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2013 ISAKOS Congress Wrap Up

Paolo Aglietti, MD

1942 – 2013

Written By: Matteo Denti, ITALY and Francesco Giron, ITALY

Paolo Aglietti was born in a small village, Fucecchio, not far from
the Tuscan coast, in 1942. In 1970 he completed his formal medical

and general orthopaedic training and thereafter followed a highly
distinguished career. In 1971 and 1973 he was awarded fellowships

in adult hip reconstruction and adult knee reconstruction respectively
at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. It was here that

his strong and enduring friendships with Dr. Edoardo Salvati and
Dr. John N. Insall, both pioneers in their respective fields of modern hip
and knee replacements, began.

He returned to Italy, where in 1975 he undertook the role of Assistant
03
Professor of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at the University of
Perugia. In 1979 he was appointed Associate Professor at the University

of Florence. He was then appointed Professor of Orthopaedics and Paolo will be remembered for his numerous
Traumatology in 1990 and Chief of the Orthopaedic Clinic, including contributions to knee arthroplasty and ACL

the residency program in 1996. He served as Director until his reconstruction surgery. He co-operated with Dr. Insall
retirement in 2009.
to develop and evaluate the outcome results of the
Insall-Burstein knee replacement and subsequently
Paolo was a founding member of both the Italian Arthroscopy Society
the MBK knee prosthesis. Also he will be remembered
(SIC) and the Italian Society of Knee Surgery (SICG). It was he who for his studies on ACL surgery comparing the results of
promoted the integration of the Italian knee, cartilage and sports
patellar and hamstring tendon grafts and his pioneer
trauma societies under the newly founded Italian Society of Knee study on the new double bundle reconstruction
Surgery, Arthroscopy, Sports Traumatology, Cartilage and Orthopaedic
Technologies (SIGASCOT).
technique.

He was a member of SIOT, ISAKOS, AAOS, AOA, ESSKA, ICRS, Paolo was acknowledged as both a master surgeon
and rigorous researcher, and numbered amongst
Herodicus and the ACL study group. He was also an honorary
member of the Knee Society. 2007 saw his election as President of the his special talents the ability to choose appropriately
the correct indication for each individual patient who
International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic
Sports Medicine (ISAKOS) and in 2008 he was inducted into the Hall consulted with him. His investigations and studies
were astute and brilliant. His wealth of knowledge
of Fame of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine.
was evident by the clear and concise presentations

His contributions to orthopaedic surgery are impressive. He has and lectures he gave.
published in the most influential orthopaedic journals commencing
In both public and private, Paolo was a shy man
with his studies on total knee replacement with Edoardo Salvati, and and not one given to easy friendships; however he
total hip replacement with John N. Insall. These studies took place
during his time at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York. His was always frank in his opinions and suggestions
in spite of being sometimes considered rough.
study on “New Patellar Prosthesis” is still considered a keystone paper.
His subsequent articles dealt with techniques for treatment of patellar Notwithstanding this he was considered a role model
by his colleagues and co-workers alike.
chondromalacia and malalignment, the varus osteoarthritic knee and
osteonecrosis of the knee. He was also a pioneer of knee arthroscopy In the summer season, during his precious free time

and published several articles on arthroscopic meniscectomies.
away from the rigors of his academic commitments
he enjoyed sailing in the Mediterranean with his
01 Roland Jakob; Werner M̈eller; Moises Cohen
02 Roland Jakob; Werner M̈eller; Moises Cohen, John Feagin; John Bergfeld
wife Chiara on board their boat and would enjoy
03 Paolo Aglietti, MD
recounting these memories with us.

ISAKOS NEWSLETTER 2013: Volume II 19