Bob Jackson—A Tribute

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On January 6, 2010, the world lost one of its truly great physicians, Dr. Robert W. Jackson. Bob was our mentor and teacher, friend and colleague, and his legacy as the undisputed father of arthroscopy in North America will never be forgotten.

Bob was a happy man, and it showed. He and Marilyn, his wife of 48 years, were a great team and her support allowed him to achieve and enjoy the international success and recognition that he deservedly received.

During his time in Japan in 1964, where he worked with Dr. Masaki Watanabe, Bob recognized the potential of arthroscopy. After returning to North America, excited by his new-found knowledge, he faced disbelief and even ridicule. His skeptics included many of the major academic institutions and centers around the world. Undeterred, he used his skills and his unassuming powers of persuasion to convince “the establishment” that the technique of arthroscopy was one of the major medical advances of the century. The fact that he was right helped his cause. His strength lay in passing on his knowledge and enthusiasm for the technique to others. Those who visited and learned from him included almost all of the early pioneers in arthroscopic surgery. Bob taught the teachers.

In 1994, Sports Illustrated magazine named him one of the 40 individuals who have most dramatically elevated and altered the games we play and watch. He was the only physician on the list. In 1997, Bob was honored by his country with the title of Officer of the Order of Canada—equivalent to a knighthood in Britain. That same year he was made a Member of the Olympic Order, and in 2005 he was made a Member of the Paralympic Order. Countless other awards and honors followed as he, and other early leaders, traveled the world teaching arthroscopy to others.

Those who read his last authored paper “A History of Arthroscopy” in the January 2010 issue of Arthroscopy¹ will note, with fond memories, the role he played as a founder and later President of both the IAA and AANA. It was largely through his influence that the “N” came to be in “AANA” and that Canadian and Mexican members were included.

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• Brian Day, Don Johnson, and Bob Jackson, 2004

Arthroscopic surgery, thanks to the pioneering efforts of Bob Jackson and those he inspired, became much more than a subspecialty of orthopaedics. It created the impetus for the development of the whole field of minimally invasive surgery. Other specialties learned from the techniques that were developed, and the use of video for endoscopic visualization was a product of arthroscopic innovation.

Throughout Bob's career, he was an inspiration for others. He was proof that leadership and strength could be combined with charm, gentle persuasion, and integrity. He looked forward to our subspecialty maintaining its strength in technological innovation, and predicted that it would be a leader in the fields of biological tissue repair and joint preservation. Bob was a not just a visionary who saw what the future might hold; he was a pioneer who made that vision happen.

As Canadians, who were honored to have followed in Bob's footsteps to leadership positions in AANA, we are indebted to him for selflessly sharing his knowledge with us and others. We are proud to have known him and his wonderful wife Marilyn. We and all of our AANA and ISAKOS colleagues will miss him dearly.

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Reference 

1. Jackson RW. A history of arthroscopy. Arthroscopy. 2010;26:91–103
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