Easy Reider: A Conversation with Bruce Reider, MD

The episode you have all been waiting for! Dr. Brett Owens takes over Easy Reider to interview Dr. Bruce Reider as he shares the experiences that shaped his life and career. Reider reflects on his education, which included a musical start at Yale, influential mentors, and decades caring for University of Chicago athletes. They discuss his knee research, international fellowships, journal leadership, and commitment to mentoring the next generation of sports medicine specialists. Alongside stories about cooking, travel, and opera, Reider emphasizes the importance of family, faith, and making time for life beyond medicine.

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!

If you're looking to reignite your enthusiasm for orthopaedic medicine, join Dr. Bruce Reider as he sits down with Dr. James Bradley, a renowned shoulder and knee surgeon, Clinical Professor at the University of Pittsburg School of Medicine, and Head team physician for the Pittsburg Steelers Professional Football Club for over 3 decades. From his early years as the captain of the Penn State football team, Dr. Bradley has an innate understanding of the complexities of caring for professional players and was an early adapter of PRP for clinical use. Whether you're interested in learning more about his research on posterior shoulder instability, recommendations on return to play, or updates on his golf game, this conversation will remind you of the impact of sports medicine!

Dr. Reider sits down with a friend to all, Dr. Charles Bush-Joseph to discuss insights and reflections on his versatile career journey; from lessons learned during his 15-year tenure as head team physician for the Chicago White Sox, to leadership roles in health system management, and even experience with medical cannabis at Cresco Labs. Currently a professor at Rush University Medical Center, Dr. Bush-Joseph shares best practices in pitching safety, hip arthroscopy, and more while expressing a genuine passion for his practice and a career that gives him the opportunity to explore new places and meet new people.

Join Dr. Bruce Reider as he welcomes a pioneer in sports medicine, Dr. Frank Noyes. In this conversation, Noyes shares the foundations of his esteemed career, a journey influenced by studies in philosophy, epidemiology, and bioengineering. With a deep appreciation for teamwork and mentorship, Dr. Noyes dedicated his career to advancing knee surgery and injury prevention, coining phrases "thou shalt not varus" and "motion is lotion." With continued commitment, Dr. Noyes founded the Frank and Joann Noyes Award, a ten-year award to recognize scientific advances for female athlete health and injury prevention.

Dr. Eric McCarty, Professor and Chief of Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery in the Department of Orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Head Team Physician for the University of Colorado, Medical Director and Head Team Physician for the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, and the 2025–2026 President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, reflects on growing up in Boulder, playing football in Italy, working with Coach Deion Sanders, his shoulder research with the MOON Group, delivering commencement addresses, the role of faith in his life, and more.