Maurizio Catagni, orthopedic pioneer, dies at 81

Maurizio Catagni, a renowned orthopedic surgeon and pioneer of the Ilizarov method, has passed away at the age of 81. His death has deeply impacted the medical community in Lecco and beyond.

Catagni played a crucial role in introducing the Ilizarov technique—a revolutionary method for bone regeneration and limb lengthening developed by Soviet physician Gavriil Ilizarov—to Italy. After traveling to Kurgan, Siberia, to study the technique directly, he helped implement it at the Manzoni Hospital in Lecco, where the first patient was treated in 1981. This established the hospital as an international reference point for orthopedic surgery.

Throughout his career, Catagni served as the director of the Orthopedics and Traumatology Unit at Manzoni Hospital from 1999 to 2010. He was also a professor at the University of Milan's specialization school and a co-founder of ASAMI Italy. Even after retirement, he remained active as a medical consultant and scientific communicator.