Bruce Heppenstall, M.D., an orthopedic legend at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, passed away on January 4, 2024.
Bruce Heppenstall, M.D., Penn Medicine Institution, Dies at Age 82
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Remembrances#obituary#bruceheppenstall
His tenure with Penn started when he completed a residency in orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1969.
Dr. Heppenstall spent a year in San Francisco, California, for a fellowship at the University of California-San Franciso before returning to Penn.
At the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, he focused his research on wound healing and the treatment of fractures under the mentorship of Drs. Edgar Ralson and Carl Brighton. Dr. Heppenstall authored three authoritative textbooks and multiple peer-reviewed and widely cited journal articles on the practice and art of fracture treatment. His first book was published in 1980 and is still used by medical students today.
Dr. Heppenstall was one of the first orthopedic surgeons to recognize the importance of soft tissue management in traumatic injuries. He collaborated with the renowned biophysicist Dr. Britton Chance on the metabolic effect of tissue ischemia. Heppenstall served both as a researcher, orthopedic surgeon and served as Chief of Fracture Service at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Heppenstall served as the Chief of Orthopedic Surgery at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center. For his pioneering work in fracture biology, Heppenstall was awarded the Kappa Delta Award at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 1986.
He was also a member of the prestigious 20th Century Orthopedic Association and was loved and respected by his colleagues and patients.
When Dr. Heppenstall retired in 2016, after 45 years serving the global community of orthopedic physicians and patients, he was the Associate Chair and Professor Emeritus at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
The Annual Bruce Heppenstall Trauma Lectureship was created to honor his impact on the field of orthopedic surgery.
Heppenstall was born on October 26, 1941, to Alfred and Edna Heppenstall in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Before moving to the United States, he earned both an engineering and medical degree from the University of Manitoba in 1962 and 1966, respectively.
He also conducted post-doctoral work at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg and completed a general surgery internship and residency at the Winnipeg General Hospital.
When he wasn’t engrossed with research or serving his patients, Heppenstall loved to travel and go sailing along Long Beach Island with family and friends. When he was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease later in his retirement, he moved to California to be closer to his children. He is survived by his son Mark David and his daughter Darcy, his former wives Carol Heppenstall and Betty Jane Bruck, and his stepchildren Christopher Bruck and Matthew Bruck.
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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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