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End of an Era: Thank You to Bruce Reider, MD

    • Society News

Established in 1972 under the leadership of Dr. Jack Hughston, The American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM) was an early outlet for scientific research in the growing field of sports medicine. Dr. Hughston was succeeded by Dr. Robert Leach, who shepherded AJSM into an international journal. Throughout his tenure as the third editor-in-chief, Bruce Reider, MD, has greatly influenced the journal’s growth.

When he assumed the role of AJSM editor-in-chief in 2002, the journal published six issues per year and received fewer than 500 submissions annually. Now, as Dr. Reider steps down from the role over two decades later, the journal publishes 14 times per year and receives more than 2,000 submissions annually.

In addition to his contributions to AJSM, Dr. Reider influenced the growth of the AOSSM publishing arm. What started as a single journal reflecting the society’s education outreach has expanded to four journals, each with its own strategy for reaching a wider and more varied audience. Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach launched in 2009 as a multidisciplinary journal targeting the complete athlete health team: physicians, trainers, and therapists. The Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine (OJSM), which launched in 2013, is an avenue for open-access publishing. This subscription-free publishing model is easily accessible worldwide. Finally, the Video Journal of Sports Medicine, which launched in 2021, provides education via video format to disseminate new techniques in sports medicine surgery, examination, and diagnosis.

The significant expansion of the Society journal family also led to a new administrative role for Dr. Reider as Executive Editor-in-Chief. He worked diligently to cultivate a strong rapport with authors, reviewers, and contributors alike, establishing a collaborative environment that became a cornerstone of AOSSM’s publishing culture. He appointed associate editors to help review papers in key subject areas and thus became a mentor and role model for future editors, such as his successor, Dr. Brett Owens. In 2022, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of both AOSSM and AJSM and Dr. Reider’s 30th year as editor-in-chief, the Society announced the Bruce Reider Scholarship, which gives sports medicine fellows interested in publishing and peer review a unique opportunity to attend the AOSSM Annual Meeting and receive a full year of mentorship and education into the publishing industry.

As a full-time AOSSM employee, Dr. Reider has represented the society at international meetings for the last 22 years. To see him stroll the venues of ESSKA, ISAKOS, SLARD, or APKASS is like witnessing the fanfare reserved for a movie star or rock icon. He is well known throughout the sports medicine world and revered as an esteemed editor-in-chief. Dr. Reider has earned the trust and respect of the publishing community, leaving a legacy of collaboration and mutual respect that will endure beyond his tenure.

Dr. Reider has also been a loyal Member of AOSSM since 1983 and was part of the inaugural class of Traveling Fellows in partnership with ESSKA in 1986. In acknowledgment of his many contributions to the field and the Society, Dr. Reider was inducted into the AOSSM Hall of Fame in 2014 and received the Robert E. Leach, MD, Sports Medicine Leadership Award at the 2024 AOSSM Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

Dr. Reider has also been a cheerful presence in the office, attending staff parties and bringing his famous macarons for special occasions. The AOSSM family will miss his presence and sage council as he transitions to a part-time position as editor-in-chief of OJSM.

And so, we bid not adieu, but au revoir to Dr. Reider. He will continue to have a prominent role serving on the AOSSM Publishing Advisory Board and as editor-in-chief of OJSM. Of course, he will remain as the eponymous host of the Easy Reider podcast, continuing to engage with leading figures in orthopaedic sports medicine.

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