MOORESVILLE, Indiana – Culture,
language and 12,000 miles might separate this Hoosier town and China, but they
pose no barrier in the quest to provide a continuum of care for orthopedic
patients wherever they might reside.
That’s one of the reasons why surgeon
Robert A. Malinzak, MD, is among a team of experts traveling to the Far East March
25 to April 2. They will participate in lectures with orthopedic physicians at
Chinese hospitals and a similar institution in Bangkok, Thailand.
“More than anything, this is an
opportunity to share ideas – to teach and learn from one another,” said Dr.
Malinzak, a member
of Franciscan Physician Network Joint
Replacement Surgeons (JRSI) at Franciscan St. Francis
Health-Mooresville. “Sharing our
findings with professionals in our common field enables us to change and
improve patient outcomes for years to come.”
As
the only orthopedic surgeon on his team, Dr. Malinzak will teach at hospitals
and lecturing at various locations.
Dr.
Malinzak, who practices at the internationally
recognized Center for Hip & Knee Surgery (CHKS), said much of their discussions will
focus on partial knee, total knee and hip replacement procedures. Studies
suggest that implant technology such as partial knee implants provide more
natural motion and faster recovery times for patients.
“Ultimately,
our goal is to find ways to deliver better and safer care to our patients and
to improve the quality of their lives,” said Dr. Malinzak, who has led collaborative
teams between the JRSI Research Foundation, CHKS and the Orthopaedic Biomedical Engineering Laboratory at Rose
Hulman Institute of Technology.
This
isn’t the first time the orthopedic surgeon has traveled abroad to share his
expertise. He has participated in several Operation Walk medical missions
alongside CHKS founder Merrill A. Ritter, MD, to treat patients with orthopedic
disorders.
Dr. Malinzak, who joined CHKS in 2004 after completing a fellowship in
joint reconstruction and sports medicine, was inducted last fall into the European
Hip Society, a prestigious, nonprofit scientific association based in
Innsbruck, Austria. The organization focuses on advancements in hip surgery,
traumatology of the hip, prosthetic surgery, biomechanics and basic science
topics relating to the hip.
A Fellow in the American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Dr. Malinzak also has been widely published in
professional medical journals and holds editorial leadership roles with Current Orthopaedic Practice and Journal
of Arthroplasty. He is the lead author of a peer-reviewed book, First Aid for the Orthopaedic Boards.
In 2012, he was
honored with his selection for the Knee Society John N. Insall Travelling Knee
Fellowship. Each year, four physicians are selected and visit elite medical
centers such as the CHKS to learn about the latest innovations in orthopedic
surgery.
More recently, Dr.
Malinzak has been invited to participate in the Global Oxford Knee Masters
Symposium in the United Kingdom next fall. This gathering brings together
surgeons, engineers and faculty who have contributed to the continued success
of the Oxford Mobile Bearing Partial Knee Replacement implant device.
Founded in 1986, CHKS became one of the first orthopedic
centers of excellence in the United States. Since then, CHKS surgeons have
performed more than 40,000 total joint replacements and has become one of the
leading joint replacement centers in the world.
