Dr. Nirschl has been honored by receiving the prestigious Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award.
ARLINGTON, VA, July 11, 2017 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Dr. Robert Nirschl is a celebrated Marquis Who's Who biographee. As in all Marquis Who's Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.
Marquis Who's Who, the world's premier publisher of biographical profiles, is proud to name Dr. Robert Nirschl a Lifetime Achiever. An accomplished listee, Dr. Nirschl celebrates many years of experience in his professional network, and has been noted for achievements, leadership qualities, and the credentials and successes he has accrued in his field.
About Robert Nirschl
Dr. Robert Nirschl is a graduate of the Medical College of Wisconsin (Marquette University) and received his orthopaedic surgery training at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. He holds a Master's Degree in orthopaedic surgery from the University of Minnesota. He served as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S. Navy as an orthopaedic surgeon after his residency at the Mayo Clinic, before joining the clinical faculty (orthopedic surgery) at Georgetown University Medical Center and starting private practice.
Dr. Nirschl's research of sports techniques produced new treatments for tendon injuries of the shoulder, elbow and lower extremities. The Nirschl operative procedure for elbow tendinosis (tennis and golfer's elbow), as well as his classification of pain phases and microscopic evaluation with pathologist Russell Stay (1979) of tendon failed healing (Angio-Fibroblastic Tendinosis), is utilized by physicians worldwide. Prior to Dr. Nirschl's research, failed tendon injury was erroneously thought to be an inflammatory process and inappropriately called tendinitis. With this new knowledge, Dr. Nirschl, along with Physical Therapist Janet Sobal, published the rehabilitation book Arm Care (1981, with revision 1996), an elbow rehabilitation exercise book. These exercises were subsequently published in Chinese. Although the initial exercise concepts were designed for the elbow, they are appropriate to all failed tendon regions such as shoulder rotator cuff, Achilles and Plantar Fasciitis. In addition, Dr. Nirschl recognized the need to avoid sport overuse, he filmed the tennis stroke mechanics of world class tennis players (initially the United States Davis Cup Team 1970) and compared these players to recreational tennis players. With this information, he recognized injury-producing patterns and recommending good stroke/sport mechanics, and accommodating equipment. In addition to decreasing abusive tennis overuse patterns he devised a system of hand measurement for proper tennis handle grip size and designed a series of Count'R Force braces to protect the elbow, wrist and lower extremities during tennis/sport participation. This program was published initially in the Physician and Sports Medicine (1973) and produced in a video program "Good Tennis is Good Medicine" by the network of continuing medical education (N.Y. 1976) and multiple publications thereafter. Dr. Nirschl was an early innovator in the use of reinforcing patch grafts for the repair of rotator cuff tears (1988-Video Journal of Orthopedics)) and devised a unique repair of shoulder separation to allow the first polio paraplegic patient to attempt to swim the English Channel, not only once but twice, reaching a distance of 18 miles.
Dr. Nirschl was one of the first in the world to publish the bone patella bone technique for Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) reconstruction of the knee (1967). Following the lead of Dr. Fred Allman, Dr. Nirschl was the second physician in America to incorporate sports fitness exercise equipment in a medical physical therapy unit (1974). He also recognized the value of the tension cord resistance. Introducing the term Isoflex and publishing a monograph of exercise (1991). In 1959, while still an orthopaedic resident at the Mayo clinic, Dr. Nirschl was one of the first physicians to recognize the potential harm of two surgical procedures widely accepted at the time: total meniscectomy of the knee (risk of arthritis) and excessive Acromioplasty in rotator cuff surgery (risk of delayed rehabilitation, injury to deltoid muscle). His recommendations concerning shoulder surgery published initially in the Clinics of Sports Medicine 1988 and The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Instructional Course Lectures 1989).
Dr. Nirschl is the founding partner of Nirschl Orthopaedic Center for Sports Medicine and Joint Reconstruction and was the Founder and Director of the Nirschl Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship program for 25 years. He is board certified in orthopaedic surgery and served nationally on the Board of Councilors for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery and the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. He also served as President of the Virginia Orthopaedic Society and the Arlington County Medical Society. Dr. Nirschl has been visiting professor and lecturer at numerous medical universities, presented on orthopedic and sports medicine topics in 8 foreign countries, and was invited speaker at the 100 year anniversary celebration of the founding of the Orthopedic Department at The Mayo Clinic (2010).
Dr. Nirschl was a founding member of the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Sports Science Committee. He has operated on world class athletes including past Wimbledon Champions. Dr. Nirschl served as an Orthopaedic Surgery Consultant to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports under the Reagan administration. He has been recognized by his peers as one of the area's "Top Doctors" for many years in such publications as Washingtonian Magazine and Northern Virginia Magazine, and has been listed in top doctors in America by the Consumers' Research Council of America. Dr. Nirschl is also profiled in Marquis Who's Who in Medicine, Who's Who in America and Who's Who in the World. Dr. Nirschl has been profiled in Sports Illustrated, U.S. News and World Report, Washingtonian and Virginia Business Magazines and has made many television appearances regarding athletic injuries, including on ABC's Good Morning America. He was Chief Medical Editor for Orthopedics Today, an international publication. He has written 54 medical book chapters and 65 medical articles (published in international journals). He served on the editorial board of The Medical Sentinel, "Physicians and Sports Medicine" and was medical contributor to World Tennis Magazine (51 medical articles). In addition he has published numerous sports medicine and health fitness articles in medical magazines and newspapers.
Dr. Nirschl has been honored by receiving the prestigious Mayo Clinic Distinguished Alumni Award. He has also received the Lifetime Career Award from the Virginia Orthopaedic Society, The Welburn Award for community service from the Arlington County Medical Society; The Achievement Award from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; Marquis Who's Who Lifetime Achievement Award; The Virginia Board of Medicine Service Award; Outstanding Service Medal, highest civilian award from the Uniformed Medical School (USUHS); Georgetown University Vicennial Medal; Distinguished Service Awards from the Virginia Athletic Directors Association and Arlington Secondary School Athletic Council. Dr. Nirschl has served as orthopaedic consultant and team physician for Marymount University and many local Virginia high schools. He holds four U.S. patents on functional Count'R-Force sports braces. These braces allow patients to participate more safely in athletic activities.
Dr. Nirschl was a founding mentor in the development of the United States Military Medical School Family Practice Sports Medicine Fellowship Program (1990) and Founding Director of the Nirschl/Virginia Hospital Center Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. Dr. Nirschl has mentored hundreds of medical students, family practice residents, orthopaedic surgery residents, family practice sports medicine fellows and post-graduate orthopedic sports medicine fellows. Two of his fellows, Francis O'Connor, M.D. and Robert Wilder, M.D., have become chairmen of medical school departments and have dedicated their 2014 951-page book Running Medicine to Dr. Nirschl, whom they call their most important and influential mentor.
His words of wisdom and humorous quips, referred to as Nirschlisms, not only put patients at ease but help them gain a better understanding of their injury. The most famous Nirschlism's used worldwide are: "You don't play a sport to get in shape. You get in shape to play a sport," and "The goal of sport is not good health, the goal is to win".
Dr. Nirschl's wisdom is constantly sought out for consultation and second opinions. His dedication to his patients and his contribution to the understanding and treatment of sports and tendon injuries and advancement of modern medicine have helped, and continue to help, generations of patients worldwide.
About Marquis Who's Who :
Since 1899, when A. N. Marquis printed the First Edition of Who's Who in America , Marquis Who's Who has chronicled the lives of the most accomplished individuals and innovators from every significant field of endeavor, including politics, business, medicine, law, education, art, religion and entertainment. Today, Who's Who in America remains an essential biographical source for thousands of researchers, journalists, librarians and executive search firms around the world. Marquis publications may be visited at the official Marquis Who's Who website at www.marquiswhoswho.com.
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