In serving the people of Hong Kong for more than 50 years the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology has earned a world-wide reputation in clinical service and research. Established in 1961, the department carries out research in clinical and basic science related to orthopaedics and provides post-graduate specialty training for surgeons and in medical science.

Professor Peter Chiu is the Chief of Division of Joint Replacement Surgery in the department, a position that he attained when the division was formed in 1997. Professor Chiu’s current research work is on joint diseases.  An important part of his research is about osteoarthritis of the knee. His studies show that Asian knees are different from Western knees, the findings have great impacts on the surgical management of Asian patients with advanced knee joint diseases.

Professor Chiu also studies the role of subchondral bone in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis, the application of cartilage repair for earlier diseases, the genetics and epidemiology of osteoarthritis and conservative management of knee osteoarthritis including the use of traditional medicine.  His research works in the hip joint include the pathogenesis and management of avascular necrosis of the femoral head as well as hip replacements for patients suffering from ankylosing spondylitis.

His outstanding research in the hip joint and his contributions to hip surgery culminated to his induction into the International Hip Society in 2008.

Professor Chiu graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at The University of Hong Kong in 1987.  After the internship year, he worked in Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at Queen Mary Hospital as a medical officer in 1988.  He joined the University and became a lecturer in 1991.

His earlier research work was on fragility fractures of the proximal femur.  The scope of his works did not just cover how to operate on these fractures, but also socio-economical issues, seasonal variations, rehabilitation and effects of concomitant conditions such as osteomalacia and cerebrovascular accidents.  He also published a number of papers on general orthopaedics and traumatology before he decided to sub-specialise in joint replacement surgery. Professor Chiu was promoted to senior lecturer in 1996 and associate professor in 1997.  He was further promoted to clinical professor in 2006.

Professor Chiu is very active in educating young orthopaedic surgeons in the arts and science of joint replacement surgery.  He trained over 1,000 surgeons from every part of China in the past 10 years.  He has been invited to lecture in different countries for more than 100 times, and has published more than 150 book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. He is editor to several international, national and local journals in orthopaedic surgery.

He has also been the office bearer of many professional bodies, including the founding President of Adult Joint Reconstruction chapter of Hong Kong Orthopaedic Association.