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Interview with Michael David Ries, MD, author of "joint kitchen"

Dr Michael Ries is an orthopedic surgeon and director of arthroplasty fellowships at the Reno Orthopedic Clinic. He received a bachelor’s and master’s degree from MIT, and his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School, and has been in practice for more than 25 years.

Dr. Ries has a practice limited to hip and knee arthroplasty surgery and the treatment of arthritic conditions of the hip and knee. He was on the full-time faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, from 1997 to 2013, where he was Professor of Orthopedic Surgery and Chief of Arthroplasty. During this time he was also regularly involved in laboratory and clinical research. Dr. Ries has published 210 peer-reviewed journal articles and 52 book chapters on topics related to clinical outcomes and biomaterials used in hip and knee replacement.

What sets D. Ries most apart from his peer group is that he has helped develop several hip and knee replacements and is the inventor of 45 US patents for hip and knee replacement devices. He is also the father of three active children, the husband of a beautiful Russian wife, an avid skier and home handyman.

Welcome Michael, and thanks for joining us today! Why don’t you start by telling our readers a little about your journey to becoming a published author?

I am an orthopedic surgeon and most of my career has been in academic medicine. That means I travel and speak at a lot of medical conferences. Topics presented and discussed at these meetings have to do with medical issues and generally do not include new hip and knee replacement inventions. Over the past five or six years, some of the younger surgeons who have attended these meetings have asked me how to develop ideas for improving hip and knee replacement devices. When I answered these questions, I noticed that some of the non-medical people in the audience seemed very interested in the discussion, and I thought that perhaps others would be interested in reading a book about it.

What is joint kitchen about?

This book is a story about the origin of ideas for inventions. He describes how wonderfully efficient normal hip and knee joints really are, and why we can’t make hip and knee replacements as perfect as the normal joints we were born with.

Then a doctor who was simply cleaning the kitchen, preparing food, opening a bottle of wine, unscrewing the lid of a jug, riding a chairlift, fishing, skiing, or watching snowflakes fall, drew similar images on a paper that became patents for new fashion and technology technologies. knee replacements History suggests that when our mind is in a peaceful state of tranquility, the problem-solving and creative parts of our brain can magically connect and create a new idea.

What inspired you to write? joint kitchen?

Over the years, I have helped develop various hip and knee replacement devices. I didn’t really know why I came up with the ideas for these inventions, but I knew exactly where I was and what I was doing when many of them occurred. It turned out that where he was and what he was doing were directly related to the images that became new hip and knee replacement patents. I never really thought anyone would be interested in this, but every once in a while someone would ask me how I got all these ideas. When I responded with some simple examples, it seemed to make a lot of sense to them. I believe this process happens to all of us on various levels, and I hoped that writing about my story would inspire others to develop their ideas.

What a great title, obviously inspired by your revelations in the kitchen! How did everyday kitchen/food items spark your ideas and when did you realize that your kitchen was a great source of inspiration?

I’m not a very good cook, but I end up in the kitchen a lot, usually to make something quick and easy for me or my kids to eat, usually in the morning. It’s kind of like a very peaceful and quiet time, even if what you need to do that day is in the back of your mind. It seems that’s when ideas come to you, when you’re not trying to think of one.

The whole process of taking an ordinary orange and seeing its potential as part of a new hip replacement procedure, creating and developing the idea through drawings, etc., requires great artistic expression. Tell us a little about your artistic nature. Did you even consider yourself an artist?

I really admire and respect artists. I don’t consider myself very one, but I like to take photos mainly of landscapes or nature more than of people. I’ve also been to many medical conferences, and when I see a slide full of words, my mind is blown, but when I see a simple diagram or picture that makes sense, I get it. There are many photos in joint kitchen.

The subtitle of his book: “A Manual for Orthopedic Inventors and Scared Cats Facing Knee or Hip Replacement” indicates that the information is ideal for physicians, inventors, and people in need of knee or hip replacement. How does your book cater to such different audiences?

The book is about how ideas for inventions can be created, but since it specifically describes medical devices, I think that healthcare professionals in the field of orthopedics would have a lot in common with the story. joint kitchen it also shows how the normal hip and knee work, and the differences between normal joints and replaced joints. That’s something anyone considering a joint replacement, and perhaps her friends and family, usually want to know. There is also a description of how our mind thinks by connecting images, which I think is similar to what scientists and academics who study the brain have found. I hope those smart people can also find joint kitchen useful to better understand how we create ideas.

What was your biggest challenge in writing? joint kitchen?

Writing joint kitchen It wasn’t too difficult – I just put pictures of what I was normally doing in the kitchen and the corresponding patent drawings side by side and they were pretty much the same thing. The biggest challenge was getting over my fear that people wouldn’t like it. I guess most authors probably go through that, so for me the issue was whether or not to post it for all to see.

What do you like to do when you’re not working, inventing new medical breakthroughs and writing?

I really treasure every moment I have with my family. We do a lot of things together, like skiing, hiking, and spending time outdoors. Some of the best times for us have been RVing to new destinations we’ve never been to before. My wife and kids also put up with my being away for a week or so every year for a skiing, golfing, or fishing trip with my friends.

What’s the best advice you’ve received about writing, inventing, or life in general?

When I’m not sure if an idea is worth pursuing, the best advice I’ve ever had is to go ahead and do it. That’s the only way you’ll find out.

What advice do you have for aspiring authors and/or inventors?

For inventors, that’s what the last two chapters of joint kitchen they’re about to. Describes a way to see if your idea works, protect it, and make it a reality. Many books have been written on the nuts and bolts of filing a patent and starting a company or selling an idea, but mine is more of a story about figuring out your own path forward.

For writers, I may not be the best to give advice as I’m relatively new to this. However, there is much in common with publishing and invention, and the same challenges that inventors face also happen to writers.

What’s next, do you have another project in the works?

Not yet. I want to see how this one goes – so far everything seems good, but I have some ideas about another book. Writing for me is like having an idea for a new invention: you just have to let it happen. So we will have to wait and see.

Where can readers connect with you on social media to learn more about joint kitchen?

I’m on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn and an easy way to start is the author’s website www.michaelriesmd.com.

What kind of information is available on your website?

There is a description of the content in joint kitchen with a great little video showing what it’s all about. There’s also information about me, links to my patents, and some recent book chapters and journal articles I’ve written.

Do you have anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Writing and publishing a book was not something I had planned to do nor was it on my bucket list, but I am glad I did it. I got a lot of nice comments from people who read it and I would highly recommend doing so to anyone considering telling their story to others.

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