a variety of reasons including fracture of the femoral neck, or patients who received high dose steroids due to any medical condition or those suffering from alcohol abuse. In such patients the quality of bone in the femoral head (the ball part of the hip) is compromised and progressively crunches leading to a failure of resurfacing. For such patients with poor quality femoral head bone stock, who are unsuitable for a regular hip resurfacing, McMinn developed a conservative and more versatile metal-on-metal arthroplasty, the Birmingham Mid Head Resection (BMHR) device. The BMHR is demonstrating good medium term results in such high risk patients. Total Knee Replacement Birmingham Knee Replacement Derek McMinn describes himself as primarily a knee surgeon who digressed into hip surgery for a few years in the past couple of decades. His colleagues acknowledge him as one of the finest knee surgeons in the world. In addition to performing many complex primary and revision knee operations in the past three decades, he also designed and developed a revision total knee replacement (TKR) for extensive bone loss in the mid 1990s. Current evidence shows that although knee replacements survive almost as long as hip replacements, the outcome of available designs of knee replacements are not as good as hip replacements. While only 1 to 5% of patients with a THR or a hip resurfacing are unhappy with their outcomes in the early years, nearly 20% of patients who undergo a knee replacement are dissatisfied with their outcome. In an attempt to improve the functional outcome following knee replacements McMinn developed a high performance knee which closely mimics the movement, stability and function of the natural knee to a greater extent. The world-class laboratory where the BKR was bench-tested reported that of all the artificial knees tested thus far, the BKR generated the least volume of wear. Early outcomes with the Birmingham Knee Replacement (BKR) are very promising. Of course only time will tell if the long-term satisfaction of patients with BKRs match those with hip resurfacings. Career Derek McMinn went to Royal School Dungannon, Northern Ireland where he captained the 1st XV rugby team and represented Ulster Schools XV. He qualified from St Thomas' Hospital Medical school in London in 1977, having captained the 1st XV rugby team and won the Cheselden medal and 1st prize in surgery. He has practised as a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon since 1988. McMinn