Dr. Thomas Oxland presents 2025 Ian Macnab Memorial Lecture

Congratulations to Dr. Thomas Oxland, Professor and Associate Head, Academic, Department of Orthopaedics and Professor, Mechanical Engineering, for being selected to give the Ian Macnab Memorial Lecture at this year’s Canadian Orthopaedic Association (COA) Annual Meeting held on June 13, 2025.

The first Macnab Lecture was held in 1994 following the passing of Dr. Ian Macnab, a Canadian orthopaedic surgeon and scholar.

Every year, one prominent figure in the field is selected to deliver the lecture. Dr. Oxland, a Past President of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, is the first individual from the UBC Department of Orthopaedics to receive this honour.

Dr. Oxland’s talk, entitled “Can Biomechanical Modelling be Helpful in Planning Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery?” examined the use of computer modelling for proximal junctional failure in adult spinal deformity, as well as its potential in other orthopaedic issues.

His lecture also called attention to the contributions of his collaborators, specifically his students.

“I tried to highlight the contributions of some of my students in the overall project, as it has progressed differently than I initially expected. Much of this insight came from my students’ curiosity, leading us to explore this topic together.”
— Dr. Thomas Oxland, Professor, Departments of Orthopaedics and Mechanical Engineering; Associate Head, Academic, Department of Orthopaedics