What do you find so appealing about sculpting?

As a sculptor, there is a three-dimensional way of looking at marble that is very similar to working with bone. I have to plan ahead when sculpting, just as I do in the operating room, so the two are very compatible. Art and medicine belong together.

Why orthopedic surgery?

My father was a carpenter, and that was all I wanted to do when I was growing up; but my mom was a nurse, and she wanted me to become a doctor. When I was at medical school, I decided to go into orthopedic surgery because it is so much like carpentry. I saw the chisel and the hammer in the OR, and I thought: this is for me!

Where did you receive your training?

I did my internship here at Cedars-Sinai, which is where I met my wife, Ellen. (Editor's note: Ellen Klapper, M.D., is co-director of Transfusion Medicine at Cedars-Sinai.) I completed my orthopedics residency at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and my fellowship at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic here in L.A. My specialties are surgery of the hip, knee and shoulder. My current research interest is in hip arthroscopy, which when performed early in the course of arthritis may allow a patient to avoid hip replacement. I also hold several patents on surgical instruments. In addition to sculpting, I like to create my own tools.

Outside the OR, where do you find your inspiration?

Every summer, I travel with my family to Carrara, Italy, so I can work on the stone from the same quarry that Michelangelo used. I've studied Michelangelo's works in depth and I model many of my sculptures after his most famous creations, including The Pieta. I can see his chisel marks on his unfinished work, and that allows me to see how he placed his tools so I can mimic his efforts. The ultimate paradox is to take a rock and bring it to life.

I just opened an outdoor studio in Manhattan Beach, so now I spend my Saturdays there working on my sculptures. On Sundays, I go surfing.

Tell us about your art gallery.

My wife and I decided to build an art gallery out of steel and glass with an outdoor atrium on Beverly Boulevard, but my contractor couldn't find the steel we needed. As it turned out, a former patient of mine owned a steel company and he provided the steel, including the 12-ft. tall column beams supporting the building.

The Klapper Gallery is located on Beverly Boulevard, across from Cedars-Sinai, and we showcase a different artist every month. Last month, we featured an exhibit of surfboards as sculptures by a 74-year-old artist. We sold everything in the show. Now, we are exhibiting three professors from Pasadena Art School.

Robert Klapper, M.D., is chief of the division of Orthopedic Surgery and director of the Cedars-Sinai Institute for Joint Replacement. He can be reached at (310) 659-6889 or by e-mail at rklappermd@aol.com.