Associate Professor Erich Rutz

A/Prof. Erich Rutz joined the orthopaedic department and The Hugh Williamson Gait Laboratory at the Royal Children’s Hospital (RCH) in April 2020. For the last 15 years he worked as a consultant at the University Children’s Hospital Basel, Switzerland, where he was Head of the Gait Laboratory and Head of Neuromuscular Hip Surgery Programme.

Erich has a strong interest in all neuromuscular conditions and in particular in cerebral palsy (CP). In 2009/2010 he worked as a research fellow in the Hugh Williamson Gait Laboratory at RCH on a major project “Outcomes of Single-event Multilevel Surgery (SEMLS)” in children with CP. Erich focuses on the surgical treatment of disabled, ambulant and non-ambulant, children. His surgical expertise is in both surgery for ambulant children (SEMLS) and one-stage, hip reconstruction.

Dr Rutz has experience in and enjoys the challenges of all areas of paediatric orthopaedics and trauma surgery.

He has written more than 90 scientific papers and 22 book chapters and completed his habilitation thesis (“Venia Docendi”) in 2013 at the medical faculty of the University Basel, which is the highest university degree that can be awarded for orthopaedics and traumatology of the musculoskeletal system. In addition, he completed of his PhD thesis in biomechanics by June 2021.

Dr. Rutz’ academic work has been recognised by eight national and international awards.

In March 2022 he was appointed as inaugural Bob Dickens Chair for Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Melbourne.

In his leisure time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing the violoncello, and (pre COVID-19) travelling for teaching and holiday.