(July 2, 2007 - Chicago, IL) Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush Sports Medicine Surgeon Bernard R. Bach, Jr., M.D., has been named the 36th president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM). Dr. Bach will be installed as president during the society's annual meeting in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, July 12-15, 2007.

"This honor is the culmination of a wonderfully challenging and rewarding career, and it has been exciting to see the marked changes that have occurred in the nonsurgical and surgical care of the athlete," says Dr. Bach. "The dedication of the AOSSM member in advancing patient care has been extraordinary."

Dr. Bach has held several leadership positions within AOSSM and has served on its board of directors for seven years. Dedicated to raising funds for orthopaedic research and education, Dr. Bach has been instrumental in establishing an endowment specifically for research on sports-related injuries, treatment, and prevention.

The American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM) is an organization of orthopaedic sports medicine specialists dedicated to education, research, communication, and fellowship. The society works closely with many other sports medicine specialists including athletic trainers, physical therapists, family physicians, and others to improve the identification, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of sports injuries.

For more information regarding the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, visit www.sportsmed.org