Rotation Medical Adds to Scientific Advisory Board

Rotation Medical has appointed two new members to its Scientific Advisory Board.

Richard Ryu, M.D, and Marc R. Labbé, M.D., are the most recent board additions. “Doctors Ryu and Labbé are among the most accomplished and well-respected experts in orthopedics. They have made significant contributions to the field and we are extremely fortunate to have them join our Scientific Advisory Board,” President/CEO Martha Shadan said. “Their broad experience and thought leadership spanning arthroscopy, orthopedics and sports medicine will be valuable during this exciting time in our company’s growth as we work to educate surgeons and bring the benefits of the Rotation Medical rotator cuff repair system to more surgeons and their patients.”

Ryu specializes in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder and knee. He is the senior member of The Ryu Hurvitz Orthopedic Clinic in Santa Barbara, Calif., and is one of the founding members and current surgical director for Summit and Premier Surgery Centers in Santa Barbara. He also is a past president of the Arthroscopy Association of North America, has served on the society’s Board of Directors and currently chairs the Journal Board of Trustees. Ryu was designated a Master shoulder surgeon in 1997, and teaches complex shoulder surgery to other orthopedic surgeons worldwide. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals, has served on the editorial boards of Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy Review and Orthopedics Today and served as a guest editor for the Journal of Arthroscopy and Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine.

Ryu graduated cum laude from Yale University with a degree in Biological Sciences, and then attended University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Medical School. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at UCSF, and spent his fellowship year with additional training in sports medicine and arthroscopy at the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in Los Angeles, Calif.

“There is a significant unmet need to find a solution for rotator cuff injuries that addresses the damage to the underlying tendon tissue and enables a faster, less disruptive rehabilitation,” said Ryu. “The Rotation Medical bioinductive implant is the first technology to address this need with a solution that is restorative, not simply reparative. It works to enhance the body’s natural healing response by inducing growth of new tendon-like tissue.”

Labbé is clinical assistant professor in the department of orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and UTMB-Galveston (Texas), and is certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery with added qualification in sports medicine. He has led multiple presentations and courses on rotator cuff tears and other topics related to the shoulder, knee and elbow, and was named a Master instructor by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 2013. He serves on three committees in the Arthroscopy Association of North America and has published numerous articles in arthroscopy and sports medicine journals.

Labbé graduated from Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Biology, and then attended Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his residency in orthopedic surgery at Baylor College of Medicine and then completed a sports medicine and arthroscopy fellowship at the Mississippi Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center in Jackson.

“This is a disruptive technology that is designed to solve a problem in an entirely new way,” said Labbé. “The Rotation Medical technology has exciting potential to advance care for patients suffering from rotator cuff injuries.”

Rotator cuff tears are the most common source of shoulder pain and diminished shoulder function in adults. Rotator cuff disease is a progressive condition with prevalence increasing with age.

Founded in 2009, Rotation Medical developed rotator cuff disease treatment through its rotator cuff system, a breakthrough technology that potentially can prevent disease progression and reduce re-tears by inducing the growth of new tendinous tissue. The company is based in Plymouth, Minn.