Trailblazer And Renowned Sports Surgeon J. Richard Steadman Dies At 85

Paula Canny, a Bay Area attorney, says after she tore her anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee while skiing in 2011, several San Francisco-area surgeons she consulted with recommended ligament replacement surgery.

But Canny’s close friends, personal finance expert and author Suze Orman and Orman’s partner K.T., suggested Canny visit Vail, Colorado orthopedic surgeon Dr. J. Richard Steadman to get his opinion.

“I flew to Colorado and had (Steadman) look at my knee,” says Canny, 67. “Steadman said, ‘No, I wouldn’t replace (the ligament). I think you can let it heal on its own.’ He drilled several holes in the bones to get blood flow in that area. I couldn’t bend the knee for a while, but he had me do strengthening exercises and aggressive physical therapy. He did the surgery in April. I was leading a trek in the Himalayas in October.

“Steadman was a genius.”

Steadman, who died in his sleep on January 20 at age 85, was a renowned orthopedic surgeon who founded The Steadman Clinic in Vail, and whose name was on the short list of every professional athletes’ Rolodex, alongside other sports physicians like James Andrews and the late Frank Jobe. For the past half century, many star athletes from credit Steadman for career-saving knee procedures, including Hall of Fame NFL defensive end Bruce Smith.

“My knee was in horrible shape,” Smith said in a 2019 interview with The Steadman Clinic. “The (Buffalo Bills) had a fallout with the previous surgeon, and we had to do some research to find that one surgeon who would carry the day. From the moment that I met (Steadman), I knew that he was the right surgeon to operate on me. ‘Steady’ was in it for you, not only to protect you, but also to make sure that your quality of life was first and foremost.”

Steadman was born in Texas in 1937 and later played football for legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant at Texas A&M University, before Bryant went to Alabama to coach the likes of Joe Namath. Steadman earned his medical degree from Texas Southwestern Medical School and later served two years in the Army, according to The Steadman Clinic’s website memorial.

He was named the chief physician for the U.S. Ski Team in 1976, and over the years, professional skiers were part of his star-studded client list, including former Olympians Cindy Nelson (a 1976 bronze medalist in the downhill) and Andy Mill.

“RIP Doc. Helped so many and had such an incredible impact, especially in the Vail Valley. Condolences to the family,” Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn tweeted after Steadman’s death.

In 1990, Steadman founded the Vail clinic that bore his name and he was also the co-chair of the Steadman Philippon Research Institute. Steadman was behind the pioneering “microfracture” surgery for knee injuries. He retired from practice in 2014, according to the Steadman Clinic website.

Canny says that when she was treated by Steadman, the clinic’s and Steadman’s office walls were like a “hall of fame” showcase featuring jerseys, photos and memorabilia of the orthopedist’s famous patients.

From Hall of Fame quarterbacks Dan Marino, Joe Montana and John Elway to Olympic skier Bode Miller to tennis great Martina Navratilova to golfer Greg Norman to scores of MLB and NHL star players, Steadman helped preserve or extend scores of multi-million dollar professional athlete careers.