Orthopedic surgeon, and co-founder of the Palm Beach Orthopedic Institute in Southern Florida, Robert Leonard Diaz passed away at the age of 86 on June 19, 2022. He died peacefully surrounded by family.
Co-founder of the Palm Beach Orthopedic Institute Robert Diaz Dies
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Remembrances#obituary#robertleonarddiaz
He was in practice with Dr. Bruce Waxman in Jupiter, Florida, before retiring in 2009. Besides helping found the Palm Beach Orthopedic Institute, Dr. Diaz was also instrumental in the opening of the Jupiter Medical Center in Jupiter, Florida.
His first experience in private practice was with Lichtblau, Hoover and Ford in West Palm Beach, Florida. He was one of the first doctors to perform total hip arthroplasty at St. Mary’s Hospital.
Dr. Diaz was in practice for 61 years and became a nationally recognized opinion leader and expert in the practice of treating hip and knee osteoarthritis and hip and knee arthroplasty.
Diaz was born on April 19, 1936, in Brooklyn, New York, to Leonard Manuel Diaz and Doris Marshall Diaz. His family eventually settled in Baldwin, New York, on Long Island where he attended Baldwin High School. He graduated from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and earned his medical from Hahnemann Medical School in Philadelphia.
He then went on to the world famous Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan for his orthopedic training. Before starting private practice as an orthopedic surgeon, he served two years in the U.S. Army.
Diaz loved the outdoors and the adventurous South Florida lifestyle. He loved to boat, fish and ski. He was also an avid reader, played the banjo, and a had soft spot for dogs. After retiring, he spent a lot of time in the mountains of Cashiers, North Carolina.
He is survived by his wife Teresa, his two children, Robert Diaz, Jr., and Susan Walker, and former son-in-law Bear Walker. He is also survived by his three grandchildren: Dakota Walker, Makenzie Walker and Bella Walker. He was predeceased by his former wife Barbara Price.
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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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