Gunnar Andersson, MD, PhD, a pioneering orthopedic surgeon, researcher, and educator in the spine care field, passed away in early September at the age of 84.

Born in Sweden in 1942, Andersson was Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago from 1994-2008.

“Gunnar was the ultimate quadruple threat,” Joshua Jacobs, MD, the Grainger director of the Rush Arthritis and Orthopedic Institute and co-director of the Institute for Translational Medicine said in an article on the Rush website. “He achieved excellence as a clinician, researcher, educator and administrator, while remaining a thoughtful colleague and mentor. His vision transformed Rush Orthopedics into a world-class destination for patient care, research and education. His legacy will endure through the generations of surgeons and scientists he inspired, and through the institution he helped build.”

Andersson practiced for 55 years, authoring more than 320 original publications, 160 books and book chapters, and 530 abstracts. He was also past president of the Orthopaedic Research Society, the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine, the American Academy of Disability Evaluating Physicians, and the International Society for the Advancement of Spine Surgery.