport science. Today, the Team's sport science program is considered the best in the world within the sport and one of the most important factors in the recent success of U.S. Ski Team and U.S. Snowboarding athletes.

Famous clients

Due to his specialisation in knee surgery, and the increasing strain on sports stars to create quick movement creating additional strain and failure on the knee joint, Steadman has an expanding list of world-famous sports clients:

* American Football - Terrell Davis, John Elway, Joe Montana, Dan Marino, Bruce Smith, Rod Woodson
* Association Football - Craig Bellamy, Patrik Berger, Jimmy Bullard, Park Ji-Sung, John Kennedy, Henrik Larsson, Martin Laursen, Joleon Lescott, Lothar Matthäus, Ian Durrant,Ruud van Nistelrooy, Michael Owen, Alessandro Del Piero, Ronaldo, Alan Shearer, Jamie Redknapp, Roy Keane, Lee Wilkie, Ricardo Gardner, Scott Dobie,Mark Wilson, Linvoy Primus, Mark Delaney, Peter Ramage, James Vaughan, Richard Rufus, Giles Barnes
* Basketball - Kobe Bryant; who while attending the clinic in July 2003 was accused of rape [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2004-09-01-kobe-bryant-case_x.htm USATODAY.com - Judge dismisses Bryant rape case ] ] .
* Boxing - Vitali Klitschko
* Cricket - Simon Jones, Michael Vaughan, Ashley Giles
* Golf - Peter Jacobsen, Greg Norman
* Skiing - Bode Miller, Picabo Street, Pernilla Wiberg, Anja Pärsson
* Tennis - Martina Navratilova, Monica Seles

Outside of the sports world, US vice-president Dick Cheney is another ex-client of Steadman.

See also

* Microfracture surgery

References

External links

* [http://www.steadman-hawkins.com Steadman Hawkins clinic]
* [http://www.skimuseum.net/hof/RichardSteadman.html Citation at the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame]
* [http://www.knee1.com/hero/hero.cfm/19/1 Interview on his microfracture technique]