When knee surgeons discuss their exemplary colleagues, these are the ones they are talking about. Behold, the super elite in the knee world!
Here is that list. We don’t have “the market” on lists…this isn’t the be-all and end-all list—but it is a list of the most impressive knee surgeons in the country. This information was obtained via a telephone survey of thought leaders in the field. The information in quotes is what we heard about these surgeons.
In alphabetical order, here are the top 22 knee surgeons in North America.
David Backstein, M.D., M.Ed, F.R.C.S.C.
Dr. Backstein is an associate professor at the University of Toronto, the Head of the Division of Orthopaedic Surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, and the Medical and Lead Chair at the Mount Sinai Centre for Musculoskeletal Disease. “He does a terrific job as head of the division. He is very talented when it comes to complex knee construction and revision; he has been instrumental in the development of the porous metal implants that we use for revision and guidance systems. He has distinguished himself as a great educator because he breaks complicated concepts down to the fundamentals.”John W. Barrington, M.D.
Dr. Barrington is an orthopedic surgeon with the Texas Center for Joint Replacement in Plano and is director of the Joint Institute at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Plano. “Dr. Barrington is a well recognized hip and knee replacement surgeon. He has built on his group’s strong clinical and research history, and has presented his work nationally on joint replacement anesthesia protocols and less invasive hip replacements. He is a destination provider in the Dallas area.”
Keith R. Berend, M.D.
Dr. Berend is an orthopedic surgeon with Joint Implant Surgeons in Columbus, Ohio and a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at The Ohio State University. He is co-developer of the Biomet Rapid Recovery Program. “Dr. Berend is a national leader in hip and knee replacement who has pioneered surgical techniques of anterior hip surgery and partial knee replacement. He has developed outpatient arthroplasty protocols and produced increased value through higher patient satisfaction and outcomes. He is a proven contributor in clinical research and teaching.”
Michael E. Berend, M.D.
Dr. Berend is an orthopedic surgeon at the Center for Hip & Knee Surgery/St. Francis Health in Mooresville, Indiana. “He has done a tremendous amount of research and is a leader in partial knee replacement and also understands what factors correlate with long term success or failure of primary total knees.”
Robert E. Booth, Jr., M.D.
Dr. Booth is the medical director of the Aria 3B Orthopaedic Institute in Philadelphia and a former president of The Knee Society. “He is a scholar-surgeon who has dedicated his academic career to the advancement of orthopedics and patient care.”
Henry D. Clarke, M.D.
Dr. Clarke is an associate professor of orthopedics at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. “Dr. Clarke is a highly respected surgeon who is an active member of The Knee Society. He is well known for his research and commitment to the arthroplasty community on an international level.”
Craig J. Della Valle, M.D.
Dr. Della Valle is an orthopedic surgeon at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush and associate professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. He is also director of the Adult Reconstructive Fellowship at Rush University Medical Center/Central DuPage Hospital. “He is not only a super surgeon, but he is a tremendous researcher who has done superb work on hip and knee reconstruction. He has taken issues such as infected and painful joint replacement and developed algorithms that advance the field.”
Douglas A. Dennis, M.D.
Dr. Dennis is an orthopedic surgeon with Colorado Joint Replacement in Denver and assistant clinical professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is a past president of The Knee Society and the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS). He is co-medical director of the Porter Center for Joint Replacement and director of Clinical Research, Rocky Mountain Musculoskeletal Research Laboratory. “He is a veteran in the field of knee reconstruction who has made an immense contribution to the literature and given his utmost dedication to education.”
Michael Dunbar, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.S.C.
Dr. Dunbar is professor of surgery in the Division of Orthopaedics at Dalhousie University and director of Research for Orthopaedics at that institution. “He is an innovator who is helping to usher in a new way of thinking about total joint replacement. He challenges the norm, and continues to push for advancement and understanding of our field for the betterment of our patients.”
Arlen D. Hanssen, M.D.
Dr. Hanssen is an orthopedic surgeon at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. He is a past president of The Knee Society. “Dr. Hanssen is one of the most skilled knee surgeons and thought leaders in U.S. for complex knee replacement surgery. He has exceptional academic skills and his clear and logical thoughts and approach to complex knee issues makes him a standout in the U.S. knee arthroplasty community.”
Aaron Hofmann, M.D.
Dr. Hofmann is the founder of the Hofmann Arthritis Institute in Utah and director of the new Center for Precision Joint Replacement at Salt Lake Regional. Dr. Hoffman is also a clinical professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine. “He is a great innovator and scholar-surgeon who has invested immense energy in the education and training of many young surgeons.”
Raymond H. Kim, M.D.
Dr. Kim is an orthopedic surgeon with Colorado Joint Replacement in Denver. “He is a well-respected orthopedic surgeon…a real rising star who does great total knee arthroplasty work. He has published extensively and has been course director at numerous orthopedic meetings.”
Gwo-Chin Lee, M.D.
Dr. Lee is an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and program director of the Adult Reconstruction fellowship at that institution. “Dr. Lee is a dedicated clinician, educator and researcher who has extensive experience in complex revision surgery and management of periprosthetic joint infections. He is unafraid of challenging the norms of knee surgery and continues to explore ways to improve outcomes in knee arthroplasty.”
Adolph V. Lombardi, Jr., M.D., F.A.C.S.
Dr. Lombardi is president of Joint Implant Surgeons, Inc. in New Albany, Ohio, and a clinical assistant professor at The Ohio State University in both the Department of Orthopaedics and the Department of Biomedical Engineering. “He is a standout surgeon who continues to advance our field with his passion for research and patient care.”
William J. Long, M.D., F.R.C.S.C.
Dr. Long is an orthopedic surgeon at Insall Scott Kelly Institute for Orthopaedics and Sports Medicine; he is also a director and chief of research at that facility. “He is very involved in teaching and gets his audience involved in the Socratic method; in the OR he is excellent. His most important work is on the long term survival of total knee arthroplasty in young patients.”
Jess H. Lonner, M.D.
Dr. Lonner is an orthopedic surgeon with Main Line Health in Philadelphia. He is also associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Rothman Institute, Thomas Jefferson University Medical School. “He has earned the respect of his peers as an innovator in orthopedic surgery, particularly in the fields of robotic surgery and patella-femoral replacement. His contributions to improving patient care through research and education have been outstanding.”
Steven J. MacDonald, M.D., F.R.C.S.C.
Dr. MacDonald is professor of orthopedic surgery at Western University, chief of orthopedics and chief of surgery, at London Health Sciences Centre, University Campus in London, Ontario. Dr. MacDonald is the current president of The Knee Society. “He is a superstar who has written quite a lot about patient satisfaction and how to manage patients who are less than satisfied with their total knee replacement. He is taking us to the next level in our field.”
R. Michael Meneghini, M.D.
Dr. Meneghini is an associate professor of orthopedic surgery and director of Adult Lower Extremity Fellowship, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Indiana University School of Medicine. He is also adjunct professor in the Department of Mechanical and Biomechanical Engineering at the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology. “He is a leader in the field of adult reconstruction who is actively involved in research and teaching and has published several landmark articles on hip and knee arthroplasty.”
Javad Parvizi, M.D.
Dr. Parvizi is an orthopedic surgeon and director of clinical research at the Rothman Institute. “He is a leader in the field who is always willing to challenge the norms—especially when it comes to infection. He has made us come to a consensus on joint infection. He has a dynamic personality, is a tireless researcher, and trains many residents that speak very highly of him.”
Christopher L. Peters, M.D.
Dr. Peters is a professor of orthopedic surgery operations at the University of Utah. “He is a talented surgeon who has done some great and impactful research on both patient specific instrumentation and revision total knees.”
Giles R. Scuderi, M.D.
Dr. Scuderi is vice president of orthopedic services for the North Shore-LIJ Health System in New York. An attending orthopedic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital and Franklin Medical Center, Dr. Scuderi is also a past president of The Knee Society. Additionally, he is an assistant clinical professor of orthopedic surgery at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and one of the directors of the Insall Scott Kelly Institute for Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. “He has written numerous articles and continues to be a prominent figure in our sphere of influence. He is known for his work on redesigning The Knee Society scoring system, which has helped us thoroughly evaluate patients. He is very energetic, a great teacher, and a fabulous surgeon.”
Brian D. Springer, M.D.
Dr. Springer is an orthopedic surgeon with OrthoCarolina, and is the fellowship director at OrthoCarolina Hip and Knee Center. “He is an excellent surgeon who is known for revision total knees. His clinical skills are exemplary, he achieves good outcomes, and his patients love him.”