About Ross
Dr. Palmer is passionate about the triplicate roles of educator, researcher, and clinical surgeon. Whether training veterinary students, residents, or practicing veterinarians, he seeks to inspire and equip veterinary professionals to better care for their patients so that animal and human lives are lived to their fullest. Cherishing the opportunity to contribute to the professional development of others, he was recognized as an honored mentor by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons. Dr. Palmer is invited to teach at conferences around the globe and was the recipient of the Speaker of the Year award at VMX, the largest veterinary conference in the world. Now director of CSUVetCE, the world's largest university-based veterinary continuing education program, his team seeks to foster a collision between inspired learners, engaged educators, and meaningful experiences.
Dr. Palmer's research is directed toward disease/injury of the canine/human knee, cartilage repair and bone healing. He has mentored numerous recipients of the Best Clinical Research Award and Mark Bloomberg Resident Research Award from the Veterinary Orthopedic Society. He has research collaborations with Harvard Children's Hospital, the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, the University of Colorado, the University of Kansas as well as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and numerous human and veterinary corporations.
He is a past president of the Veterinary Orthopedic Society and past program director for the North American Veterinary Conference. Through his orthopedic patient care, Dr. Palmer values the opportunity to restore life quality, well-being, and pain-free mobility to his patients. Whether it is repairing a fractured bone, stabilizing an injured joint, correcting a complex limb deformity, or managing osteoarthritis, he loves the opportunity to give the gift of lifestyle freedom back to his patients. Believing that often "more is caught than taught," Dr. Palmer seeks to model patient- and client-centric care to those that he trains.
Away from his profession, you can find him spending time with his family, enjoying Colorado fly-fishing, hiking or cycling, traveling internationally, or escaping to his family cabin in remote northwest Ontario, Canada.
Education
Master of Science, Physiology, University of Georgia, 1989Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, 1984Bachelor of Science, Kansas State University, 1982
Certifications
Diplomate
American College of Veterinary Surgeons
Publications
Cabano NR, Troyer KT, Palmer RH, Puttlitz CM, Santoni BG. Mechanical comparison of two suture constructs for extracapsular suture stabilization (Vet Surg manuscript #VSU-09-229.R2 -- accepted June 2010, In Press - January 2011)Palmer RH. Nonunion, Delayed Union, and Malunion. In Mechanics of Disease in Small Animal Surgery - 3rd Edition, MJ Bojrab & E. Monnet eds, Teton New Media, Jackson, WY; 2010, pp 546-554.Palmer RH, James SP. Fracture Biomechanics of the Appendicular Skeleton. In Mechanics of Disease in Small Animal Surgery - 3rd Edition; MJ Bojrab & E Monnet eds, Teton New Media; Jackson WY; 2010, pp 669-685.Franklin SP, Gilley RS, Palmer RH. Meniscus injury in dogs with cranial cruciate ligament rupture. Compd Contin Educ, epub www.VetLearn.com, October 2010, E1-E11.Palmer RH, Ikuta CL, Cadmus JM. Comparison of femoral angulation measurement between radiographs and anatomic specimens across a broad range of varus conformations. Vet Surg manuscript # VSU-10-091.R2 -- accepted August 2010, In Press, 2011.Petazzoni M, Palmer RH. Femoral angular correction and lengthening in a large-breed puppy using a dynamic unilateral external fixator. Vet Surg manuscript # VSU 10-224, submitted Sept 2010, in review.Case JB, Dean C, Wilson DM, Knudsen JM, James SJ, Palmer RH. Comparison of the mechanical behaviors of locked and non-locked plate/screw fixation applied to experimentally induced rotational osteotomies in canine ilia. Vet Surg manuscript # VSU 10-198.R1, submitted August 2010, in review)Gadomski BC, McGilvray KC, Easley JT, Ehrhart EJ, Palmer RH, Santoni B, Puttlitz CM. A haversion bone model of simulated microgravity. Submitted to J Biom on 15 June 2013 (#BM-S-13-00780)Cadmus J, Palmer RH, Duncan C. The effect of preoperative planning method upon the recommended tibial tuberosity advancement cage size. Submitted to Vet Surg on 26 February 2013 (VSU-13-067).Wilson D, CSS Goh, Palmer RH. Arthroscopic biceps ulnar release procedure (BURP): technique description and in vitro assessment of the association of visualization and surgeon experience to regional damage and tenotomy completeness. Accepted to Vet Surg 16 June 2013 (VSU-13-026).Adrian CP, Haussler KK, Kawcak C, Reiser R, Reigger-Krugh C, Palmer RH, McIlwraith CW, Taylor RA. The role of muscle activation in cruciate disease. Manuscript # VSU-12-122, accepted to Veterinary Surgery on 12 April 2013.Flynn P, Duncan CG, Palmer RH, Duerr FM. In vitro incidence of fibular penetration with and without the use of a jig during tibial plateau leveling osteotomy. Manuscript # VSU-12-172, accepted to Veterinary Surgery on 12 December 2012.Becker WM, Mama KR, Rao S, Palmer R, Egger EL. Prevalence of dysphoria following fentanyl in dogs undergoing stifle surgery. Vet Surg 2013;42:302-307 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.2012.01080.x)Case JB, Palmer RH, Valdes-Martinez A, Egger EL, Haussler KK. Gastrocnemius tendon strain in a dog treated with autologous mesenchymal stem cells and a custom orthosis, Vet Surg 2013;42:355-360 (DOI: 10.1111/j.1532-950X.2013.12007.x)Petazzoni M, Nicetto T, Vezzoni A, Piras A, Palmer R. Treatment of pes varus using Fixin locking plate system in nine limbs of 7 dachshunds, Vet Comp Orthop Traumatol 2012;25:231-238 (doi:10.3415/VCOT-11-03-0035).
Research Specialty
Clinical Specialty/Interest: Traumatology, disease/injury of the knee, minimally-invasive orthopedic surgeryResearch interest: Preclinical translational orthopedic surgical research, disease/injury of the knee, bone healing, cartilage healing, bone fixationTeaching interest: Resident mentoring, clinical instruction of veterinary students and continuing professional development for practicing veterinarians, video demonstrations.