Skip to Main Content

John Fulkerson, MD

Professor of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
DownloadHi-Res Photo

Contact Info

Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

P.O. Box 208071

New Haven, CT 06520-8071

United States

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

Other Departments & Organizations

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

Research at a Glance

Yale Co-Authors

Frequent collaborators of John Fulkerson's published research.

Publications

2024

2023

Academic Achievements & Community Involvement

  • honor

    Hall of Fame

  • honor

    Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

  • honor

    Lifetime Achievement Award

  • honor

    Sport Medicine Fellow Educator Award, University of Connecticut Orthopedics-2020

  • honor

    Connecticut Orthopedist of the year

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

Sports Medicine; Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

Fact Sheets

Board Certifications

  • Orthopaedic Surgery

    Certification Organization
    AB of Orthopaedic Surgery
    Original Certification Date
    1980

Yale Medicine News

Get In Touch

Contacts

Appointment Number
Mailing Address

Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

P.O. Box 208071

New Haven, CT 06520-8071

United States

Administrative Support

Locations

  • Department of Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation

    Academic Office

    47 College Street

    New Haven, CT 06510

  • Patient Care Locations

    Are You a Patient? View this doctor's clinical profile on the Yale Medicine website for information about the services we offer and making an appointment.