Former Penn State All-American linebacker Bruce Bannon (right) poses with Dr. Charles Burrows at Bucks County Orthopedic Specialists office in Doylestown, PA. Photo by Al Thompson

You hear people say they want leaders who inspire them. Some coaches are great with X’s and O’s but can’t lead their team to greatness. Some coaches do more with their leadership skills than a specific strategy.

Inspiration to motivate people is not limited to the athletic field or the military. Inspiration happens in every walk of life.

For Charles Burrows, M.D, it was inspiration from those whose path he crossed at a young age that led him to a life in medicine.

Dr. Burrows played football and lacrosse at Suffield Academy high school in Northern Connecticut. During his junior year he suffered a knee injury.

“My knee swelled up significantly,” “That’s when I was sent over to orthopedics, I was treated by an orthopedic surgeon and that’s what inspired me to get into medicine and orthopedics.”

The attending doctor suggested he do some volunteer at Hartford Hospital to see if this was the life for him.

Talk to physicians and each has his or her unique story on what pushed them to select their specialty. Orthopedic medicine is involved with athletics, work-related injuries and treatment and active people in general. People, for whatever their reason, look to orthopedics to get back in the race so to speak.
Dr. Burrows was asked if it was athletics that attracted him to a career in Orthopedics.

“Somewhat,” Dr. Burrows said. “There were a lot of things that went into my decision. I’m a strong believer in mentors. There were several people I met as I was in school and training that served me as mentors. These were people who were inspiring me with their enthusiasm with what they did.”

Dr. Burrows is currently an orthopedic surgeon specializing in joint reconstruction, specifically hip and knee replacement. Dr. Burrows is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons. In addition, he is involved with the Pennsylvania Orthopedic Society and the Pennsylvania Medical Society.

He received his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and his medical degree in 1993 from the Temple University School of Medicine along with the Lachman Award in Orthopedic Surgery. Dr. Burrows completed his surgical internship in 1994 and residency in orthopedic surgery in 1998 at Temple University Hospital. He completed his fellowship in Adult Joint Reconstruction (replacement) at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and Pennsylvania Hospital in 1999.

One mentor Dr. Burrows singled out was Dr. John Lachman who was the professor and chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Temple for many years.

In orthopedics, at least in this region, Dr. Lachman is to orthopedic surgeons what Daniel Day-Lewis is to actors.

Dr. Lachman retired in 1998 and was living in Florida when he passed away in 2007 at the age of 88. Dr. Burrows still holds Dr. Lachman in high esteem.

“He was the chairman of Orthopedics at Temple for decades,” Dr. Burrows said. “He was a very
inspiring person. When people would spend time with us as medical students and we were deciding what we were going to do, often times you would sit in a boring lecture where you’d hear very uninspiring things people do (in the medical profession).

“Dr. Lachman would take a a lot of time to bring you to the operating room and show you cases and get you involved with what he did. He was really beloved by everybody in this field from Philadelphia to nationally and internationally.”

Dr. Burrows moved from general orthopedics to the field of hip and joint replacements where he practices now at Bucks County Orthopedic Specialists who have offices in Doylestown and Warrington. He joined the group in 1999.

Former Penn State linebacker Bruce Bannon, pictured here in 1972, on the quality of his hip replacement, “Right from the beginning it was working well. It’s as if I don’t have an implant now.” Photo courtesy of the Penn State Athletic Department.

Dr. Burrows said he does not treat many current athletes but does see many former athletes plus people who make their living from physical work such as mailmen, policemen or construction workers. Dr. Burrows said his patients are getting younger every year.

Dr. Burrows talked about the advances in hip and knee replacements, particularly with regards to state of the art materials used for joint replacements and their longevity.

“I think some of the most exciting things about joint replacement in general is that we can look at a lot of patients and tell them that statistically the last operation they will need on that joint,” Dr. Burrows said. “In terms of materials and the processing of those materials have advanced greatly during my career. The procedures that we’re doing now in terms of how quickly we can get patients in and out of the hospital and back to doing things has changed substantially from the days when people were in the hospital for one to two weeks after a hip replacement, now they’re in the hospital one to two days and recover real quickly.”

One of Dr. Burrows recent patients is former Penn State standout linebacker Bruce Bannon. Bannon recently had his hip replaced.

Bannon played for the Nittany Lions from 1970-72. He was a consensus All-American in 1972.

Bannon was selected by the Jets in the fifth round of the 1973 NFL Draft, and he played for the NFL’s Miami Dolphins in 1973 and 1974.

Now 65, but looking much younger, Bannon reached out to Dr. Burrows through a referral from his wife who works in the medical industry. She herself is a former practicing nurse.

When Bannon’s playing career ended, he became a metallurgist…materials scientists specializing in metals such as steel, aluminum, iron, and copper.

In Bannon’s case he became involved with titanium. It just so happens, according to Dr. Burrows and Bannon, that titanium is the metal used in the joint replacement materials replacing metals such as stainless steel.

“It tends to flex a little more, is a good way to think of it,” said Dr. Burrows, describing the properties of titanium. “Where steel is very rigid.”

Bannon said his job as a metallurgist led him do seeing the development of titanium as a new and key element to advance implants.

“One of my areas, and I only played a small role, is I worked with doctors who were primarily mechanical engineers,” said Bannon, who was born and raised in Rockaway, New Jersey. “They helped design the new implants. I worked with the companies that manufactured the implants. My job was to work with them to use titanium-based alloys in lieu of stainless steel.”

In short, Bannon knew how well his hip replacement would work and that it would be a one-and-done surgery.

To start the process, Dr. Burrows, an avid Eagles fan, asked Bannon to train for a few weeks leading up to the surgery. The idea was that the stronger the patient is prior to the procedure, the faster the recovery would be.

It worked.

“I was out in one day,” Bannon said of his brief stay at the hospital.

Bannon said he also like that Dr. Burrows staff kept the pain medicine to a minimum while making sure he was comfortable in the hours and days after his hip replacement.

“Every hour I was in the hospital people were asking me about my pain,” Bannon said. “They would just give me enough medicine to cure the pain, not too much, not too little. By the fourth day I was basically off the pain killers.”

Bannon said his hip replacement was a complete success and he is as active as ever.

“Right from the beginning it was working well,” Bannon said. “It’s as if I don’t even have an implant now. I’m a little careful. I don’t run like I used to, I don’t jump or participate in ‘Tough Mudders’ (contests) for charity, I don’t do that anymore but as far as my life? It’s been a great experience for me to stay pretty athletic.”

Some of Dr. Burrows bio information was taken from bucksortho.com
Some bio information about Bruce Bannon is from Wikipedia.org

Follow Al Thompson on Twitter @thompsoniii