Richard A. Berger, M.D., an assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Illinois, has been honored as the 102nd recipient of the Washington Award by the Western Society of Engineers. Dr. Berger received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Washington Award is presented to an engineer whose professional accomplishments have vastly advanced the welfare of humankind.
Richard A. Berger, M.D. Wins Top Engineering Award
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“I’m honored by this recognition from the Western Society of Engineers and proud to stand among the ranks of such impressive previous award recipients as Henry Ford, Orville Wright and Neil Armstrong,” said Dr. Berger. “As a medical doctor, I’m fortunate to have the engineering background to make some real innovations in the way we look at joint replacement.”
Dr. Berger has pioneered a minimally invasive hip and knee joint replacement that means surgeons can perform surgery without cutting any muscle, ligaments or tendons. He is the first surgeon to perform more than 11,000 outpatient joint replacements.
“Innovations like those made by Dr. Berger have not only made a tremendous impact on the fields of engineering and medicine, but on the lives of thousands of his patients, so we are proud to grant him the 2020 Washington Award,” said Christopher B. Burke, Ph.D., P.E., D.W.R.E., Dist.M.ASCE and CEO of Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd. Dr. Burke has served as chairman of the Chicagoland Engineers Week Steering Committee for the last 14 years. “Engineers Week is as much about looking at where we’ve been as it is about anticipating where we’re going and encouraging the next generation of engineers who will pioneer future innovations.”
“I am honored and humbled to receive the prestigious Washington Award. My career has been dedicated to merging orthopedics and engineering, but I never imagined the positive impact it would have on so many people. I am truly thankful to the Western Society of Engineers for recognizing my years of work in human motion.”
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This is a fascinating development. In my practice we've seen similar outcomes with the revised protocol. The key differentiator seems to be patient selection criteria. Has anyone else noticed the correlation with BMI thresholds?
Great point. I'd push back slightly on the conclusion, the sample size in the cited study is too small to draw population-level inferences. That said, the directional signal is compelling and worth a larger RCT.
We implemented a similar approach last year. Early results are promising but we're still gathering 12-month follow-up data. Happy to share our protocol if anyone is interested.
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