Physician Profile

Robert A. Arciero, M.D.

Dr. Robert Arciero is a professor and chief of the Sports Medicine Division of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut Health Center. He is also the director of the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship program at the UConn Health Center. Dr. Arciero is an active team physician for the University of Connecticut athletic programs providing sports care for the men's and women’s basketball, football, and hockey teams. He is also an orthopaedic team physician for USA Hockey and was the lead physician for the 2004 World Championship team. Dr. Arciero is the author of over 100 scientific articles on ligament, tendon and cartilage injuries of the knee and shoulder.

Dr. Arciero has won several national and international awards. These include the prestigious O’Donahue award for best clinical research investigating anterior cruciate ligament injuries from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and the first place award for the best research study on arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from the International Society for Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine.

His main area of expertise is arthroscopic surgery with a primary focus on knee ligament instability, cartilage repair and shoulder instability. He has special interest in the management of complex injuries of the shoulder and knee.

Dr. Arciero is also a faculty member of the Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement. His interests include osteotomies and cartilage repair procedures to preserve the knee joint.

Appointment

• Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health Center
• Chief, Sports Medicine Division, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health Center
• Director, Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, UConn Health Center
• New England Musculoskeletal Institute

Specialty

• Orthopaedic Surgery

Subspecialty

• Knee
• Shoulder arthroscopy
• Sports medicine
• Management of ligament and cartilage, injuries of the knee
• Joint preservation
• Instability and rotator cuff tears of the shoulder
• Special expertise in complex shoulder and knee instability problems and revision surgery

Certifications
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Education
B.S. Biology, St. Bonaventure University
M.D., Georgetown University School of Medicine

State Licensure
Connecticut
Wyoming

Residency
Madigan Army Medical Center

Fellowship
St. John’s Hospital
United States Military Academy

Awards

• American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine O’Donohue Award
• International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Caspari Award

Selected Publications
Arciero R.A., Wheeler J.H., Ryan J.B., McBride J.T.: Arthroscopic Bankart repair versus
nonoperative treatment for acute, initial anterior shoulder dislocations. American Journal Sports Medicine. 1994, 22 (5):589-94.

Arciero R.A.: Anatomic posterolateral corner knee reconstruction. Arthroscopy. 2005;21(9):1147.

Arciero R.A., Mazzocca A.D. Mini-open repair technique of HAGL (humeral avulsion of the glenohumeral ligament) lesion. Arthroscopy. 2005;21(9):1152.

View more publications, see PubMed listing.

Research Interests

Clinical Research

• Clinical outcomes of arthroscopic stabilization surgery for shoulder instability, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
• Arthroscopic techniques for complex knee ligament injuries involving injury to the anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate and posterolateral ligaments.

Basic Science Research

• New methods to enhance tendon to bone healing which will improve results of arthroscopic and open repair of torn ligaments and cartilage injuries to the shoulder and knee. The ultimate goal is to apply these techniques to repair of torn rotator cuff tendons in the shoulder and cruciate and cartilage injuries to the knee.