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Jo A. Hannafin, MD, PhD

Sports Medicine
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About Dr. Hannafin

Dr. Jo A. Hannafin is board certified in orthopedic surgery and sports medicine. She is an orthopedic surgeon at HSS and a Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College.

Dr. Hannafin was a USOC physician for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, and the 2003 Pan American Games in the Dominican Republic. She was a Team Physician for the United States Rowing Team and an event physician at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games (rowing) and the New York City Marathon. Dr. Hannafin was a team physician for the WUSA New York Power from 2000-2003 and an Assistant Team Physician to the New York Mets from 1992-1996. She was team physician to the U.S. Rowing Team and is the Chair of the USRowing Sports Medicine Committee. She also serves as a member of the FISA Medical Commission and has served as a FISA Medical Officer at multiple World Championship and World Cup events in addition to the 2012 London Olympic Games. Dr. Hannafin was a member of the silver medalist lightweight double at the 1984 World Rowing Championships and a three-time gold medalist at the U.S. National Rowing Championships. She is currently the Vice President of the Board of Trustees of the National Rowing Foundation.

Dr. Hannafin was the first female president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (2013-2014) and is also a past president of the Herodicus Society. In addition, she has served as vice president and secretary of the AOSSM board, chair of its committees on Enduring Education and Research, and as a member of numerous other AOSSM committees. She was a member of the Board of the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation from 2006-2012.

Publishing over 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals and writing over 20 book chapters, Dr. Hannafin is also the co-author of the book Say Goodbye to Knee Pain. Dr. Hannafin has been honored as one of The Best Doctors in America for the past twenty years and in 2013 she received the Castle-Connolly Physician of the Year Award. She was awarded the Hospital for Special Surgery Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014.

Dr. Hannafin was the first Clinician-Scientist at the Hospital for Special Surgery and maintained an active research program in the area of ligament physiology for over 20 years. She no longer maintains an independent research program but serves as a collaborator and mentor. Dr. Hannafin received NIH RO1 funding and foundation funding in support of this research. She has served as a full member of the SBSR NIH Study Section and as an ad hoc member of a number of other Study Sections. Dr. Hannafin serves as an reviewer for a variety of scientific journals including Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, American Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research and Sports Health.

Departments

Specialized Centers

Women's Sports Medicine Center

Special Expertise

Female Athlete
Shoulder and Knee Instability
ACL
Ligament Reconstruction and Arthroscopy
Rotator Cuff Disease
Adhesive Capsulitis of the Shoulder

Patient Stories

Videos

Insurance

If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit. We will work with you and your insurance to minimize your out-of-pocket costs. Financial assistance may be available for patients in need.

Credentials

Appointments

Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery
Senior Clinician Scientist, Research Division, Hospital for Special Surgery
Professor Emerita of Orthopedic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College

Affiliations

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine
Orthopaedic Research Society
Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society
Herodicus Society
AOA
American Medical Association
United States Rowing Sports Medicine Society

Certification

American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Certification (1995), Recertification (2005)
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery Subspecialty Certification in Sports Medicine (2010)

Awards

HSS Lifetime Achievement Award, 2014
Castle Connolly Top Doctor, 20 Years 
Castle Connolly America's Top Doctors, 2002-2020
Castle Connolly Top Doctors in New York Metro Area, 2002-2015
New York Magazine Top Doctors, 1994-2021
O'Donoghue Award for Excellence in Research, AOSSM 2014
Top 28 North American Knee Surgeons, Orthopedics This Week, 2014
Castle Connolly Physician of the Year Award for Clinical Excellence, 2013
Honorary Medical Officer, City of New York Fire Department, 2010
Einstein-Montefiore Orthopaedics Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2010
Orthopaedic Research Society, Women's Leadership Forum Award, 2009 
Women's Health, 2008
University of Iowa Ruth Jackson Award, 2005
Jack Kelly Award, US Rowing, 2004
Phillip D. Wilson Award, Hospital for Special Surgery, 1992, 2006
Irish America Magazine Top 100 Award,  2003
Congress of ISAKOS, “Back Pain in Intercollegiate Rowers”, 3rd prize, 2001
Outstanding Woman in Science Award, New York Academy of Science, 1999
O’Donoghue Award for Excellence in Research, AOSSM, 1998
Appointed to the Medical Commission of FISA (International Rowing Federation), 1993
Alpha Omega Alpha, 1992
Orthopaedic Research Society New Investigator  Recognition Award, 1992
Selznick Award for Excellence in Research, Montefiore Medical Center, 1990

Education

MD, PhD, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York
SCB, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Internship

General Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Residency

Orthopedic Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Fellowship

Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellow, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York

State Licensure

Languages

English

For My Patients

Publications by Dr. Hannafin

Selected Journal Articles

Selected Books/Chapters

Book Cover image

Say Goodbye to Knee Pain

Research

Our laboratory is focused on the study of soft tissue response to injury, stress deprivation and mechanical loading in a variety of tissues including the anterior cruciate ligament and shoulder capsule.

Animal modeling and cell culture, and molecular techniques are used to study cellular response to physical and chemical alteration in the environment with a specific focus on mechanotransduction pathways involved in these responses.

Research Interests

The Effect of Mechanical Load on the Biology of Ligament Fibroblasts
Adhesive Capsulitis of the Shoulder
Stress Fractures in the Female Athlete

Clinical Trials / Research Studies

Industry Relationships

Industry Relationships

HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.

Below are the healthcare industry relationships reported by Dr. Hannafin as of January 22, 2024.

  • MIACH Orthopaedics - Ownership Interest

HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.

Patients should feel free to ask their HSS physicians questions about these relationships.

Dr. Hannafin in the News