HR1457 LRB094 21700 HSS 60097 r

1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2     WHEREAS, The members of the House of Representatives of the
3 State of Illinois learned with sadness of the death of Lawrence
4 A. Pottenger, MD, PhD, on Monday, September 25, 2006; and
 
5     WHEREAS, Born May 21, 1944, in DeKalb, Lawrence Avery
6 Pottenger earned his SB degree in physiology (1966), PhD in
7 pathology (1972), and MD (1974, with honors) from the
8 University of Chicago; and
 
9     WHEREAS, He was an associate professor emeritus of surgery
10 and pathology at the University of Chicago and had a particular
11 interest in arthritis, the orthopedic problems in the elderly,
12 and improving artificial joints; and
 
13     WHEREAS, Dr. Pottenger worked as a clinician and surgeon,
14 performing almost 350 operations a year, mostly hip and knee
15 replacements, for 25 years; he helped introduce
16 hip-replacement techniques that avoid the use of cement, which
17 is prone to loosening with use, and was an early advocate of
18 less-invasive operations, using smaller incisions; and
 
19     WHEREAS, He also spent time teaching medical students,
20 doing research on the composition of cartilage and the changes
21 that occur in the progression of osteoarthritis, and designing
22 artificial joints; he and colleague Louis Draganich, PhD,
23 designed and patented the Two Radius Area Contact (TRAC) knee
24 to provide a more durable joint with normal range of motion
25 that made it suitable for younger and more active patients; and
 
26     WHEREAS, He did a five-year residency in general and
27 orthopedic surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore,
28 where he met a nurse, Barbara Merlo, whom he married in 1977;
29 he was recruited back to the University of Chicago as an
30 orthopedic surgeon in 1979; he was promoted to associate

 

 

HR1457 - 2 - LRB094 21700 HSS 60097 r

1 professor in 1984 and served as chairman of orthopedics from
2 1984 to 1986 and as vice-chairman from 1986 to 1992; and
 
3     WHEREAS, Because of his technical skills, his empathy for
4 patients and their devotion to him, and his success in the
5 laboratory, Dr. Pottenger rose to prominence in the
6 professional societies in his field; he authored six book
7 chapters, 30 articles in scientific journals, and more than 60
8 abstracts; he served on multiple oversight boards and
9 committees for the Association of Orthopedic Chairman, the
10 American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons, the Orthopedic Research
11 Society, and others; he was a member of the editorial board for
12 the Journal of Surgical Research and a regular peer reviewer
13 for JAMA; and
 
14     WHEREAS, Dr. Pottenger was devoted to his patients; he
15 often went to their homes or saw them in clinic without an
16 appointment; and
 
17     WHEREAS, The passing of Dr. Pottenger has been deeply felt
18 by many, especially his wife, Barbara; his daughters, Katherine
19 and Lindsey; his brothers, Eugene and Gary; his sister, Chelon
20 Stanzel; and his son-in-law Eric Bartlett; therefore, be it
 
21     RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
22 NINETY-FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
23 we mourn the passing of Lawrence A. Pottenger, and we extend
24 our deepest sympathy to his family, his friends, and all who
25 knew and loved him; and be it further
 
26     RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
27 presented to his family as an expression of our sincerest
28 condolences.