Easy Reider: A Conversation with Bruce Reider, MD

Dr. Bruce Reider sits down with Dr. Constance Chu to trace her path from West Point and U.S. Army intelligence to a career advancing cartilage restoration and joint preservation. Professor of Surgery at Stanford University in California, Vice Chair of Research in Stanford's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and director of the Joint Preservation Center at the Palo Alto Veterans Hospital, Dr. Chu discusses the mentors and clinical experiences that shaped her work, along with emerging approaches to detecting and preventing post-traumatic osteoarthritis—including advanced MRI, gene therapy, bioprinting, and vagus nerve stimulation. She also shares practical insights on joint health, grant-writing, perseverance, and the surprising story of her childhood football championship.

Recorded live at the 2026 AOSSM Annual Meeting in Seattle, join Dr. Reider for a conversation with Dr. Riley J. Williams III, Chief of Sports Medicine at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, as he shares his cross country journeys from LA to Yale, Stanford, and the Hospital for Special Surgery, reflecting on the opportunities, mentors and pivotal decisions that shaped his career. Dr. Williams discusses leading the HSS Sports Medicine Institute, the evolution of cartilage-repair research, and how new evidence, registries, and long-term outcomes can inform better treatment decisions. He also explores the unique challenges of caring for professional athletes, including return-to-play decisions, mental readiness, and balancing short-term performance with long-term health. Notably, Dr. Williams reflects on representation of black surgeons in orthopaedics as well as the opportunities and the use of AI in clinical care.

From the AOSSM annual meeting in Seattle, tune in to Dr. Reider's conversation with Dr. Zaffagnini, Professor of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Bologna and Head of the Orthopaedics and Traumatology II Clinic of the Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute. From his early days working under the mentorship of Dr. Freddy Fu in Pittsburg to chairman of major orthopaedic congresses, hear his expert tips in areas such as lateral extra-articular reconstruction, knee replacement, and infrared thermography in the evaluation of the arthritic knee. Looking ahead as both a physician and an editor, Dr. Zaffagnini shares his thoughts on the place of AI in patient care and its potential impacts on the practice of sports medicine. Named the World Ambassador of the city of Bologna, he can also recommend the best Italian dishes!

Join Dr. Bruce Reider for a conversation with Dr. Rick Wright, Chief Medical Officer and Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and incoming president of the AOSSM. From transformative research on rotator cuff repair and ACL revision surgery to leadership lessons from the C-suite, Dr. Wright shares the experiences that have shaped his career in orthopaedics and sports medicine. He also discusses his goals for AOSSM and the story behind his professional cocktail certification.

Join Dr. Reider in his conversation with the "soccer doc," Dr. Bert Mandelbaum. Follow his remarkable career with insights into his early research in prostaglandins, MRI imaging, and ACL injury prevention. Despite knowing nothing about soccer at the start, his time with World Cup athletes led to cutting-edge work, including the Prevent Injury, Enhanced Performance (PEP) program. Always ready for a challenge, Dr. Mandelbaum continues to lead advances in sports medicine with research in fitness and biologics, supporting the "playspan" of career athletes. Listen in on his philosophy that encourages all athletes and a career that supports their success!