Ned Amendola, M.D.

Position: Director, UI Sports Medicine Center Experience: Eighth year at Iowa Alma Mater: University of Western Ontario

Ned Amendola, M.D., is the Director of UI Sports Medicine Center and has served as the head team physician for the Hawkeye football team and other Hawkeye athletic teams since fall 2001. He is a professor with The University of Iowa Department of Orthopaedic Surgery faculty. Dr Amendola was named recipient of the Kim and John Callaghan Endowed Chair in Sports Medicine by the University in June of 2009.

Amendola represents a distinguished list of previous team physicians from the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, including Joseph Buckwalter, M.D., the department's chair. As team physician, Amendola attends all games, is responsible for the care of all the athletes, and as the team's orthopedic surgeon, manages the players' musculoskeletal complaints.

A long-time partnership between UI Sports Medicine and the UI Department of Athletics supports his efforts. This includes collaboration with athletic trainers Russ Haynes, Tad Leusch, Abby Wieck and John Streif. In addition, Brian Wolf MD collaborates with Dr Amendola in providing orthopedic coverage and consultation. General medical issues are addressed by Kyle Smoot, MD, and Paul Baumert, M.D., physicians from the UI Sports Medicine Center. Mike Shaffer, UI Sports Medicine physical therapist and certified athletic trainer, provides extended rehabilitation oversight.

The sports medicine team also collaborates with football strength and conditioning Coach Chris Doyle to coordinate the rehabilitation of athletes from the moment of injury on the field to management in the athletic training room, and back to the field again.

According to Amendola, the sports medicine team's overall success depends on several principles: the health of the student-athlete is most important, and clear communication between the physician, athlete, training staff, parents, and coaches is essential to avoid any misunderstanding or delay in the athlete's recovery. Returning the athlete to competition healthy, without risk of further injury, is the goal of the team. These principles will be further enhanced when they begin to see players at the new UI Sports Medicine Center as part the Institute of Orthopaedics, Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation at the Hawkeye West Athletic Campus. The new state-of-the-art facility will allow injured players to be seen quickly by teams of specialists and receive rehab in an easily accessible location and environment that caters to an athlete's needs.

A board-certified orthopedic surgeon known for his skills in arthroscopic surgery, in particular with knee and ankle reconstruction, Amendola has a strong background in sports medicine. This included roles as team physician for the Canadian National Rugby Team from 1995 until the World Cup in 2000, orthopaedic consultant for the Toronto Raptors from their inception in the NBA until present, consultant to the NHL Players Association, and taking care of the University of Western Ontario's Mustangs from 1991 until coming to The University of Iowa. In addition, he is listed in the Best Doctors of America.

Amendola has had a productive academic career. He has been, and continues to be, involved in sports medicine research. He has received many peer review grants and research awards, including the Cabaud Award for Best Basic Science Research in Sports Medicine and the Excellence in Research Award from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and the Achilles Award for best Sports Medicine Research from the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Sports Medicine and the Roger Mann Award from the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society.

In addition, he has received several teaching awards and has a long list of peer reviewed publications, videos, and textbook chapters. Recently, he has been elected to the Board of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, and on the Executive Board of the International Society of the Knee Arthroscopy and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. . He is an associate editor of the following journals: the Journal of Knee Surgery, Sport Traumatology and Arthroscopy, Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Knee Surgery, Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine Review, and Foot and Ankle International. Amendola is on the review panel for several other publications, including the American Journal of Sports Medicine and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Amendola earned his medical degree and completed his orthopaedic residency at the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. He has been in practice since 1991, and left the University of Western Ontario as an associate professor and chief of orthopaedics at the University Hospital. His professional affiliations include the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine; the American Foot and Ankle Society, Canadian Orthopaedic Association, the Herodicus Society, the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine.

As director of UI Sports Medicine - part of an orthopedic surgery department that U.S. News & World Report ranks among the nation's top 10 -- Amendola is dedicated to improving the understanding, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients with sports- and activity-related injuries. Using specialists in orthopaedics, athletic training, rehabilitation, family medicine, and pediatrics, the UI program links experts from across the University to provide the full spectrum of care, from the casual strain of the weekend warrior to treatment and rehabilitation of serious game-ending injuries. In addition, this multidisciplinary approach is applied toward enhancing sports medicine education and research at The University of Iowa.

Amendola, a native of Cosenza, Italy, grew up in Canada and now lives in Coralville, IA, with his wife Alison and four children, Richard, Julie, Andrew, and Christine. Alison quickly entrenched herself in the community and has chaired the Board for the Eastern Iowa Figure Skating Club and served as president for the Iowa City Junior Service League. She currently is employed as the Coordinator for the Healthier Workforce Center for Excellence in the College of Public Health. Richard and Julie currently attend the University of Iowa. The Amendolas enjoy a very close and busy family life with all the children busy in school, sports, music, and dance.