Dr. Dirsko von Pfeil
Dr.med.vet., DVM, DACVS, DECVS, DACVSMR, DECVSMR
Biography
ACVS Founding Fellow, Minimally Invasive Surgery (Small Animal Orthopedics). European Board of Veterinary Specialisation (EBVS®) European Specialist: Small Animal Surgery. Adjunct Professor, Small Animal Orthopedic Surgery, Michigan State University. Staff Orthopedic Surgeon, Spry Companions.
Dr. von Pfeil earned his veterinary degrees from the Free University of Berlin (2001) and Michigan State University (MSU; 2006). He completed an internship at Kansas State University (KSU), followed by a surgical residency and fellowship at MSU. A quadruple-board certified specialist in small animal orthopedic surgery and sports medicine (DACVS, DECVS; 2007 and DACVSMR, DECVSMR; 2016, 2021), he also holds the honor of being an ACVS Founding Fellow in Minimally Invasive Orthopedics (2021).
Patient care, communication and client satisfaction are of utmost importance for Dr. von Pfeil. He is dedicated to providing top-quality, personalized care using the latest surgical techniques.
Dr. von Pfeil focuses on trauma, minimally invasive fracture repair, arthroscopy, sports medicine and joint replacements. His dissertation led to the first angle-stable interlocking nail (I-LOC) used in veterinary and human fracture repair. He has further published on topics including cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCLR), tibial plateau leveling osteotomy (TPLO), and joint replacements, contributed over 90 publications and delivered more than 100 lectures nationally and internationally. He is also the moderator of the “Orthopedic Listserv”, an international forum for the discussion of orthopedic problems.
During the 18 years before joining Spry Companions, he held several positions, including Assistant Professor at KSU, Visiting Scientist at the University of Georgia Athens, and specialty surgeon at referral centers in AK, VA, Washington DC, NE, and Zurich. He also volunteers with the AOVet, serves on editorial boards of 10 surgical journals, and has been affiliated for years with MSU as Adjunct Professor in Small Animal Orthopedics.
Involved in veterinary care during sled dog races since 2007, Dr. von Pfeil received the “Golden Stethoscope Award” in 2013 at the Iditarod in Alaska. He is the editor of the “Musher and Veterinary Handbook” and was honored with the “Bloomberg Lecturer Award” at the International Canine Sports Medicine Symposium in 2018. He was also elected by the MSU class of 2006 as “Resident of the Year”.
Outside work, he enjoys his family, languages (speaking 5), hiking, biking, swimming, and the occasional triathlon. For family reasons he commutes on a regular basis between Denver and other global locations.
