Dr. Otto I. Lanz

Biography

ACVS Founding Fellow: Joint Replacement Surgery

Dr. Otto Lanz is a staff surgeon in small animal orthopedics and joint replacement at Spry Companions. He earned his DVM from Auburn University in 1992, completed a small animal internship at Michigan State University—where he was named Intern of the Year—and then finished a surgical residency at the University of Florida. He achieved board certification from the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1999 and was honored in 2023 as an ACVS Founding Fellow in Joint Replacement Surgery.

Dr. Lanz is a professor and has been on the faculty of Virginia Tech’s Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences for over 25 years, where he has mentored generations of interns and residents and directed more than a dozen master’s and resident research projects. He also holds an ongoing appointment as Adjunct Professor at Yamaguchi University School of Veterinary Medicine in Japan. Most recently, he completed a seven-month research sabbatical in Tokyo, studying mini and standard total hip replacement techniques in toy-breed dogs and cats.

For more than 15 years, Dr. Lanz has consulted for and instructed for Kyon, contributing to the development of total hip implants for both dogs and cats as well as the total medial elbow replacement system for canine patients. Clinically, he is dedicated to advancing total joint replacement (hip and elbow) and minimally invasive fracture repair in dogs and cats.

Dr. Lanz’s research has resulted in over 100 peer-reviewed publications, including biomechanical studies of TPLO and TTA procedures and total hip replacement surgery. He has authored 12 book chapters on veterinary surgery, delivered invited lectures at leading national and international meetings, and serves on the editorial boards of several surgical journals.

Outside the operating room, Dr. Lanz enjoys fly fishing, fly tying, and exploring the outdoors.