In memoriam Hans Heinrich Pässler 1940–2018

Hans Pässler was one of the greatest visionaries in the field of knee surgery. He was an exceptionally friendly, courteous person, and one of the most open characters I ever met. He was a philanthropist and an optimist; he had endless energy and remarkable ideas and was very valued by patients, colleagues, and friends. Hans Pässler was born on 14 July 1940 in Dresden, Germany. His father was a professor, specialising in angiology at the hospital in Leverkusen. Hans followed in his father’s footsteps and studied medicine at the University of Kiel from 1961 to 1967. Fascinated by his first clinical experience at the Ludolf-Krehl University Hospital in Heidelberg, he was awarded a fellowship under the famous Professor Michael DeBakey in cardiovascular surgery at the University of Houston, Texas. He was extremely impressed by the surgical skills of DeBakey and planned to become a cardiovascular surgeon himself. However, back home, he continued his medical residency at the University Hospital for Trauma Surgery in Ulm under Professor Burri. Supported by Professor Burri, he pursued his interest in trauma and knee surgery and developed the concept of the early functional postoperative rehabilitation following the reconstruction of knee ligaments [2]. Inspired by his clinical and scientific work, he became a trauma surgeon. For 14 years, he was head of trauma surgery and medical director at the hospital in Bopfingen. During this time, he specialised further in arthroscopic knee surgery and eventually became one of the most experienced ACL surgeons in Germany and worldwide. He performed hundreds of ACL reconstructions every year and developed his own technique of implant-free ACL reconstruction [3]. His experience, friendly attitude, and open mindedness made him one of the most frequently invited speakers at international meetings for many years. Many international colleagues and knee specialists found their way to Bopfingen and later to the ATOS Hospital in Heidelberg to share his experience. In 1986, Hans became Vice President of the Collège Européenne de Traumatologie du Sport (CETS). He was also one of the founder members of the European Federation of National Societies for Orthopedic Sportsmedicine (EFOST). Hans was the true visionary of the modern ATOS Hospital in Heidelberg. Back in 1985, he was convinced that joint specialisation was advantageous for patients. In 1993, at the ATOS Hospital, he focused on arthroscopic knee surgery and asked the shoulder specialist, Professor Peter Habermeyer, to join him in establishing an ATOS shoulder department. The first highly specialised private orthopedic hospital in Germany was born. Hans was its medical director from the start. Hans Pässler was an internationally highly respected gentleman who travelled around the globe for scientific meetings and to meet colleagues and friends. He was a visiting professor at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh (Prof. Fu), the University of Ioannina (Prof. Soukakos), the Chinese General Hospital PLA Beijing (Prof. Wang), the University of Athens (Prof. Soukakos), * Rainer Siebold rainer.siebold@atos.de