90 women orthopedic surgeons to know

Surgery, and especially orthopedic surgery, is a traditionally male-dominated field. Despite that fact, women orthopedic surgeons across the country are excelling.

Here are 90 women orthopedic surgeons currently practicing in the U.S.

Note: Women do not pay and cannot pay for inclusion on this list. The women are listed in alphabetical order. Direct questions or comments on this list to Laura Dyrda at ldyrda@beckershealthcare.com.

Jessica Aidlen, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon and chief of the spine surgery division at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Mass., specializing in disc herniations, spinal stenosis, cervical spine problems, spine trauma and back problems in athletes.

Laura Alberton, MD, sports orthopedic surgeon at Scripps Health in La Jolla, Calif., has expertise in ACL injuries, knee ligament injuries and surgery, cartilage injuries, knee and shoulder arthroscopy, labral tears in the shoulder, meniscus tears and rotator cuff tears.

Sheila Algan, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City, specializing in sports medicine for both adult and pediatric patients.

Dheera Ananthakrishnan, MD, is orthopedic spine surgeon at Emory Healthcare in Atlanta, specializing in complex spinal deformity among adults and adolescents.

Elizabeth Arendt, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, specializing in sports medicine and pediatric orthopedics.

Leslie Barnes, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and sports medicine at the Temple University School of Medicine in Philadelphia. She specializes in shoulder and elbow surgery.

Julie Barre, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Sarasota Orthopedic Associates in Florida, specializing in arthroscopic shoulder surgery, reconstructive shoulder surgery, and sports medicine injuries and surgeries. 

Hillary Becker, MD, serves as an orthopedic surgeon at Sanford Orthopedics & Sports Medicine in Sioux Falls, S.D., specializing in hand and wrist surgery.

Annette Billings, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Los Angeles Orthopaedic Center, specializes in hand and upper extremity surgery.

Melissa Boyette, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Coastal Orthopedics in Bradenton, Fla., specializing in hand and wrist surgery.

Evalina Burger, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon at the University of Colorado Hospital and professor of the University’s department of orthopedics in Aurora, who specializes in spinal deformities, spine injuries, neck disorders and spine fractures.

Barbara Campbell, MD, serves as an orthopedic surgeon at Somerset (Pa.) Hospital, specializing in hand and pediatric surgery.

Lisa Cannada, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Novant Health Orthopaedic Fracture Clinic/Hughston Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., specializes in orthopedic trauma surgery.

Teresa Cappello, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Shriners Hospitals for Children in Chicago, specializing in pediatric orthopedics.

Michelle Carlson, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, specializes in sports-related hand injuries and fractures, pediatric hand conditions, hand disorders in women and neurologic injuries in the upper extremity.

Emilie Cheung, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Stanford (Calif.) University Medical Center in Redwood City. She specializes in the shoulder and elbow, including fractures, arthritis, joint replacements and rotator cuff repair.

Loretta Chou, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and professor of orthopedic surgery at Stanford (Calif.) University Medical Center in Redwood City, specializes in foot and ankle surgery.

Alexis Colvin, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon as well as professor of orthopedic surgery and associate dean for alumni affairs at New York City-based Mount Sinai Hospital. She specializes in sports medicine.

Carol Copeland, MD, serves as an orthopedic surgeon and associate professor at Penn State Bone and Joint Institute and in Hershey, Pa., specializing in orthopedic trauma.

Frances Cuomo, MD, an orthopedic surgeon, assistant professor, and chief of the shoulder and elbow service at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City, specializes in open and arthroscopic shoulder and elbow surgery.

Leigh Ann Curl, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at MedStar Health in Baltimore, specializing in shoulder and elbow surgery and sports medicine. As a member of MedStar’s Sports Medicine team, she is also the head orthopedic surgeon for the Baltimore Ravens. 

Carrie Diulus, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon at Akron, Ohio-based Crystal Clinic Orthopaedic Center. She specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, sports-related neck and spinal injuries, degenerative neck and spine conditions and sacroiliac joint dysfunction.

Melissa Erickson, MD, serves as an orthopedic spine surgeon at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, N.C., specializing in cervical, thoracic and lumbar conditions.

Maureen Finnegan, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, specializing in pediatric orthopedics and sports medicine. 

Meagan Fernandez, DO, is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Danville, Pa.-based Geisinger Health System, whose research interests include scoliosis and spine surgery, pediatric tumors, clubfeet, hemophilic arthropathy, shoulder instability, and meniscus injury and repair.

Rachel Frank, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopedics at the University of Colorado in Denver, specializes in sports medicine, specifically knee, shoulder, elbow and joint surgery.

Erika Gantt, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoCarolina in Charlotte, N.C., specializing in hand surgery.

Mariam Hakim-Zargar, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and president of Torrington, Conn.-based New England Orthopaedic Center, specializes in musculoskeletal disorders of the foot and ankle.

Suzanne Hall, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Appalachian Orthopaedics in Hendersonville, N.C., specializes in shoulder treatment.

Sharon Hame, MD, serves as an orthopedic surgeon at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, specializing in trauma and sports medicine.

Sommer Hammoud, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at the Rothman Institute in Bensalem, Pa., specializes in sports medicine. She is interested in sports-related injuries in female athletes.

Jo A. Hannafin, MD, PhD, an orthopedic surgeon and director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at the New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery, specializes in sports medicine. She is also a team physician for the U.S. rowing team.

Lindsay Hickerson, MD, serves as an orthopedic surgeon at Health First in Melbourne, Fla., specializing in orthopedic trauma surgery.

Serena Hu, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Redwood City, Calif.-based Stanford Orthopaedic Spine Center, specializes in treating spine disorders.

Heidi Hullinger, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon at New Jersey Spine Specialists in Summit, who specializes in complex spine cases such as spinal deformity, tumors and trauma.

Jocelyn Idema, DO, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Steel City Spine and Orthopedic Center in Pittsburgh, Washington, and McKees Rocks, Pa., specializes in minimally invasive spine surgery, including treatment for scoliosis, disc herniation and spinal stenosis.

Meghan Imrie, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Standford (Calif.) Children’s Health, specializing in pediatric orthopedic surgery. She is also a clinical associate professor of orthopedic surgery at Stanford Medicine.

Michelle James, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and chief of orthopedic surgery at Shriners Hospital for Children – Northern Calif. in Sacramento. She is also a professor of pediatric orthopedic surgery at UC Davis and UC San Francisco medical schools. Dr. James specializes in pediatric hand conditions.

Youjeong Kim, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, specializes in cervical spine disease, lumbar spine surgery and scoliosis surgery.

Melanie Kinchen, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon and founding partner of 360 Back and Spine Center in Grapevine, Texas. Dr. Kinchen specializes in adult and adolescent spinal deformity, reconstruction and failed back surgery correction.

Monica Kogan, MD, serves as an orthopedic surgeon and director of pediatric orthopedics at Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center. Her research interests include limb lengthening, patient-physician communication and satisfaction, global health and medical mission outreach.

Rebecca Kuo, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at MK Orthopaedics Joliet (Ill.), specializes in cervical decompression, lumbar decompression, nerve pain and spinal deformity treatment.

Amy Ladd, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Stanford (Calif.) University Medical Center in Palo Alto, specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery and pediatric and congenital hand surgery. She is also chief of both Stanford’s Chase Hand & Upper Limb Center and the Children’s Hand Clinic.

Yuri Lansinger, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine in Oklahoma City, specializing in hand trauma.

Elly LaRoque, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Golden Gate Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgery in San Francisco, specializes in sports medicine, specifically arthroscopy, knee and shoulder rehabilitation and sports injuries.

Lisa Lattanza, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and professor and chair of the department of orthopedics and rehabilitation at Yale School of Medicine, specializing in upper extremity surgeries. Her focus is in post-traumatic and congenital reconstruction for pediatric and adult elbow issues. In 2016, Dr. Lattanza led a team that performed the world’s first elbow-to-elbow transplant.

Valerae Lewis, MD, is an orthopedic oncology surgeon at MD Anderson in Houston, specializing in adult and pediatric pelvic and limb surgery and focuses on sarcoma. Dr. Lewis is the chair of orthopedic oncology at MD Anderson and the first woman to chair an orthopedic department at a freestanding cancer center. 

Nina Lightdale-Miric, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and the director of the pediatric hand and upper extremity surgery program at the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. She specializes in upper extremity and hand trauma and sports injuries and is interested in congenital hand reconstruction, microsurgery, birth brachial plexus surgery and cerebral palsy treatment of the upper extremity.

Julie Long, MD, serves as an orthopedic spine surgeon at Stanford (Calif.) Health Care-ValleyCare in Pleasanton and Adventist Health Sonora (Calif.). She specializes in spinal reconstructive surgery, scoliosis and spinal deformity surgery.

Taruna Madhav Crawford, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Riverside Healthcare in Bourbonnais, Ill., specializing in hand surgery.

Jennifer L.M. Manuel, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Baptist Health in Jacksonville, Fla., specializes in hand and elbow surgery, chronic injuries, upper extremity reconstruction, acute fracture care and minimally invasive surgery.

Lauren Matteini, MD, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Fox Valley Orthopedics in Geneva, Ill., specializes in treatment of the whole spine, including cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions. She is especially focused on deformity correction, scoliosis, nerve impingement and stenosis.

Patricia McHale, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Gastonia, N.C.-based OrthoCarolina, specializing in sports medicine.

Amy McIntosh, MD, is a pediatric orthopedic surgeon and medical director of safety at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas. She specializes in scoliosis, limb reconstruction, hip disorders, and clubfoot and other foot disorders.

Jennifer Moriatis Wolf, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at University of Chicago Medical Center, specializes in hand surgery with expertise in the surgical and non-surgical treatment of bone, nerve, tendon and ligament injuries caused by trauma or overuse. Dr. Wolf is also experienced in the surgical removal of upper extremity tumors.

Mary Morrell, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Midwest Sports Medicine & Orthopaedic Surgical Specialists in Elk Grove Village, Ill., focuses on trauma and fracture, women’s health, pediatrics, hand and wrist conditions and arthritis pain.

Mary K. Mulcahey, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and director of Tulane Women’s Sports Medicine in New Orleans, specializing in shoulder and knee surgery and sports medicine. She is currently the team physician for the New Orleans Halfmoons. Dr. Mulcahey is also president of the Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society.

Joan O’Shea, MD,  is the founder of and a dually trained orthopedic spine and neurosurgeon at The Spine Institute of Southern New Jersey in Marlton. She specializes in treatment of spinal disorders.

Lois K. Osier, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoCarolina in Pineville, N.C., specializing in hand surgery. Dr. Osier worked as a physical therapist before receiving her medical degree.

Elizabeth A. Ouellette, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Florida-based Baptist Health Orthopedic Care. She specializes in hand and wrist fracture, ligament tear, nerve injuries, joint instability and small joint replacement surgery.

Laura Prokuski, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Sonoran Orthopaedic Trauma Surgeons in Scottsdale, Ariz., focuses on acute fractures of the arms, legs and pelvis. She also treats complications that arise from injuries including non-unions, mal-unions, infections and amputations.

Emily Putney, DO, an orthopedic spine surgeon at Coastal Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Center in Port St. Lucie, Fla., specializes in advanced surgical care of spinal pathology.

Laura C. Reese, DO, an orthopedic surgeon at Ashland (Ky.) Orthopedic Associates, specializes in shoulder surgery, hip, knee and thumb replacement, general orthopedics, arthroscopy, fracture care and trauma.

Tiffany Rogers, MD, serves as an orthopedic spine surgeon at Torrance (Calif.) Memorial Medical Center. She specializes in spine surgery and has researched total hip arthroplasty revision, fracture management in spinal cord injury and small wire fixation in tibial pilon fractures. Dr. Rogers also has previous experience as a physical therapist.

Laura E. Ross-Adams, DO, is an orthopedic surgeon at Ross Center for Orthopedics in Hainesport, N.J, specializing in sports medicine.

Christen M. Russo, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City, specializing in pediatric orthopedics. She serves as the chair of quality and patient safety for the department of orthopedic surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Brooklyn Methodist Hospital. Additionally, Dr. Russo is vice president of the Ruth Jackson Orthopedic Society.

Yvonne E. Satterwhite, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Resurgens Orthopaedics in Johns Creek, Ga., specializes in arthroscopic and general elbow, knee and shoulder surgery and sports medicine.

Jessica Shellock, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon at Texas Back Institute in Plano, specializing in treatments of degenerative cervical and lumbar spine conditions, with an emphasis on motion-preservation technology.

Naomi N. Shields, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Advanced Orthopaedic Associates in Wichita, Kan., specializes in foot and ankle and sports medicine. She was the first surgeon in Kansas to perform total ankle joint replacement surgery.

Jane Siegel, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Nashville-based Tennessee Orthopaedic Alliance, specializes in hand and upper extremity surgery. She is currently serving her third and final term as speaker of the house for the Tennessee Medical Association.

Sara Simmons, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Coastal Orthopedics in Bradenton, Fla., specializing in hand and wrist surgery. Dr. Simmons is interested in traumatic, acute and chronic injuries of the hand and wrist.

Beth Shubin Stein, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at New York City-based Hospital for Special Surgery, interested in arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder and knee. She is the co-director of the Women’s Sports Medicine Center at HSS.

Sabrina Strickland, MD, an orthopedic sports medicine surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City, specializes in sports medicine, specifically knee, shoulder, ACL and meniscus surgery.

Julie Switzer, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and associate professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Minnesota in St. Paul, specializing in trauma injuries in geriatric patients, osteoporosis and other diseases of bone metabolism. Her research interests include geriatric assessment, elder abuse, mandatory reporting and orthopedic fixation devices.

Joyce Tarbet, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at New Ulm (Minn.) Medical Center, specializes in trauma and fracture care, joint replacements, arthroscopy, upper and lower extremity reconstruction and sports medicine. She has previous experience as the team physician for the U.S. women’s soccer team and for the Chicago Fire.

Kimberly Templeton, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and professor of orthopedic surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center in Kansas City. She is interested in orthopedic oncology and women’s musculoskeletal health. Dr. Templeton is also the residency program director at the University, as well as the president of the American Medical Women’s Association.

M. Chris Testerman, MD, BSN, an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon at Knoxville (Tenn.) Orthopaedic Clinic, specializes in arthritic conditions of the foot and ankle, forefoot deformities and foot and ankle sports injuries. 

Claudia Thomas, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Lady Lake, Fla.-based Unova Health. She was the first African American woman to become an orthopedic surgeon in the U.S.

Ruth Thomas, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at University of Arkansas Medical Center in Little Rock, Ariz., specializes in complex reconstructions of the foot and ankle. She was formerly the director of foot and ankle surgery at UAMS. In 2018, Dr. Thomas received the inaugural Women’s Leadership Award from the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society.

Jennifer Tucker, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Personalized Orthopedics of the Palm Beaches in Boynton Beach, Fla., specializing in hand and upper extremity surgery.

Katherine Vadasdi, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and director of the ONS Women’s Sports Medicine Center in Greenwich, Conn., and Stamford, Conn., specializing in adolescent and adult sports medicine as well as shoulder and elbow surgery.

Grietje van Dyk, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Los Alamitos (Calif.) Orthopaedic Medical & Surgical Group, specializing in sports medicine.

Ann E. Van Heest, MD, serves as an orthopedic surgeon as well as professor and residency program director of orthopedic surgery at The University of Minnesota Medical School in Minneapolis. She specializes in hand and upper extremity and pediatric orthopedics.

Alexis Waguespack, MD, is an orthopedic spine surgeon at New Orleans-based SpineCare Medical Group, specializing in cervical, thoracic, lumbar and sacral spine disorder treatments. She is one of the few spine specialists trained in minimally invasive sacroiliac joint surgery.

Kristy Weber, MD, is an orthopedic oncology surgeon at Penn Medicine and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, specializing in bone tumors, Ewing sarcoma, limb salvage surgery, osteosarcoma, sarcomas, benign and malignant bone and soft tissue tumors. She is the director of the sarcoma program in the Abramson Cancer Center at Penn Medicine, and served as the Penn Academy of Master Clinicians’s first woman president in 2019 and 2020.

Jennifer M. Weiss, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Southern California Permanente Medical Group in Los Angeles, specializing in pediatric orthopedic surgery and sports medicine.

Robin West, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and chairman at Fairfax, Va.-based Inova Sports Medicine, specializing in orthopedic sports medicine. She also serves as the lead team physician for the Washington Nationals.

Michelle Wolcott, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at University of Colorado in Denver, specializes in complex knee, shoulder, and foot and ankle problems with a special interest in runner’s injuries and women’s sports medicine. She is the head team physician for the Colorado Mammoth.

Karen Wu, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at Loyola University Medical Center in Maywood, Ill., specializes in hip and knee reconstructive surgery.

Elizabeth Yu, MD, serves as an orthopedic spine surgeon at Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, specializing in spinal stenosis, herniated discs, degenerative disc disease and degenerative scoliosis.

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