HR1457 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1457 LRB094 21700 HSS 60097 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Lawrence A. Pottenger, MD, PhD, on Monday, September 25, 2006; and

WHEREAS, Born May 21, 1944, in DeKalb, Lawrence Avery Pottenger earned his SB degree in physiology (1966), PhD in pathology (1972), and MD (1974, with honors) from the University of Chicago; and

WHEREAS, He was an associate professor emeritus of surgery and pathology at the University of Chicago and had a particular interest in arthritis, the orthopedic problems in the elderly, and improving artificial joints; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Pottenger worked as a clinician and surgeon, performing almost 350 operations a year, mostly hip and knee replacements, for 25 years; he helped introduce hip-replacement techniques that avoid the use of cement, which is prone to loosening with use, and was an early advocate of less-invasive operations, using smaller incisions; and

WHEREAS, He also spent time teaching medical students, doing research on the composition of cartilage and the changes that occur in the progression of osteoarthritis, and designing artificial joints; he and colleague Louis Draganich, PhD, designed and patented the Two Radius Area Contact (TRAC) knee to provide a more durable joint with normal range of motion that made it suitable for younger and more active patients; and

WHEREAS, He did a five-year residency in general and orthopedic surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, where he met a nurse, Barbara Merlo, whom he married in 1977; he was recruited back to the University of Chicago as an orthopedic surgeon in 1979; he was promoted to associate professor in 1984 and served as chairman of orthopedics from 1984 to 1986 and as vice-chairman from 1986 to 1992; and

WHEREAS, Because of his technical skills, his empathy for patients and their devotion to him, and his success in the laboratory, Dr. Pottenger rose to prominence in the professional societies in his field; he authored six book chapters, 30 articles in scientific journals, and more than 60 abstracts; he served on multiple oversight boards and committees for the Association of Orthopedic Chairman, the American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons, the Orthopedic Research Society, and others; he was a member of the editorial board for the Journal of Surgical Research and a regular peer reviewer for JAMA; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Pottenger was devoted to his patients; he often went to their homes or saw them in clinic without an appointment; and

WHEREAS, The passing of Dr. Pottenger has been deeply felt by many, especially his wife, Barbara; his daughters, Katherine and Lindsey; his brothers, Eugene and Gary; his sister, Chelon Stanzel; and his son-in-law Eric Bartlett; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Lawrence A. Pottenger, and we extend our deepest sympathy to his family, his friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to his family as an expression of our sincerest condolences.