The Ilizarov Award of Excellence is given by UT Health Science Center at San Antonio and honors a surgeon or researcher for outstanding achievements in the application or education of external fixation. The award is named for Russian orthopedic surgeon Dr. Gavriil Ilizarov (1921-1992) who pioneered the techniques of external fixation and transosseous synthesis. Today the Ilizarov method is used worldwide to improve the quality of life for patients and prevent limb amputations.