Michel van den Bekerom, orthopedic surgeon at OLVG and Jan van Goyen Medical Center, was appointed professor by special appointment in sports traumatology in September. The VU University Amsterdam announced this last month.

More and more people are participating in sports, and as a result the number of sports-related injuries is increasing. This also applies to injuries to the arms and hands (upper extremity). Many injuries are a logical consequence of intensive sport. The question that Van den Bekerom is investigating, among other things, is whether athletes who are struggling with an injury benefit from functional or structural adjustments for their recovery. With a functional adjustment, work is done on better muscle control, for example if the shoulder keeps coming out of the socket. A structural adjustment often results in an operation, for example when a haircut is really broken. The knowledge that Van den Bekerom gains from (top) athletes can also be applied to the treatment of complaints of people who exercise less.

The purpose of this appointment is to conduct scientific research, to disseminate this and thus to promote insight into the origin, treatment and prevention of sports-related injuries of the upper extremity.

In practice, Michel van den Bekerom is appointed one day a week at the Free University (VU), where he will fully focus on this area of interest. He will provide patient care in the STZ shoulder and elbow expertise center in OLVG and Jan van Goyen Medical Center.