Ernest Schilders, MD, FRCS, FFSEM, FRCR, is an internationally recognised orthopaedic surgeon specialising in minimally invasive hip and groin surgery. He is a leading authority on adductor, inguinal, hamstring, quadriceps and pubic-related groin pain. He has treated elite athletes in the Premier League, Champions League, National Basketball Association (NBA), rugby, tennis, cricket and ice hockey.
A pioneer in groin and adductor surgery, Professor Schilders developed nerve-preserving hamstring procedures, as well as advanced techniques for complex groin injuries. As professor of orthopaedic sports medicine at Leeds Beckett University, he discovered the pyramidalis-anterior pubic ligament-adductor longus complex (PLAC), revolutionising the understanding of groin and core muscle injuries in athletes.
Professor Schilders also developed a unique, anatomy-driven diagnostic workup for groin pain in sport, integrating advanced MRI protocols with surgical innovation. For this groundbreaking work, he was awarded an Honorary Fellowship by the Royal College of Radiologists, a rare distinction for a surgeon.
Professor Schilders' contributions, including selective neurolysis and refined hernia repair, have enabled faster, more-accurate return to play for elite athletes.
Professor Schilders graduated as doctor of medicine in 1991 after studies in Antwerp, Belgium, and became a specialist in orthopaedics by ministerial decree in 1996. He completed fellowships in sports medicine and rheumatology in the USA and UK. He has held several academic posts, including full professor in orthopaedic sports medicine at Leeds Beckett University since 2015.
Professor Schilders' research and educational efforts in orthopaedic sports medicine have significantly advanced the understanding of athletic groin pain and core muscle injury, particularly through his pioneering definition of the pyramidalis-anterior pubic ligament-adductor longus complex. His work on adductor avulsions, hamstring biomechanics and return-to-sport protocols continues to shape international sports medicine and surgical practice.
Professor Schilders' research topics also have included innovation in the diagnostic evaluation of groin pain, including the use of selective nerve blocks and development of MRI protocols for athletic groin and adductor injuries.