Stuart E. Fromm, M.D.
Dr. Fromm joined Black Hills Orthopedic & Spine Center in 1997. He is fellowship trained in Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine, Lake Tahoe, CA. Prior to his return to the Black Hills, he worked as a physician at the Kirkwood Ski Resort and served as a member of the medical staff for the U.S. Pro Ski Tour. Dr. Fromm is regarded as an international leader in comprehensive knee and shoulder surgery. He has earned numerous patents in developing new techniques and implants for minimally invasive knee and shoulder arthroscopic surgeries, which are used around the world.
Dr. Fromm’s "all-inside" cartilage (meniscus) repair technique remains one of the most successful and popular procedures performed by orthopedic surgeons throughout the world. He has patents, techniques, and implants for ligament reconstructions (ACL/PCL reconstructions) in the knee, as well as pending patents and techniques for arthroscopic shoulder surgeries. Other technologies and pending patents being developed by him include general surgical techniques that speed healing rates while at the same time increasing success rates. As a result, Dr. Fromm has lectured and taught orthopedic surgeons and their supporting staff nationally, as well as internationally, in these latest techniques. He is well published in orthopedic literature. However, his heart has kept him home in the Black Hills and he takes great pride in the quality of health care for all medical specialties in this region.
Dr. Fromm chooses to reside in the Black Hills because of the tremendous quality of life, second to none worldwide. The beauty of the area, outdoor recreation, and family-friendly community called him to return to his native Rapid City. He is married with three children.
Clinical Interests
- Knee and shoulder arthroscopic surgery
- Comprehensive knee and shoulder surgery ranging from arthroscopic surgery to joint replacement surgery
- Soft tissue surgeries and repairs of all extremities such as ligament and tendon repairs and reconstructions
- General orthopedic surgery including other areas of the body such as hip replacement surgery and the treatment of fractures and trauma
Specialized Surgeries
- Arthroscopic ACL/PCL reconstructions of the knee
- Arthroscopic meniscal repair of the knee
- Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair of the shoulder
- Arthroscopic labral/Bankart/SLAP repair of the shoulder
- Total joint reconstructive surgery including the knee, hip, and shoulder
Education & Background
- Fellowship Training - Arthroscopy and Sports Medicine, Lake Tahoe, CA
- Orthopedic Residency - University of Kansas, Wichita, KS
- Medical School - University of South Dakota School of Medicine, Vermillion, SD
- Bachelor of Science - Biology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT
Board Certification
- American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
State Licensure
Professional Memberships
- American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
- American Medical Association
- American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
- Arthroscopy Association of North America
- South Dakota State Medical Association
Patents & New Techniques
- Fromm Positioning Triangles
- Produced and distributed worldwide by Innomed
- RapidLoc Meniscal Repair System
- Produced and distributed worldwide by Mitek
- Released domestically April 2001.
- Released internationally May 2001.
- ACL Reconstruction with Bone-Tendon-Bone Transplants Using the Endobutton CL BTB Fixation System
- Produced and distributed by Smith & Nephew Endoscopy
- Released domestically and internationally Summer 2004. Revised 2008.
- Omnispan Meniscal Repair System
- Produced and distributed worldwide by Johnson & Johnson/Mitek
- Released domestically and internationally Spring 2010.
- Patent 6293961 "Suture Locking Device" issued 9/25/01
- Patent 6306159 "Meniscal Repair Device" issued 10/23/01
- Patent 6319271 "Suture Locking Device" issued 11/20/01
- Patent 6533802 "Endobutton Continuous Loop for Bone-Tendon-Bone" issued 3/18/03
- Patent 6866673 "Suture Manipulating and/or Cutting Implement" issued 3/15/05
- Patent 6884249 "Surgical Knot Pusher and Method of Use" issued 04/26/05
- Patent 7390332 "Methods and Devices for Repairing Tissue" issued 6/24/08
- Patent 7530990 "Endobutton Continuous Loop for Bone Tendon with Double Loop Knot" issued 5/12/09
- Patent Pending 12/609, 448 "Apparatus and Method for Repairing Tissue"
- In addition, several patents are pending for knee & shoulder surgery.
Research, Presentations, & Publications
- "Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome: An Approach to the Diagnosis and Management of Small Intestinal Obstruction with an Unclear Etiology" Fromm, S.E., and Cash, J., South Dakota Medical Journal, Vol. 43, 11:5 - 10, Nov., 1990.
- Presented at The American College of Surgeons, South Dakota Chapter, April 28, 1990.
- Received Chester B. McVay Award, 1990.
- "Septic Arthritis of the Hip in an Adult Following Repeated Femoral Venipuncture; A Case Report" Fromm, S.E., and Toohey, J.S., Orthopedics, 1996; 19: 1047-1048.
- "Infection Resistant Implants" Fromm, S.E., Cooke, F.W., and McQueen, D.A.
- University of Kansas 4th Annual Research Forum Award
- Presented at the Kansas Orthopedic Society Annual Meeting, Oct. 21, 1994.
- "A Biomechanical Comparison of Initial Fixation of Two Endoscopic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Constructs; Achilles Tendon versus Patellar Ligament" Osland, J.D., Fromm, S.E., and Jansson, K.A.
- "Residents Learn by Making Game of It; Orthopedic Quiz Bowl"
- Featured in Orthopedics Today by Lee Beadling (staff writer) Vol. 16, 2: 30-31, Feb. 1996.
- "Fracture Pearls and Casting Clinic" A lecture and splinting/casting clinic given to the surrounding
5-state region of primary healthcare providers biannually.
- "The RapidLoc Advantage"
- Video presentation produced and distributed worldwide by Mitek
- "RapidLoc Meniscal Repair System"
- A surgical technique guide published and distributed worldwide by Mitek
- "Meniscus Repair – RapidLoc"
- Presented at the 7th Annual Lake Tahoe Knee and Shoulder Update December 6th, 2002.
- "Surgical Techniques in Orthopaedics – Meniscal Repair"
- A DVD – video program produced and released by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons in 2003 includes “The RapidLoc Advantage”
- "Entrepreneurial Medicine – From Idea to End Point"
- Presented at the Western Research Alliance, South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, March 29, 2003.
- "Meniscus Repair – RapidLoc"
- Presented at “Knee and Shoulder Update”, Colorado Springs, CO; Jan. 2004.
- "Knee and Shoulder Update"
- Instructional Laboratory, Colorado Springs, CO; Jan. 2004.
- "ACL Reconstruction with Bone-Tendon-Bone Transplants Using the Endobutton CL BTB Fixation System"
- A surgical technique guide published and distributed by Smith & Nephew Endoscopy
- "ACL Reconstruction Using Endobutton CL BTB Fixation System"
- Presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery; San Francisco, CA; March 10 and 12, 2004.
- Presented at AGA ArbeitsGemeinschaft fur Arthroskopie: Lucerne, Switzerland; Oct. 1, 2004.
- Presented at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery; Washington D.C.; February 24, 2005.
- "Meniscal Repairs: Myths and Truths"
- Presented at ISAKOS (International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine); Hollywood, Florida; April 3, 2005.
- Author, "Bone-Patellar Tendon – Bone Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using the Endobutton Continuous Loop BTB Fixation System", The Anterior Cruciate Ligament: Reconstruction and Basic Science, Editor, CC Prodromos, Saunders-Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA, 2008, pp 373-380.
- Author, "ACL Reconstruction with Bone-Tendon-Bone Transplants Using the Endobutton CL BTB Fixation System" (revised technique).
- A surgical technique guide published and distributed worldwide by Smith & Nephew Endoscopy. 2008.