David S. Hungerford, MD, total joint surgeon and humanitarian, dies at 80 years old

David S. Hungerford, MD, founding member of The Knee Society and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, died at the age of 80 years on March 2, 2019.

A dedicated surgeon, teacher, researcher and innovator, Hungerford developed systems to enable knee and hip arthroplasty performance and cementless designs, according to a statement from The Knee Society.

“He was cutting edge, bringing the power of cementless technology to the forefront as it applied to both hip and knee replacement,” Douglas E. Padgett, MD, said during an In Memoriam at The Hip Society Specialty Day at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting. “He was a terrific designer, great educator [and] master surgeon. He was a wonderful host [and] really had some incredibly admirable qualities about him.”

Hungerford received the Humanitarian Award from the AAOS in 2013 for his dedication to multiple inter-faith charitable and peace-seeking organizations with missionary trip involvement, according to The Knee Society. A statement from AAHKS noted that Hungerford also received the Lifetime Achievement Award from The Knee Society and the Presidential Award from the AAHKS in recognition of his service to the association and the profession. He was the first editor-in-chief of the Journal of Arthroplasty and served on AAHKS committees, including the first chair of the education committee, as well as a regular author of patient education materials.

“[David Hungerford] was a perfectionist surgeon and clinician. [He] ingrained in me to never stop honing my skills, to get better and better all in the interest of patient care,” Michael A. Mont, MD, vice president of strategic operations of orthopedics and director of joint arthroplasty at Northwell Health, told Healio.com/Orthopedics.

Mont added that, above all, Hungerford was a dedicated husband to his wife, Heide, and was a devoted father and grandfather. – by Casey Tingle

References:

http://kneesociety.org/about-2/