OBITUARY
Ricardo Tito Amor (1934-2025)
“The Air File”
I loved
him very much. This simple phrase sums up my relationship with Tito throughout
my professional life.
As a Student
When I was a medical
student, I took my final exam in Orthopedics and
Traumatology with him.
The setting was the
Hospital de Clínicas. The case, a patient with an
ischial tumor—undoubtedly a challenging scenario for
a student.
During that exam, I not
only demonstrated what I had learned but also learned how to take an exam. Tito
had a way of instilling calm, guiding the analysis of the case from the simple
to the complex, and fostering reasoning.
As a Young Professional
After completing my medical
degree and finishing my residency, I earned a position at the prestigious Policlínico Bancario. There, I
shared outpatient consultations and surgical procedures with Tito.
It was nearly impossible
not to learn at his side—his approach reminded me of
my father, Carmelo, whom I remember dearly: systematic study, a refined
surgical technique, and absolute sincerity with his patients.
I collaborated with Tito in
organizing an international conference and editing a journal (Cirugía de la Pierna, del
Tobillo y del Pie).
Through this, I came to admire his strengths as a leader—his meticulous
planning and unwavering commitment to the established agenda.
As Chief of Service
I did not hesitate to
propose Tito as Consultant of the Orthopedics and
Traumatology Service at Hospital Universitario
Austral. By then, years had passed for both of us—Tito, the seasoned teacher,
and I, now leading a service. A lifetime shared.
When I decided to present
my work for full membership in the Asociación
Argentina de Ortopedia y Traumatología, he guided
me with wisdom and insight:
“I know you have well-documented cases of
reconstructive knee surgery, but they were treated at another institution. Now,
as a young Chief at Austral, you’ve managed to treat a series of patients
requiring ankle reconstruction using a procedure rarely performed in our field.
I recommend that you focus on that topic.”
I followed his advice. The
result was: Symptomatic Osteoarthritic
Ankle with Severe Joint Involvement: Arthroplasty by Modeling
Resection and Joint Distraction.
A trusted mentor—once
again, thank you, Tito!
“The Air File”
My father was wise: “You will know your colleagues not by their
résumés, but by their character and their daily virtues.”
More meaningful than a
Curriculum Vitae—a mere tally of degrees and certifications—is what I call the
“Air File”: the sum of attitudes, gestures, and behaviors
that make a person loved by all and envied by a few.
Tito and I shared a deep
love for music, in all its forms.
Tango, in its lunfardo slang, offers a word that transcends “professor”
and “master” when describing Tito: He will always be remembered as troesma.
Dr.
Carlos María Autorino • carlos.autorino@gmail.com • https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6410-3816
How to cite this article: Autorino CM. Obituary. Ricardo Tito Amor (1934-2025). The Air File. Rev Asoc Argent Ortop Traumatol 2025;90(2):205-206. https://doi.org/10.15417/issn.1853-7434.2025.90.2.2132
Article Info
Identification: https://doi.org/10.15417/issn.1852-7434.2025.90.2.2132
Published: April, 2025
Copyright: © 2025, Revista de la
Asociación Argentina de Ortopedia y Traumatología.
License: This article is under Attribution-NonCommertial-ShareAlike 4.0 International Creative Commons License
(CC-BY-NC-SA 4.0)