October Featured Editorial Board Members

Robert Brophy, MD
Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, Missouri

Dr. Brophy is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine with a clinical and academic focus on sports medicine injuries of the knee and shoulder.   He recently served as an at large member on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, was the program chair for the 2018 American Orthopaedic Association annual meeting and received the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation Career Development Award.   Dr. Brophy has authored or co-authored over 215 peer reviewed articles, received grant funding from the AOSSM and OREF and a number of research related distinctions, including the AOSSM NCAA Research Award and Cabaud Memorial Award, the Lee T. Ford Award from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine, and the Arthur C. Rettig Award from the National Football League Physicians Society.  He is involved in several collaborative research efforts, including MOON Knee, MOON Shoulder, MARS and METEOR.  Dr. Brophy has been a team physician with the (former) NFL St. Louis Rams and National Hockey League St. Louis Blues, currently serves on the NFL Musculokeletal Committee and was an ICRS Traveling Fellow, AAOS-AOA North American Traveling Fellow, AOSSM-ESSKA Traveling Fellow and AOA ABC Traveling Fellow.

He graduated from Stanford University with bachelors’ degrees in electrical engineering and economics and a master’s degree in industrial engineering while playing for the soccer team.  After earning his MD from the Washington University School of Medicine, he completed his orthopedic surgery residency and sports medicine fellowship training at The Hospital for Special Surgery before returning to Washington University as faculty.

Selected Published Work

Johnston JT, Mandelbaum BR, Schub D, Rodeo SA, Matava MJ, Silvers-Granelli HJ, Cole BJ, ElAttrache NS, McAdams TR, Brophy RH. Video Analysis of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears in Professional American Football Athletes. Am J Sports Med. 2018 Mar;46(4):862-868.

Brophy RH, Zhang B, Cai L, Wright RW, Sandell LJ, Rai MF. Transcriptome comparison of meniscus from patients with and without osteoarthritis. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2018;26:422-432.

Rai MF, Tycksen E, Sandell LJ, Brophy RH. Advantages of RNA-seq compared to RNA microarrays for transcriptome profiling of anterior cruciate ligament tears. J Orthop Res. 2018;36:484-497.

Keener JD, Skelley NW, Stobbs-Cuchi G, Steger-May K, Chamberlain AM, Aleem AA, Brophy RH. Shoulder activity level and progression of degenerative cuff disease. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2017;26:1500-1507.

Lamplot JD, Lillegraven O, Brophy RH. Shoulder activity level in patients with idiopathic adhesive capsulitis. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2017;26:1514-1519.

Smith MV, Nepple JJ, Wright RW, Matava MJ, Brophy RH. Knee osteoarthritis is associated with previous meniscus and ACL surgery among elite American college football athletes. Sports Health. 2017;9:247-251.

Brophy RH, Sandell LJ, Cheverud JM, Rai MF. Gene expression in human meniscal tears has limited association with early degenerative changes in knee articular cartilage. Connect Tissue Res. 2017;58:295-304.

Brophy RH, Sandell LJ, Rai MF. Traumatic and degenerative meniscus tears have different gene expression signatures. Am J Sports Med. 2017;45:114-120.

Wright JO, Skelley NW, Schur RP, Castile RM, Lake SP, Brophy RH. Microstructural and mechanical properties of the posterior cruciate ligament comparing the anterolateral and posteromedial bundles. J Bone Joint Surg. 2016;98:1656-1664.

Brophy RH, Tycksen ED, Sandell LJ, Rai MF. Changes in transcriptome wide gene expression of anterior cruciate ligament tears based on time from injury. Am J Sports Med. 2016;44:2064-75.

Rai MF, Sandell LJ, Zhang B, Wright RW, Brophy RH. RNA microarray analysis of macroscopically normal articular cartilage from knees undergoing partial medial meniscectomy: Potential prediction of the risk for developing osteoarthritis. PLoS One. 2016;11:e0155373.

Brophy RH, Huston LJ, Wright RW, Nwosu SK, Kaeding CC, Parker RD, Andrish JT, Marx RG, McCarty EC, Amendola A, Wolf BR, Dunn WR,Wolcott ML, Spindler KP. Outcomes of ACL reconstruction in patients with Diabetes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016;48:969-973.

Miller DJ, Smith MV, Matava MJ, Wright RW, Brophy RH. Microfracture and osteochondral autograft transplantation are cost-effective treatments for articular cartilage lesions of the distal femur. Am J Sports Med. 2015;43:2175-81.

Brophy RH, Haas AK, Huston LJ, Nwosu SK, MARS Group, Wright RW. The association of meniscal status, lower extremity alignment, and body mass index with chondrosis at the time of revision ACL reconstruction. Am J Sports Med. 2015; 43:1616-22.

Brophy RH, Wright RW, Huston LJ, Nwosu SK, MOON Group, Spindler KP. Factors associated with infection following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2015;97:450-4.

Skelley NW, Castile RM, York TE, Gruev V, Lake SP, Brophy RH. Differences in the microstructural properties of the anteromedial and posterolateral bundles of the anterior cruciate ligament. Am J Sports Med. 2015;43:928-936.

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Matej Drobnič, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Orthopedics and Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon
University Medical Centre
Ljubljana, Slovenia

 

Dr. Matej Drobnič is an Associate Professor for Orthopedics at the Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana and a Consultant Orthopedic Surgeon at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University Medical Centre Ljubljana, Slovenia. He is also a co-founder of Institute for Medicine and Sports in Ljubljana.

Dr. Drobnič earned his medical degree at the University of Ljubljana in 1999, and completed EU certified training in orthopedic surgery in 2007. He is subspecialized in arthroscopy, sports traumatology, and reconstructive surgery of the knee and foot/ankle. He has been head of the rehabilitation unit within the department of orthopedic surgery since 2011. In 2015, he was nominated as an associate professor for orthopedics.

Besides clinical and teaching obligations, he is devoted to the research of articular cartilage repair, sports injuries, and muscle atrophy prevention. Through this involvement he had completed his PhD Thesis (2006) on the outcomes and surgical techniques of autologous chondrocyte implantation at the University of Ljubljana. He has been enrolled in 20 national and 5 international research projects. His academic activity resulted in over 220 publications and more than 80 lectures. He is an active member of national (past secretary of the Slovenian Orthopedic Association and current president of the Slovenian Cell and Tissue Engineering Society) and international (ICRS, ESSKA) orthopedic societies. He has been active in the editorial board of the American Journal of Sports Medicine since 2011.

Dr Drobnič was a national-level basketball player during his high school and university years. His dedication to sports echoes in his professional orthopedic career. He has been a team physician for the football teams NK Interblock (2010-12) and lately for NK Olimpija (since 2015), Ljubljana. He is a leading physician for Slovenian Ski-jumping national team. He sits on the medical commission of the Slovenian Football Association.

Matej and his wife Maja enjoy living in Ljubljana, Slovenia with their daughter Pika and son Timotej.

Selected Published Work

Čamernik K, Barlič A, Drobnič M, Marc J, Jeras M, Zupan J. Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Musculoskeletal System: From Animal Models to Human Tissue Regeneration? Stem Cell Rev. 2018 Jun; 14(3):346-369

Drobnič M, Perdisa F, Kon E, Cefalì F, Marcacci M, Filardo G. Implant strategy affects scaffold stability and integrity in cartilage treatment. Knee Surg SportsTraumatol Arthrosc. 2018 Sep; 26(9):2774-2783

Vitez L, Zupet P, Zadnik V, Drobnič M. Running Injuries in the Participants of Ljubljana Marathon. Zdr Varst. 2017 Oct 9; 56(4):196-202

Krajnc Z, Rupreht M, Drobnič M. Quantitative Evaluation of Growth Plates around the Knees of Adolescent Soccer Players by Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Biomed Res Int. 2015; 2015:482017

Žargi T, Drobnič M, Stražar K, Kacin A. Short-Term Preconditioning With Blood Flow Restricted Exercise Preserves Quadriceps MuscleEndurance in Patients After Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Front Physiol. 2018 Aug 24; 9:1150

Grapar Žargi T, Drobnic M, Koder J, Stražar K, Kacin A. The effects of preconditioning with ischemic exercise on quadriceps femoris muscle atrophy following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a quasi-randomized controlled trial. Eur J Phys Rehabil Med. 2016 Jun; 52(3):310-20