John Fulkerson, MD
Professor of Orthopaedics & RehabilitationCards
About
Titles
Professor of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
Biography
Dr. Fulkerson is a Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Yale specializing in patella instability surgery and 3-D innovative research. He published Disorders of the Patellofemoral Joint and is founder of both the International Patellofemoral Study Group and The Patellofemoral Foundation (www.patellofemoral.org). In the past, he has been Head team physician for the NHL Hartford Whalers and Hartford Wolfpack as well as a team physician for U.S. Olympic Men's Ice Hockey and Trinity College (Hartford). He has published extensively in the scientific literature regarding the patellofemoral joint, authored many chapters, monographs and one book on the topic as well
as one non-orthopedic book Thin Lines: A Vineyard Journey. He is probably best known for orthopedic surgical innovation- first describing several common surgical procedures: anteromedialization of the tibial tubercle, medial quadriceps tendon-femoral ligament reconstruction, and first publication in the world's literature on bone-free quadriceps tendon reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (1998), an ACL graft alternative that is increasingly popular today. He has lectured extensively around the world and received many awards including the San Francisco Bay Area Lifetime Achievement Award, The Patellofemoral Foundation Lifetime Achievement Award, U.S. News and World Report Top Doctors, the Wisdom House Community Service Award (with his wife Lynn), University of Connecticut Sports Medicine Fellow Educator of the Year (2020), Connecticut Orthopedist of the Year (2016) and American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine Hall of Fame (2023).
Appointments
Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
ProfessorPrimary
Other Departments & Organizations
- 3D Orthopaedics Lab
- 3-D Patient-Specific Surgical Correction Program
- Clinical Faculty
- Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
- Patella Instability Program
- Sports Medicine
- SportSafe Soccer Medicine Program
- Yale Medicine
Education & Training
- Berg Sloat Traveling Fellow
- Orthopedic Research and Education Foundation (1979)
- Intern and Resident
- Yale University (1978)
- MD
- Yale University (1972)
Research
Overview
3D imaging and prints to understand intricacies of patellofemoral instability
Academic Achievements & Community Involvement
Clinical Care
Overview
John Fulkerson, MD, is an orthopaedic 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.
Clinical Specialties
Fact Sheets
Knee (Patella) Instability
Learn More on Yale MedicineMeniscus Tears, Repair, and Transplantation
Learn More on Yale MedicineCartilage Injury and Repair
Learn More on Yale Medicine
Board Certifications
Orthopaedic Surgery
- Certification Organization
- AB of Orthopaedic Surgery
- Original Certification Date
- 1980
Yale Medicine News
News & Links
Media
News
- July 11, 2024Source: International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine
ISAKOS Features Fulkerson in Giants in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Podcast
- January 24, 2024Source: Orthopaedics Today
VIDEO: Aid decision-making with 3D modeling of the patellofemoral joint
- July 21, 2023
John Fulkerson, MD Inducted into AOSSM Hall of Fame
- October 28, 2022Source: Connecticut Insider
UConn freshman Ice Brady’s dislocated patella: Experts explain injury, surgery, and recovery