In Memoriam Markus Kuster

May 9, 1959 – November 12, 2024

With some delay, the ASG community bids farewell to its fellow Prof. Dr. med. Dr. phil. Markus Kuster.

In recent years, Markus had once again made Australia—his beloved second home—the center of his life, which unfortunately meant he had to reduce his active presence among the ASG Fellows. Before that, he made significant contributions to the ASG Fellowship: following his ASG trip in 2000—together with Karl-Dieter Heller, Stefan Nehrer, and Jasper Neidel—he took on the responsibility of serving as the Swiss representative on the ASG Fellowship Committee, a role he fulfilled with great dedication until his move to Perth.

His contributions to Swiss orthopaedics were profound and lasting. After studying medicine at the University of Basel, he completed his mandatory years in anaesthesia (Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen) and general surgery (Regional Hospital Locarno), before beginning his orthopaedic training at the Cantonal Hospital Baden in 1990, which he later completed in St. Gallen. A one-year research fellowship at the University of Western Australia followed, where he conducted biomechanical studies on knee loading during downhill walking. The resulting work earned him the Nicola Cerulli Young Researchers Award in 1994 and laid the foundation for his PhD in “Knee Joint Mechanics,” which he completed at the same university in 1999. Just one year later, he achieved habilitation at the University of Basel with a thesis on load and design considerations in knee arthroplasty.

After four years as a senior physician in St. Gallen, he returned to Australia with his family in 2003, this time as Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery. Until 2005, he served as Chairman at Fremantle Hospital before returning to Switzerland as Chief of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at the renowned Orthopaedic Clinic St. Gallen. It was deeply important to him to carry forward the legacy of his charismatic predecessors—Prof. Hardy Weber, Prof. André Gächter, and Prof. Fritz Magerl—in the spirit of the “St. Gallen School,” while also advancing it in a modern and forward-thinking way.

Markus Kuster’s scientific work focused on knee arthroplasty, particularly on patient-centered outcomes such as the "Forgotten Joint Score," as well as on biomechanical questions in fracture care. His more than 147 publications have been cited over 6,000 times. In 2011, he co-edited the textbook Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery for Practice, Clinic, and Board Exams, which has since become a standard work in specialist training. His research was honored with numerous national and international awards.
He also made valuable contributions to the professional-political field: from 2005 to 2010, he chaired the Swiss specialist training commission, and from 2008 to 2010, he served as President of the Swiss Society of Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic Surgery—now known as swiss orthopaedics.

In 2011, due to family reasons, he once again moved to Perth with his wife Maria and sons Lukas and David, where he continued his remarkable career as Head of Department at both the Royal Perth Hospital and the Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital.

The ASG Fellows extend their heartfelt condolences to his family. Markus Kuster left us far too soon. We will remember his contagious enthusiasm for the field, his tireless scientific curiosity, his visionary spirit of innovation, his remarkable humility and groundedness—and his unmistakable, mischievous sense of humor.

Swiss orthopaedics and the ASG Fellowship community have lost an exceptional member. His legacy and impact will endure.