Dr Lai Kah Weng
Orthopaedic Surgeon
Registered specialty: Orthopaedic Surgery
Dr Lai Kah Weng is an orthopaedic surgeon with more than fourteen years of experience in knee injuries and conditions. His practice covers ligament injuries, meniscus and cartilage problems, patellofemoral conditions and knee osteoarthritis.
He read medicine at the National University of Singapore and went on to a Master of Medicine in Orthopaedic Surgery. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Orthopaedic Surgery. In 2014 he completed a knee fellowship at the Sydney Orthopaedic Research Institute, training under Myles Coolican, David Parker and Brett Fritsch, and in 2016 he was awarded an AOSSM Travelling Fellowship to North America.
He played international rugby for Singapore, winning ten international Test caps between 1995 and 2000, and was Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director of the Singapore Rugby Union from 2011 to 2021, covering injury prevention and medical care for national team players. He was formerly a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon at the National University Hospital and a Visiting Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon to Singapore General Hospital.
Background and training
Medical school, orthopaedic training and fellowship.
- MBBS, National University of Singapore.
- MMed in Orthopaedic Surgery.
- 2015
- Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh in Orthopaedic Surgery.
- 2002
- Diploma in Aviation Medicine (UK), awarded by King's College London. Awarded the Stewart Memorial Prize for graduating top of the programme, the first Singaporean to receive it.
- 2014
- Knee fellowship, Sydney Orthopaedic Research Institute, under Myles Coolican, David Parker and Brett Fritsch.
- 2016
- AOSSM Travelling Fellowship to North America, visiting centres in Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco and Colorado.
Playing and team medicine
Playing history and team medicine roles.
- 1995–2000
- Singapore national rugby team, ten international Test caps.
- 2011–2021
- Chief Medical Officer and Medical Director, Singapore Rugby Union, covering injury prevention and medical care for national team players.
Professional experience
Previous and current appointments.
- 2013
- Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, National University Hospital, and Visiting Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon to Singapore General Hospital.
- Accredited Aviation Medical Officer (Flight Surgeon), Republic of Singapore Air Force, caring for high-performance military pilots. Flown in the A4SU, F-5E Tiger, F-16C/D, AH-64D Apache and F-15SG.
- Previously Co-chairman, Scientific Committee, Singapore Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting.
- Developed a patented diagnostic device for objective knee outcome assessment, initially funded by Enterprise Singapore.
- Current
- Editorial Board, Sports Health — the journal sports surgeons and physiotherapists use to set treatment standards, and the only bimonthly title jointly issued by the four American sports-medicine bodies that treat athletes as a team: AOSSM (surgeons), AMSSM (sports physicians), NATA (athletic trainers) and AASPT (sports physical therapists). Regular reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine and the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine.
Memberships
Professional bodies and society memberships.
- Singapore Orthopaedic Association
- Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
- Medical Alumni Association
- APKASS