Prof. Dr. med. Fritz Uwe Niethard

Fritz Uwe Niethard studied human medicine at the Free University of Berlin (FU) from 1964 to 1970,  he received there his doctorate in 1970. From 1970 to 1971 he was a medical assistant at the Orthopedic University Clinic of the Free University of Berlin and the surgical department of the Salzgitter municipal hospital, where he  completed further surgical training. In 1977 he graduated the Orthopedic University Clinic Heidelberg as a specialist in orthopedics and completed his habilitation in 1978 at the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg. Until 1984 he was senior physician, then until 1996 deputy clinic director, from 1991 to 1996 also head of the department of pediatric orthopedics, reconstructive spinal surgery and rehabilitation. In 1996 Niethard became a university professor and director of the orthopedic clinic at the RWTH Aachen, which he held until July 2010. At the same time, he was Deputy Medical Director of the Trauma Surgery Clinic at the RWTH from 2008 to 2010.
Professor Niethard's main research areas are the etiology, pathogenesis and therapy of osteoarthritis, knee joint diseases and injuries, diseases and biomechanics of the lumbar spine, pediatric orthopedics and surgical technology in the operating room.

Since 1985 professor Niethard has been a member of the board of the German Society for Orthopedics and Traumatology (DGOT), later the German Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery (DGOOC). From 1985 to 1991 he was a member of the advisory board of the German Society for Trauma Surgery (DGU). From 1989 to 1991 he was Treasurer of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS) and from 1991 to 1996 its European Representative. In 2000 he was President of the German Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery and the organizer of the annual congress in Wiesbaden. Niethard has been Secretary General of the German Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery since 2002. As a founding member of the German Society for Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery in 2008, he has also been Secretary General of this society every two years. Niethard is also a board member of the German Society for Trauma Surgery (2002), the German Society for Surgery (2005) and the Professional Association of Specialists in Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery (2002). From 1991 to 1997 he was 2nd chairman of the Association for Pediatric Orthopedics and from 1997 to 2000 1st Chairman of the Association for Pediatric Orthopedics. Prof. Niethard is a board member and spokesman for the medical board of trustees of the Central Association of German Physiotherapists (ZVK) and chairman of the Otto Bock Foundation. From 1996 to 2011, prof. Niethard was editor of the “Journal for Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery” and has been co-editor of “Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery - Messages and Messages” since 2002. He is also a board member of Spine Lippincott (Minneapolis), the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics, and the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.
Honors and awards:
1979: Georg Schmorl Prize of the German Spine Society (DWG)
1982: Member of the Anglo-American travel grant of the German Society for Orthopedics and Traumatology
1983: Matthias Hackenbroch Prize from the Association of Southern German Orthopedists V.
2005: Hufeland Prize for the “development and proof of the efficiency of a general hip sonography screening” together with colleagues.
Honorary member of the Austrian Society for Orthopedics and Orthopedic Surgery.
Honorary member of the Association for Pediatric Orthopedics (VKO)
Corresponding member of the American Orthopedic Association

Education

• 1964–1970 Human medicine Free University of Berlin, Goettingen University

Professional Experience

• 1970 PhD thesis defense Free University of Berlin
• 1970-1971 Medical assistant Orthopaedics Department, The Free University of Berlin University Hospital; Internal Medicine Department, Hohengatow Municipal Hospital, Berlin; Department of Surgery, Salzgitter Municipal Hospital
• 1971–1973 Further training in surgery Department of Surgery, Salzgitter Municipal Hospital
• 1974–1977 Further training in orthopedics Orthopedics Department, Heidelberg University Hospital
• 1977 Official approval as a specialist in orthopedics
• 1977–1984 Senior doctor Orthopedics Department, Heidelberg University Hospital
• 1984–1996 Acting clinic director Orthopedics Department, Heidelberg University Hospital
• 1991–1996 Head of Pediatric Orthopedics Section Orthopedics Department, Heidelberg University Hospital
• 04.1996 – 07.2010 Medical Director Orthopedics Department, RWTH University Hospital Aachen
• 2008-2010 Deputy Medical Director Trauma Surgery Department, RWTH University Hospital Aachen
• Since 2010 Private practice

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