Beals, Rodney K. (1931–)

Rodney K. Beals is an American orthopedic surgeon who described a number of congenital malformation syndromes, including the Beals syndrome, the Beals-Hecht syndrome, and the Hecht-Beals syndrome. Beals is a general orthopedist who specializes in bone lengthening and shortening and in treating fractures by using the Ilizarov method. Throughout his career, he has performed adult reconstruction surgeries and total joint replacements as well as pediatric orthopedic procedures. With over 100 refereed publications, Beals is considered a leading orthopedic expert in the skeletal manifestations of dwarfing conditions.

Beals enrolled at the University of Oregon Medical School in 1952 and graduated with an M.D. in 1956. After his internship at Minneapolis General Hospital, he was a resident physician in general surgery at San Bernardino County Hospital between 1957 and 1958. He started his residency in orthopedics at the University of Oregon Medical School in 1958 and completed it in 1961. In that same year, he joined the faculty of the Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU). He became head of the Division of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation of OHSU in 1981 and served in that capacity until 1994.

His interest in genetic diseases arose by chance when Beals and Frederick Hecht, a medical geneticist, had to share an office in the 1960s at the medical school in Oregon because no more single offices were available. They shared the same small room for a number of years, and, sitting so close to each other, they began sharing their interests and collaborating in clinical research. Beals and Hecht are mostly associated with three syndromes. The Beals syndrome is a form of bone dysplasia, which is characterized by short stature, broad shoulders, horizontal alignment of the clavicles, and peculiar ear malformations. The Beals-Hecht syndrome presents itself from birth and is a heritable illness of connective tissue that resembles the Marfan syndrome and arthrogryposis. The Hecht-Beals syndrome is a relatively rare, heritable condition whose main traits include the inability to open the mouth completely and pseudocamptodactyly (short finger flexor tendons with wrist extension).

Beals served as president for the Western Orthopedic Association and the Lamplighters Association. He is a member of the American Orthopedic Association, a board-certified fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, and an honorary member of the Little People of America. He has received many honors, including being named an American, British, and Canadian Traveling Fellow for the Combined English Speaking Orthopedic Associations of the World.