Professor of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation; Sports Medicine Division Chief, Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation; Vice Chair of Athletic Medicine and Community Outreach, Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation
Meet the Clinical Experts
Credit: Graham Hebel
Yale is where world-renowned experts, educators, resources, and innovational opportunities converge. Members of our faculty will encourage you to explore while providing the tools and techniques needed to make practical use of our visionary environment. Specifically, our faculty will inspire you, help develop your problem-solving skills, and make it possible for real resolutions to impact what is most important – the patient.
Division Chief
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Meet Sports Medicine Physician Christina Allen, MD, FAAOS
For more information on Dr. Allen or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/christina_allen.
Christina Allen, MD, is chief of Yale Medicine Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation Sports Medicine and head team physician for Yale Athletics.
Sports Medicine Fellowship Director
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Professor of Orthopaedics and Rehabilitation; Head Team Physician & Head Orthopaedic Surgeon WNBA CT Sun Women's basketball team, Yale Orthopaedics, Mohegan Sun
Sports Medicine Faculty
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Associate Professor Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation; Head Team Physician, Yale Athletics
Meet the Faculty
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Meet Orthopedic Surgeon John Fulkerson, MD For more information on Dr. Fulkerson or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/john_fulkerson.
John Fulkerson, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine. He focuses on treating patella (kneecap) instability, which occurs when the kneecap moves out of its proper place. It is common among athletes and active people. “Patella instability patients benefit tremendously from the type of surgery we can do for them,” Dr. Fulkerson says. “They go from being really disabled to returning to playing sports. It’s very satisfying to help restore their lives.” The patella and the femur form the patellofemoral joint, which has complex contours and mechanics, he says. “So 3-D printing, which we are developing a program for at Yale, enables us to gain a much better understanding of it. Everything we look at in two-dimensional imaging is really just an approximation and doesn’t get close to the level of understanding we have with 3-D printing,” Dr. Fulkerson says. Treating patella instability, he adds, is an area where a precise diagnosis and surgery warrant a focused approach. “Patients can feel confident that when they come to Yale, they will be seeing a team that has a lot of experience, and they will get the results they are looking for,” he says.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon Elizabeth Gardner, MD For more information on Dr. Gardner or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/elizabeth_gardner.
Elizabeth Gardner, MD, is a Yale Medicine orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopy. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure done with a thin, flexible tube equipped with tiny instruments on the end to view, diagnose and treat problems inside the knee, shoulder and hip. Now Dr. Gardner uses the latest surgical and nonsurgical tools and techniques to treat Yale Medicine patients of all ages, athletes and non-athletes alike, for everything from osteoarthritis to shoulder pain. She is also a team physician for Yale University Athletics. Her goal is to find the best possible treatment and get patients back to their sports or other activities as quickly as possible.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon Andrew Jimenez, MD For more information on Dr. Jimenez or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/andrew_jimenez.
Andrew Jimenez, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and hip preservation. Hip preservation, he explains, is applying operative or nonoperative techniques to treat non-arthritic hip pain with the goal of pain-free function and preventing a hip replacement in the future. “Sports medicine surgery has historically focused on the shoulder and the knee, but the hip is the next frontier,” Dr. Jimenez says, adding that hip arthroscopy (a minimally invasive way to treat and diagnose hip joint problems) is becoming increasingly popular. “There has been an explosion in literature and huge advances in the surgical technology for this.” Before hip arthroscopy became mainstream, it was a joint that was hard to access, Dr. Jimenez says. “People in their 30s or 40s would start to have hip pain, and we would think it was early arthritis. We would give them injections until they maybe needed a hip replacement sometime in the future,” he says. “But now, with greater understanding of the hip and better technology, we are able to make repairs, such as fix a labral tear or hip impingement.” The best part of his job, Dr. Jimenez says, are the relationships he builds with patients. “Building trust with them at that initial visit is important. I always try to talk less and listen more to what the patient is saying in order to understand their goals, so we can determine treatment,” he says. “Whether it’s a high school athlete who wants to be ready for the season, or someone who just wants to be able to play with their kids, I’m a big believer in trying nonoperative approaches first.” A wrestler in high school and college, Dr. Jimenez says he always appreciated the trainers and surgeons he came to know. “I never had any serious injuries, but I liked seeing how they could help athletes get back to their sport,” he says. “And now, I enjoy working with everyone from college athletes to weekend warriors who just want to get back to their activity, which is sometimes a part of their identity.” Dr. Jimenez’s research interests include studying athletes and outcomes in hip arthroscopy. “There has been research on the general population, but less so in athletics and it’s important that we have a better understanding of the needs of athletes,” he says.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon Michael Medvecky, MD For more information on Dr. Medvecky or #YaleMedicine, visit: https://www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/michael_medvecky
Michael Medvecky, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in athletic injuries, especially to the knee and shoulder. He treats adults and adolescents who injure themselves in high-level competition, as well as “weekend warriors.” He is also an active member of the Department of Orthopaedics’s coverage of Yale New Haven Hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Center, where he helps care for people with severe or multiple traumatic injuries. Orthopedics has changed significantly even in the past five years, says Dr. Medvecky. Depending on the situation, he draws upon the latest approaches to both arthroscopic (minimally invasive) and traditional surgery—and also uses nonsurgical techniques—to treat ligament, meniscus and articular cartilage injuries. But he believes the first step in making a good diagnosis is to listen to the patient. “I personally learn so much from my patients,” says Dr. Medvecky. “In medicine and surgery, probably 80 to 90 percent of what the diagnosis is, they’re going to tell you. And then it’s matching up your physical examination with their story and deciding upon the need for further testing or imaging to assist in the confirmation of the diagnosis.” Dr. Medvecky presently serves as the vice chair for faculty affairs for the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation and is an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Medvecky cared for members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Cincinnati Bengals early in his career. He is now the head team physician and head orthopedic surgeon to the WNBA Connecticut Sun, women’s professional basketball team and the New England Black Wolves, men’s professional indoor lacrosse team of the National Lacrosse League, both based at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. He also serves as an orthopedic surgery consultant to the Yale University Athletic Department. He has played an active role in regional athletic event coverage, serving as covering physician for the WTA Connecticut Open tennis tournament and the New Haven Road Race for more than 15 years. Dr. Medvecky works with other Yale Medicine Sports Medicine physicians, as well as athletic trainers and physical therapists, to promote the use of ACL injury-prevention strength and conditioning programs in a proactive effort to minimize injury occurrence. As part of his efforts to promote health and safety in youth and adult athletics, he serves on the Connecticut State Medical Society’s Committee on the Medical Aspects of Sports. Connecticut Magazine has included Dr. Medvecky in its annual lists of Top Docs in the state.
Meet Sports Medicine Physician Samantha Smith, MD For more information on Dr. Smith or #YaleMedicine, visit their profile.
When Samantha Smith, MD, became a competitive rower in college, she also inadvertently chose her future career as a primary care sports medicine specialist. “Because I had many injuries, I noticed the difference when I saw specialists who understood my sport and took it seriously so I could continue to be successful as an athlete,” says Dr. Smith, who is also board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. “That fueled my interest in orthopedics, and I really enjoy taking care of both adults and children.” Dr. Smith offers nonsurgical treatment for musculoskeletal and other medical issues that occur not just in athletes, but all active people. The field of primary care sports medicine is not new, but it has been growing rapidly over the past decade, Dr. Smith notes. “With advances in ultrasound and other office-based imaging and procedures such as injections, primary care sports and nonoperative musculoskeletal providers work alongside orthopedic surgeons to provide complementary services to patients,” she says. Pinpointing the source of a patient’s problem is one of Dr. Smith’s favorite aspects of her job. “I might see a patient with ankle pain or pain on the side of the knee, but those might just be the symptoms,” she says. “The underlying problem may be something seemingly unrelated, such as weakness in the hip, so we need to focus our treatment plan on strengthening the hip.” Dr. Smith is an assistant professor of clinical orthopedics and rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon John Fulkerson, MD For more information on Dr. Fulkerson or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/john_fulkerson.
John Fulkerson, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine. He focuses on treating patella (kneecap) instability, which occurs when the kneecap moves out of its proper place. It is common among athletes and active people. “Patella instability patients benefit tremendously from the type of surgery we can do for them,” Dr. Fulkerson says. “They go from being really disabled to returning to playing sports. It’s very satisfying to help restore their lives.” The patella and the femur form the patellofemoral joint, which has complex contours and mechanics, he says. “So 3-D printing, which we are developing a program for at Yale, enables us to gain a much better understanding of it. Everything we look at in two-dimensional imaging is really just an approximation and doesn’t get close to the level of understanding we have with 3-D printing,” Dr. Fulkerson says. Treating patella instability, he adds, is an area where a precise diagnosis and surgery warrant a focused approach. “Patients can feel confident that when they come to Yale, they will be seeing a team that has a lot of experience, and they will get the results they are looking for,” he says.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon Elizabeth Gardner, MD For more information on Dr. Gardner or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/elizabeth_gardner.
Elizabeth Gardner, MD, is a Yale Medicine orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopy. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure done with a thin, flexible tube equipped with tiny instruments on the end to view, diagnose and treat problems inside the knee, shoulder and hip. Now Dr. Gardner uses the latest surgical and nonsurgical tools and techniques to treat Yale Medicine patients of all ages, athletes and non-athletes alike, for everything from osteoarthritis to shoulder pain. She is also a team physician for Yale University Athletics. Her goal is to find the best possible treatment and get patients back to their sports or other activities as quickly as possible.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon Andrew Jimenez, MD For more information on Dr. Jimenez or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/andrew_jimenez.
Andrew Jimenez, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and hip preservation. Hip preservation, he explains, is applying operative or nonoperative techniques to treat non-arthritic hip pain with the goal of pain-free function and preventing a hip replacement in the future. “Sports medicine surgery has historically focused on the shoulder and the knee, but the hip is the next frontier,” Dr. Jimenez says, adding that hip arthroscopy (a minimally invasive way to treat and diagnose hip joint problems) is becoming increasingly popular. “There has been an explosion in literature and huge advances in the surgical technology for this.” Before hip arthroscopy became mainstream, it was a joint that was hard to access, Dr. Jimenez says. “People in their 30s or 40s would start to have hip pain, and we would think it was early arthritis. We would give them injections until they maybe needed a hip replacement sometime in the future,” he says. “But now, with greater understanding of the hip and better technology, we are able to make repairs, such as fix a labral tear or hip impingement.” The best part of his job, Dr. Jimenez says, are the relationships he builds with patients. “Building trust with them at that initial visit is important. I always try to talk less and listen more to what the patient is saying in order to understand their goals, so we can determine treatment,” he says. “Whether it’s a high school athlete who wants to be ready for the season, or someone who just wants to be able to play with their kids, I’m a big believer in trying nonoperative approaches first.” A wrestler in high school and college, Dr. Jimenez says he always appreciated the trainers and surgeons he came to know. “I never had any serious injuries, but I liked seeing how they could help athletes get back to their sport,” he says. “And now, I enjoy working with everyone from college athletes to weekend warriors who just want to get back to their activity, which is sometimes a part of their identity.” Dr. Jimenez’s research interests include studying athletes and outcomes in hip arthroscopy. “There has been research on the general population, but less so in athletics and it’s important that we have a better understanding of the needs of athletes,” he says.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon Michael Medvecky, MD For more information on Dr. Medvecky or #YaleMedicine, visit: https://www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/michael_medvecky
Michael Medvecky, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in athletic injuries, especially to the knee and shoulder. He treats adults and adolescents who injure themselves in high-level competition, as well as “weekend warriors.” He is also an active member of the Department of Orthopaedics’s coverage of Yale New Haven Hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Center, where he helps care for people with severe or multiple traumatic injuries. Orthopedics has changed significantly even in the past five years, says Dr. Medvecky. Depending on the situation, he draws upon the latest approaches to both arthroscopic (minimally invasive) and traditional surgery—and also uses nonsurgical techniques—to treat ligament, meniscus and articular cartilage injuries. But he believes the first step in making a good diagnosis is to listen to the patient. “I personally learn so much from my patients,” says Dr. Medvecky. “In medicine and surgery, probably 80 to 90 percent of what the diagnosis is, they’re going to tell you. And then it’s matching up your physical examination with their story and deciding upon the need for further testing or imaging to assist in the confirmation of the diagnosis.” Dr. Medvecky presently serves as the vice chair for faculty affairs for the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation and is an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Medvecky cared for members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Cincinnati Bengals early in his career. He is now the head team physician and head orthopedic surgeon to the WNBA Connecticut Sun, women’s professional basketball team and the New England Black Wolves, men’s professional indoor lacrosse team of the National Lacrosse League, both based at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. He also serves as an orthopedic surgery consultant to the Yale University Athletic Department. He has played an active role in regional athletic event coverage, serving as covering physician for the WTA Connecticut Open tennis tournament and the New Haven Road Race for more than 15 years. Dr. Medvecky works with other Yale Medicine Sports Medicine physicians, as well as athletic trainers and physical therapists, to promote the use of ACL injury-prevention strength and conditioning programs in a proactive effort to minimize injury occurrence. As part of his efforts to promote health and safety in youth and adult athletics, he serves on the Connecticut State Medical Society’s Committee on the Medical Aspects of Sports. Connecticut Magazine has included Dr. Medvecky in its annual lists of Top Docs in the state.
Meet Sports Medicine Physician Samantha Smith, MD For more information on Dr. Smith or #YaleMedicine, visit their profile.
When Samantha Smith, MD, became a competitive rower in college, she also inadvertently chose her future career as a primary care sports medicine specialist. “Because I had many injuries, I noticed the difference when I saw specialists who understood my sport and took it seriously so I could continue to be successful as an athlete,” says Dr. Smith, who is also board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. “That fueled my interest in orthopedics, and I really enjoy taking care of both adults and children.” Dr. Smith offers nonsurgical treatment for musculoskeletal and other medical issues that occur not just in athletes, but all active people. The field of primary care sports medicine is not new, but it has been growing rapidly over the past decade, Dr. Smith notes. “With advances in ultrasound and other office-based imaging and procedures such as injections, primary care sports and nonoperative musculoskeletal providers work alongside orthopedic surgeons to provide complementary services to patients,” she says. Pinpointing the source of a patient’s problem is one of Dr. Smith’s favorite aspects of her job. “I might see a patient with ankle pain or pain on the side of the knee, but those might just be the symptoms,” she says. “The underlying problem may be something seemingly unrelated, such as weakness in the hip, so we need to focus our treatment plan on strengthening the hip.” Dr. Smith is an assistant professor of clinical orthopedics and rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon John Fulkerson, MD For more information on Dr. Fulkerson or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/john_fulkerson.
John Fulkerson, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine. He focuses on treating patella (kneecap) instability, which occurs when the kneecap moves out of its proper place. It is common among athletes and active people. “Patella instability patients benefit tremendously from the type of surgery we can do for them,” Dr. Fulkerson says. “They go from being really disabled to returning to playing sports. It’s very satisfying to help restore their lives.” The patella and the femur form the patellofemoral joint, which has complex contours and mechanics, he says. “So 3-D printing, which we are developing a program for at Yale, enables us to gain a much better understanding of it. Everything we look at in two-dimensional imaging is really just an approximation and doesn’t get close to the level of understanding we have with 3-D printing,” Dr. Fulkerson says. Treating patella instability, he adds, is an area where a precise diagnosis and surgery warrant a focused approach. “Patients can feel confident that when they come to Yale, they will be seeing a team that has a lot of experience, and they will get the results they are looking for,” he says.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon Elizabeth Gardner, MD For more information on Dr. Gardner or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/elizabeth_gardner.
Elizabeth Gardner, MD, is a Yale Medicine orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopy. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure done with a thin, flexible tube equipped with tiny instruments on the end to view, diagnose and treat problems inside the knee, shoulder and hip. Now Dr. Gardner uses the latest surgical and nonsurgical tools and techniques to treat Yale Medicine patients of all ages, athletes and non-athletes alike, for everything from osteoarthritis to shoulder pain. She is also a team physician for Yale University Athletics. Her goal is to find the best possible treatment and get patients back to their sports or other activities as quickly as possible.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon Andrew Jimenez, MD For more information on Dr. Jimenez or #YaleMedicine, visit: www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/andrew_jimenez.
Andrew Jimenez, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and hip preservation. Hip preservation, he explains, is applying operative or nonoperative techniques to treat non-arthritic hip pain with the goal of pain-free function and preventing a hip replacement in the future. “Sports medicine surgery has historically focused on the shoulder and the knee, but the hip is the next frontier,” Dr. Jimenez says, adding that hip arthroscopy (a minimally invasive way to treat and diagnose hip joint problems) is becoming increasingly popular. “There has been an explosion in literature and huge advances in the surgical technology for this.” Before hip arthroscopy became mainstream, it was a joint that was hard to access, Dr. Jimenez says. “People in their 30s or 40s would start to have hip pain, and we would think it was early arthritis. We would give them injections until they maybe needed a hip replacement sometime in the future,” he says. “But now, with greater understanding of the hip and better technology, we are able to make repairs, such as fix a labral tear or hip impingement.” The best part of his job, Dr. Jimenez says, are the relationships he builds with patients. “Building trust with them at that initial visit is important. I always try to talk less and listen more to what the patient is saying in order to understand their goals, so we can determine treatment,” he says. “Whether it’s a high school athlete who wants to be ready for the season, or someone who just wants to be able to play with their kids, I’m a big believer in trying nonoperative approaches first.” A wrestler in high school and college, Dr. Jimenez says he always appreciated the trainers and surgeons he came to know. “I never had any serious injuries, but I liked seeing how they could help athletes get back to their sport,” he says. “And now, I enjoy working with everyone from college athletes to weekend warriors who just want to get back to their activity, which is sometimes a part of their identity.” Dr. Jimenez’s research interests include studying athletes and outcomes in hip arthroscopy. “There has been research on the general population, but less so in athletics and it’s important that we have a better understanding of the needs of athletes,” he says.
Meet Orthopedic Surgeon Michael Medvecky, MD For more information on Dr. Medvecky or #YaleMedicine, visit: https://www.yalemedicine.org/specialists/michael_medvecky
Michael Medvecky, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in athletic injuries, especially to the knee and shoulder. He treats adults and adolescents who injure themselves in high-level competition, as well as “weekend warriors.” He is also an active member of the Department of Orthopaedics’s coverage of Yale New Haven Hospital’s Level 1 Trauma Center, where he helps care for people with severe or multiple traumatic injuries. Orthopedics has changed significantly even in the past five years, says Dr. Medvecky. Depending on the situation, he draws upon the latest approaches to both arthroscopic (minimally invasive) and traditional surgery—and also uses nonsurgical techniques—to treat ligament, meniscus and articular cartilage injuries. But he believes the first step in making a good diagnosis is to listen to the patient. “I personally learn so much from my patients,” says Dr. Medvecky. “In medicine and surgery, probably 80 to 90 percent of what the diagnosis is, they’re going to tell you. And then it’s matching up your physical examination with their story and deciding upon the need for further testing or imaging to assist in the confirmation of the diagnosis.” Dr. Medvecky presently serves as the vice chair for faculty affairs for the Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation and is an associate professor at Yale School of Medicine. Dr. Medvecky cared for members of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater and the Cincinnati Bengals early in his career. He is now the head team physician and head orthopedic surgeon to the WNBA Connecticut Sun, women’s professional basketball team and the New England Black Wolves, men’s professional indoor lacrosse team of the National Lacrosse League, both based at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. He also serves as an orthopedic surgery consultant to the Yale University Athletic Department. He has played an active role in regional athletic event coverage, serving as covering physician for the WTA Connecticut Open tennis tournament and the New Haven Road Race for more than 15 years. Dr. Medvecky works with other Yale Medicine Sports Medicine physicians, as well as athletic trainers and physical therapists, to promote the use of ACL injury-prevention strength and conditioning programs in a proactive effort to minimize injury occurrence. As part of his efforts to promote health and safety in youth and adult athletics, he serves on the Connecticut State Medical Society’s Committee on the Medical Aspects of Sports. Connecticut Magazine has included Dr. Medvecky in its annual lists of Top Docs in the state.
Meet Sports Medicine Physician Samantha Smith, MD For more information on Dr. Smith or #YaleMedicine, visit their profile.
When Samantha Smith, MD, became a competitive rower in college, she also inadvertently chose her future career as a primary care sports medicine specialist. “Because I had many injuries, I noticed the difference when I saw specialists who understood my sport and took it seriously so I could continue to be successful as an athlete,” says Dr. Smith, who is also board-certified in internal medicine and pediatrics. “That fueled my interest in orthopedics, and I really enjoy taking care of both adults and children.” Dr. Smith offers nonsurgical treatment for musculoskeletal and other medical issues that occur not just in athletes, but all active people. The field of primary care sports medicine is not new, but it has been growing rapidly over the past decade, Dr. Smith notes. “With advances in ultrasound and other office-based imaging and procedures such as injections, primary care sports and nonoperative musculoskeletal providers work alongside orthopedic surgeons to provide complementary services to patients,” she says. Pinpointing the source of a patient’s problem is one of Dr. Smith’s favorite aspects of her job. “I might see a patient with ankle pain or pain on the side of the knee, but those might just be the symptoms,” she says. “The underlying problem may be something seemingly unrelated, such as weakness in the hip, so we need to focus our treatment plan on strengthening the hip.” Dr. Smith is an assistant professor of clinical orthopedics and rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine.