J. Richard Steadman, 85, Dies; Saved Knees of Countless Skiers

A renowned orthopedic surgeon, he developed innovative techniques for alpine Olympians. He also treated soccer, tennis and baseball stars.

J. Richard Steadman, a pioneering orthopedic surgeon who saved the knees and careers of hundreds of Olympic skiers, Premier League soccer players and even the occasional professional golfer, died on Friday at his home in Vail, Colo. He was 85.

A spokeswoman for the Steadman Clinic, which he founded in 1990, confirmed the death but did not provide a cause.

If you made the trek to Dr. Steadmans clinic, high in the Colorado mountains, you would find an office covered in evidence of his decades of surgical success: signed soccer jerseys and baseball pennants, autographed photos and simple notes of deep gratitude.

He built his reputation in the 1970s as the head doctor for the United States Ski Team, treating Olympians like Phil Mahre, Cindy Nelson and Christin Cooper. After Mahre shattered his ankle on a slalom gate during a 1979 World Cup race, Dr. Steadman went to work. Just 11 months later, Mahre won a silver medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y.