Physician Profile

View video profile

Thomas M. DeBerardino, M.D.

Dr. DeBerardino is a nationally renowned orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and arthroscopic surgery of the knee, hip and shoulder. Dr. DeBerardino has a special interest in the management of complex injuries of the knee and shoulder and arthroscopic management of hip impingement in young active adults. Dr. DeBerardino recently moved to UConn after spending the last eight years at the United States Military Academy where he was the Head Team Physician for the collegiate athletic teams and Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship program. Dr. DeBerardino is now a team physician for UConn athletic teams including football and the men’s and women’s basketball programs, as well as for the UFL Hartford Colonials football team.

Dr. DeBerardino is author of over 40 scientific articles on ligament, tendon and cartilage injuries of the knee and shoulder. He has won several prestigious awards including the AOSSM NCAA Research Award; the Aircast Award for Clinical Science Presentation; and the AOSSM-ESSKA European Traveling Fellowship. He is a member of many national and international professional societies including: the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the International ACL Study Group and the prestigious Herodicus Society.

Dr. DeBerardino also has a special interest in procedures to preserve the hip and knee joints. He is a faculty member in the Center for Joint Preservation and Replacement. He has a special interest in the use of hip arthroscopic procedures to avoid the development of arthritis and osteotomies and cartilage repair procedures to limit degeneration of the knee joint.

Appointment

• Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health Center
• New England Musculoskeletal Institute

Specialty

• Orthopaedic Surgery

Subspecialty

• Sports Medicine with Emphasis on Arthroscopy and Complex Reconstruction of the Knee and Shoulder
• Arthroscopic Management of Hip Impingement in Young Active Adults

Certifications
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgeons (ABOS), Diplomat
ABOS Subspecialty Certification in Sports Medicine

Education
B.S., United States Military Academy, West Point
M.D., New York Medical College

State Licensure
Connecticut

Residency
Orthopaedic Surgery: Tripler Army Medical Center

Fellowship
John A Feagin, Jr. Sports Medicine Fellowship, Keller Army Hospital, West Point

Awards

• AOSSM NCAA Research Award, 2007
• The AOSSM-ESSKA 2002 European Traveling Fellowship, April-May 2002
• 2000 Aircast Award for Clinical Science Presentation

Selected Publications
DeBerardino T.M. Pensak M.J., Ferreira J., Mazzocca A.D. Arthroscopic stabilization of acromioclavicular joint dislocation using the AC graftrope system. J Shoulder Elbow Surg., 19(2 Suppl):47-52, March 2010.

DeBerardino T.M.*, Lonergan K. Comparison of the Split Stacked Versus the Split Achilles Allograft for Dual Femoral Tunnel Posterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Am J Sports Med, 36(1):142-148, January 2008.

Zaslav K., Cole B., Brewster R., DeBerardino T.M., Farr J., Fowler P., Nissen C. A Prospective Study of Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation in Patients who Failed Prior Treatment for Articular Cartilage Defect of the Knee: Results of the Study of Treatment of Articular Repair (STAR) Clinical Trial. Am J Sports Med, 37(1):42-55, January 2008.

DeBerardino T.M.*, Owens B.D. All-Inside Arthroscopic Repair of Partial Thickness Supraspinatus Tendon Tear. Techniques in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 9(1):10-14, March 2008.

DeBerardino T.M.*, Owens B.D. Biologic Enhancement for Meniscal Repair (Platelet-Rich Plasma). Techniques in Knee Surgery. 6(3):168-171, September 2007.

DeBerardino TM*. Arthroscopically Assisted Meniscal Allograft Transplantation Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine, 13(4):227-232, October 2005.

DeBerardino T.M.*. Arthroscopic Stabilization of the Acute, First-Time Shoulder Dislocation Operative Techniques in Sports Medicine, 13(4):185-188, October 2005.

View more publications.

View more publications, see Pubmed listing.

Research Interests

Clinical Research

• Dr. DeBerardino’s main clinical research interest is assessing the results of arthroscopic techniques for complex knee ligament injuries involving injury to the anterior cruciate, posterior cruciate and posterolateral ligaments, and arthroscopic stabilization surgery for knee and shoulder instability, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, and hip arthroscopy.
   

Basic Science Research

• Dr. DeBerardino and co-investigators are evaluating 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, cruciate injuries to the knee, and cartilage and meniscal transplantation.