Distinguished Contribution in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery
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Distinguished Contribution in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

ABOUT THE AWARD

Recognition and Selection

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Criteria for Distinguished Contribution in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

Candidates should:

  1. Have made sustained and meaningful contributions to shoulder and/or elbow surgery through scholarship, education, leadership, or other significant contributions to the field, with international recognition by their peers.
  2. Have a demonstrated history of involvement with ICSES, which may include attendance, scientific presentations, moderating sessions, named lectureships, or other meaningful participation.
  3. Be nominated by a recognized national or international shoulder and elbow society. I think this is also a nice opportunity to strengthen communication between the international societies and IBSES.
  4. Collectively, the awardees should appropriately represent both shoulder and elbow surgery rather than allowing the award to become predominantly shoulder-focused.
  5. Attend the ICSES meeting in person to receive the award.

Nomination and Selection Process

  1. International shoulder and elbow societies will be invited to submit nominations (2-page nomination form attached) no later than six months prior to each triennial ICSES meeting.
  2. The IBSES Board will review the nominations and vote no later than three months prior to the ICSES meeting. Voting may occur electronically or during a conference call/Zoom meeting.
  3. Two-thirds majority of the IBSES Board will be required for selection.
  4. Selected recipients will be notified approximately three months in advance to allow adequate time for travel arrangements.
  5. Maximum number of recipients per meeting is 10.
  6. Maximum number of nominations per society is 4; maximum number of awardees per society is 2.

Exclusion Criteria

  1. Must be living.
  2. Cannot receive award more than once.

Distinguished Contributors

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Pascal Boileau, MD

Pascal Boileau, MD

Nice, France

number10

Pioneer of Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty

Awarded the Neer Award by the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) in 2005 for landmark research on reverse prosthesis outcomes in rotator cuff arthropathy.

number11

Creator of the Instability Severity Index Score (ISIS)

Developed the widely used scoring system guiding patient selection for arthroscopic Bankart repair, recognized with the Best Clinical Research Prize at the ICSS in 2007.

number12

Founder of Nice Shoulder Course

Launched and has chaired this biennial international congress since 1993, drawing shoulder surgeons from more than 50 countries.

number13

Past President of SECEC

Served as President of the European Society for Surgery of the Shoulder and the Elbow from 2010 to 2012, after serving as General Secretary from 2008 to 2010.

number14

Chief of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, CHU de Nice

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery since 1999 and Vice-Dean of Biomedical Research at the Université Côte d’Azur.

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Frances Cuomo, MD

Frances Cuomo, MD

New York, New York, USA

number10

First Woman President of ASES

The first female orthopaedic surgeon elected to the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Society , and the first woman to serve as its President. (27th President in 2010-2011)
number11

Editorial Leader for JSES

Serves as Secretary of the editorial board of the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery and reviews for numerous orthopaedic journals.

number12

Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Service, Montefiore

Joined Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Montefiore in October 2016 as Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Service; Associate Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
number13

Neer Fellowship-Trained Shoulder Specialist

Completed Charles S. Neer, II, Fellowship in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at New York Presbyterian/Columbia University Medical Center.
number14

Prolific Scholar and Educator

Published more than 40 scientific articles and 20 book chapters on shoulder disorders, and delivered over 150 national and international presentations.

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Osvandre Lech, MD
Osvandre Lech, MD

Sao Paulo, Brazil

number10

Immediate Past Chairman of IBSES

Chaired the International Board of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, the very organization now bestowing this award, and continues to serve on its board.
number11

Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Service, UFFS/HSVP/IOT

Has led shoulder and elbow service at the Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia in Passo Fundo, Brazil, for decades, building it into a major training center for Latin American surgeons
number12

Neer- and Bigliani-Trained Shoulder Pioneer

Joined Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Montefiore in October 2016 as Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Service; Associate Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

number13

Co-Chairman of 10th International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

Helped bring ICSES to Brazil in 2007 and later served as President of 40th Brazilian Orthopaedic Meeting (2008).
number14

International Educator and Editorial Leader

Serves as Chief Editor of Jornal da SBOT (Brazilian Society of Orthopaedics and Traumatology) and sits on editorial boards including the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Arthroplasty, while holding honorary membership in orthopaedic societies across Bolivia, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, and Puerto Rico.

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Robert Cofield, MD
Robert Cofield, MD

Rochester, Minnesota, USA

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Developer of Cofield Shoulder Prosthesis

Created a total shoulder arthroplasty system, in conjunction with Smith & Nephew, that remained in clinical use for more than three decades.
number11

Three-Decade Career at Mayo Clinic

Practiced adult reconstruction and shoulder surgery at Mayo Clinic from 1975 to 2008, contributing to more than 400 scientific publications.
number12

Founding Member and Past President of ASES

Founding member and served as 5th President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (1987–1989) after serving as the Society’s founding Secretary/Treasurer.
number13

Editor-in-Chief of JSES

Led the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery as Editor-in-Chief and later chaired its Board of Trustees.
number14

Past President of IBSES

Served as President of the International Board of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, the very organization now bestowing this honor.
number15

President of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Also served as Dean of Mayo’s Graduate School of Medicine and chaired national residency and graduate medical education committees.

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Osvandre Lech, MD
Frederick Matsen, MD

Seattle, Washington, USA

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Founder of the UW Shoulder Program

Trained under Charles Neer before returning to University of Washington in 1975 to build the first academic shoulder practice in the Pacific Northwest, later founding the UW Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship (1988) and Shoulder Research Program.
number11

Founding Member and Past President of ASES

A founding member of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, serving as its 7th President in 1991.
number12

Editor of the Definitive Shoulder Surgery Text

Co-edited 7 editions of Rockwood and Matsen’s The Shoulder with Charles Rockwood over more than 30 years, alongside authoring additional texts including Practical Evaluation and Management of the Shoulder.
number13

Longest-Tenured Department Chair at UW

Chaired the Department of Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine from 1986 to 2009, helping build it into a top-ranked program nationally.
number14

Innovator of the "Ream and Run" Procedure

Pioneered this alternative to conventional shoulder arthroplasty for active patients, and has published 435 articles on shoulder arthritis, instability, infection, and rotator cuff disease, as the inaugural holder of the Douglas T. Harryman II Endowed Chair in Shoulder Research.

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Osvandre Lech, MD
Tom R. Norris, MD

San Francisco, CA, USA

number10

Founding Member and Past President of ASES

A founding member of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, serving as the Society’s 17th President in 2000–2001, and later chairing the ASES/AAOS Biennial Course for multiple years (2002–2005).
number11

Trained Under Charles Neer

Developed his foundational interest in shoulder arthroplasty during residency at New York Orthopaedic Hospital, working alongside Dr. Charles Neer and Dr. Robert Carroll.
number12

Nearly Five Decades at the San Francisco Shoulder, Elbow & Hand Clinic

Joined the practice in 1978 and became a defining figure in shoulder and elbow reconstructive surgery across the Bay Area and internationally for over 40 years.
number13

Shoulder Prosthesis Design Innovator

Collaborated as clinical investigator and prosthetic designer with multiple industry partners (3M, DePuy, Tornier, Wright Medical) to advance shoulder implant technology, including techniques for glenoid bone loss reconstruction in RTSA
number14

Dedicated Educator and Mentor

Served as Fellowship Director for the Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship at California Pacific Medical Center/San Francisco Shoulder, Elbow & Hand Clinic, training generations of surgeons and serving as a bridge between Neer’s founding generation and today’s ASES community.

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Eiji Itoi, MD

Eiji Itoi, MD

Sendai, Japan

number10

President of 12th International Congress of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

Chaired the 12th ICSES Meeting in Tokyo, Japan in 2013.
number11

President of Japan Shoulder Society

Led Japan’s leading national shoulder society, alongside serving as Chairman of the ISAKOS Upper Extremity Committee.
number12

Two-Time Neer Award Recipient

Awarded ASES’s Charles S. Neer Award twice, recognizing outstanding contributions to shoulder research.
number13

Professor and Chair, Tohoku University School of Medicine

Headed the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Tohoku University in Sendai, later becoming President of Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine.
number14

Internationally Decorated Researcher

Also received Richard B. Caspari Award from ISAKOS and, twice, Jacques Duparc Award from EFORT, reflecting recognition across American, Asian, and European shoulder societies.

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Bernard F. Morrey, MD
Bernard F. Morrey, MD

Rochester, Minnesota, USA

number10

Father of Modern Elbow Surgery

Built a defining, decades-long body of work at Mayo Clinic (1978–2009) that established the elbow as a distinct subspecialty, authoring the definitive reference Morrey’s The Elbow and Its Disorders.
number11

Unprecedented Triple Presidency

A rare figure to have served as Past President of three major organizations: the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Association, and the 16th President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.
number12

Editorial and Institutional Leadership

Chaired Board of Trustees for both the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, and served eight years on Mayo Clinic’s Board of Governors.
number13

Prolific Author and Innovator

Authored 15 major textbooks under four titles (translated into six languages), holds nine patents for orthopaedic devices, and has published more than 450 peer-reviewed articles.
number14

Recognized Pillar of the Profession

Named a 2023 “Pillar of the Orthopaedic Profession” by the American Orthopaedic Association, and served as personal orthopaedic surgeon to President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush.

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Shawn O’Driscoll, MD/PhD
Shawn O’Driscoll, MD/PhD

Rochester, Minnesota, USA

number10

Pioneer of Elbow Instability Mechanics

Described posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow, a foundational concept that reshaped how surgeons understand and treat elbow dislocations and chronic instability.
number11

Designer of Widely Used Elbow Implants

Developed Congruent Elbow Plating System, the Anatomic Radial Head prosthesis, and the Latitude linkable Total Elbow Prosthesis.
number12

Innovator in Elbow Arthroscopy Safety

Devised a step-wise, safety-driven arthroscopic technique that significantly reduced the incidence of iatrogenic nerve injury during elbow arthroscopy, alongside a functional classification system for coronoid fractures that guides treatment worldwide.
number13

Founder of the Mayo "Teach the Teachers" Course

Established and directed this advanced surgical skills elbow course for 25 years, training generations of elbow surgeons in cutting-edge technique and biomechanics.
number14

Three-Decade Surgical and Research Career at Mayo Clinic

Maintained an active shoulder and elbow practice for over 30 years while publishing 317 peer-reviewed articles, frequently in collaboration with fellow Mayo giants and fellow 2026 IBSES awardees, Bernard Morrey and Robert Cofield.

Distinguished Contribution

Headshot of Robin Richards, MD
Robin Richards, MD

Toronto, Canada

number10

Surgeon-in-Chief Emeritus, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Led Department of Surgery as Head from 2001 to 2012 and served as Co-Director of Operating Room and Related Services, capping a career-long clinical focus on shoulder and elbow arthroplasty and upper extremity reconstruction.
number11

Vice-Chair, Clinical, University of Toronto Department of Surgery

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Temerty Faculty of Medicine, where he also endowed the Orthopaedic Surgery Education Fund to support innovative surgical training
number12

Past President of Canadian and Ontario Orthopaedic Associations

Also served as Secretary-Treasurer of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES)
number13

Editorial Leadership at JBJS

Serves as Deputy Editor of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and Co-Editor of JBJS Open Access.
number14

Specialist in Complex Upper Extremity Reconstruction

Also received Richard B. Caspari Award from ISAKOS and, twice, Jacques Duparc Award from EFORT, reflecting recognition across American, Asian, and European shoulder societies.

Distinguished Contribution

Graham King, MD
Graham King, MD

London, Ontario, Canada

number10

Developer of a Widely Used Elbow Implant

Co-developed an elbow replacement implant, with his team at the Roth | McFarlane Hand and Upper Limb Centre, that is now among the most widely used in the world.
number11

Founder of a Leading Elbow Bioengineering Program

Established Bioengineering Lab at Hand & Upper Limb Centre in 1992, building a program spanning medical biophysics, mechanical, and biomedical engineering that has attracted over 3 decades of peer-reviewed funding (CIHR, NSERC, and others).
number12

Prolific Researcher and Educator

Authored nearly 332 peer-reviewed journal articles and more than 50 book chapters on wrist and elbow biomechanics and computer/image-guided surgery, and has lectured as a visiting professor around the world.
number13

Past President, Canadian Orthopaedic Research Society

Recipient of Canadian Orthopaedic Association’s Award of Merit (2013), its highest honor, along with the Premier’s Research Excellence Award and the J. Edouard Samson Research Award..
number14

Lifetime Achievement Honoree

Awarded the Canadian Orthopaedic Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award (2025) for his career-spanning contributions to elbow and upper-limb teaching, research, and clinical care.

IBSES Distinguished Contribution in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery

Honoring individuals whose contributions have helped advance the field of shoulder and elbow surgery worldwide, the IBSES Distinguished Contribution Award recognizes sustained achievement, leadership, and service to the international community.

2026 (16th ICSES – Vancouver, Canada)

  1. Pascal Boileau, MD – France
  2. Frances Cuomo, MD – USA
  3. Osvandre Lech, MD – Brazil
  4. Robert H. Cofield, MD – USA
  5. Frederick A. Matsen, III, MD – USA
  6. Tom R. Norris, FACS, MD – USA
  7. Eiji Itoi, MD, PhD – Japan
  8. Bernard F. Morrey, MD – USA
  9. Shawn W. O’Driscoll, PhD, MD – USA
  10. Robin R. Richards, MD – Canada
  11. Graham J.W. King, MD, FRCSC – Canada

2023 (15th ICSES – Rome, Italy)

  1. Burkhead, Buz – USA
  2. Checchia, Sergio – Brazil
  3. Gohlke, Frank – Germany
  4. Maignon, Gaston – Argentina
  5. Randelli, Mario – Italy
  6. Resch, Herbert – Austria
  7. Sancristobal, Domingo Bertrinelli – Uruguay
  8. Takagishi, Kenji – Japan
  9. Walch, Gilles – France
  10. Willems, Jaap – Netherlands

2019 (14th ICSES – Buenos Aires)

  1. Gerber, Christian – Switzerland
  2. Gutierrez, Arturo – Mexico (in memoriam)
  3. Ivanier, Isaac – Uruguay
  4. Neviaser, Robert – USA
  5. Rhee, Yong Girl – South Korea
  6. Sonnabend, David – Australia
  7. Varaona, Oscar – Argentina
  8. Vastamaki, Martti – Finland
  9. Wallace, Angus – Scotland

2001 (8th ICSES – Capetown)

  1. DeAnquin, Carlos – Argentina
  2. Ferreira Filho, Arnaldo Amado – Brazil
  3. Helfet, Arthur – South Africa
  4. Hovelius, Lennart – Sweden
  5. Latarjet, Michel – France
  6. Patte, Didier – France
  7. Neer, Charles – USA