Kai Mithoefer, MD

Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon

Dr. Mithoefer is board certified in both Orthopedic surgery and Orthopedic sports medicine. After medical school in Germany he received his residency training in the Harvard Orthopedic Residency Program. Following residency Dr. Mithoefer completed a fellowship in Orthopedic Trauma at Harvard and the prestigious Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.

Dr. Mithoefer has more than 15 years of clinical expertise and is an internationally recognized specialist for sports medicine, joint preservation and regenerative orthopedics. His special clinical and scientific expertise includes applying state-of-the-art and evolving regenerative technology to facilitate and accelerate return to athletic and work activities. His extensive expertise in both minimally-invasive surgical and nonsurgical regenerative medicine allows him to offer a unique and highly individualized approach to functional joint restoration that incorporates the entire spectrum of regenerative musculoskeletal care and matches the patient-specific needs and situation.

Having played sports at the professional and recreational level, he understands the athlete's mindset and practices with the primary goal of returning patients safely and rapidly back to sports.

Dr. Mithoefer has been awarded Top Doctor for both Castle Connolly and Boston Magazine, and has published more than 100 scientific articles and book chapters. Dr. Mithoefer is a frequent educational speaker at national and international orthopedic meetings.

Dr. Mithoefer has extensive experience caring for athletes at all levels including as team physician of:

He has also served as Assistant Medical Director for Major League Soccer (MLS).

Select Publications

Bono OJ, Jenkin B, Forlizzi J, Mousad A, Le Breton S, MacAskill M, Mandalia K, Mithoefer K, Ramappa A, Ross G, Shah SS. Evidence for Utilization of Injectable Biologic Augmentation in Primary Rotator Cuff Repair: A Systematic Review of Data From 2010 to 2022. Orthop J Sports Med.
Le Breton S, Forlizzi J, Bono O, MacAskill M, Mousad A, Kush S, O'Brien M, Christensen A, Mithoefer K , Ramappa A, Ross G, Shah SS. Local Intraoperative Marrow-Derived Augmentation for Primary Rotator Cuff Repair: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Studies From 2010 to 2022. Orthop J Sports Med.
Shah S, Mithoefer K. Scientific Developments and Clinical Applications Utilizing Chondrons and Chondrocytes in Matrix for Articular Cartilage Repair. Cartilage
Shah S, Lee S, Mithoefer K. Next-generation marrow stimulation technology for cartilage repair. Basic science to clinical application. J Bone Joint Surg Reviews
Shah S, Mithoefer K . Current Applications of Growth Factors for Knee Cartilage Repair and Osteoarthritis Treatment. Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine
Shah S, Ferkel L, Mithoefer K. High Incidence of Labral Injuries in Acromiclaviciular Joint Separations of all Injury grade. Ortho J Sports Med
Mithoefer K, Venugopal V, Manaqibwala M. Incidence, Degree, and Clinical Effect of Subchondral Bone Overgrowth After Microfracture in the Knee. Am J Sports Med.
Mithoefer K, Peterson L, Zenobi-Wong M, Mandelbaum BR. Cartilage issues in football-today's problems and tomorrow's solutions. Br J Sports Med.
Ekstrand J, Askling C, Magnusson H, Mithoefer K. Return to play after thigh muscle injury in elite football players: implementation and validation of the Munich muscle injury classification. Br J Sports Med.
Mithoefer K, Acuna M. Clinical outcomes assessment for articular cartilage restoration. J Knee Surg.
Mithoefer K. Complex articular cartilage restoration. Sports Med Arthrosc.
Mueller-Wohlfahrt HW, Haensel L, Mithoefer K, Ekstrand J, English B, McNally S, Orchard J, van Dijk CN, Kerkhoffs GM, Schamasch P, Blottner D, Swaerd L, Goedhart E, Ueblacker P. Terminology and classification of muscle injuries in sport: the Munich consensus statement. Br J Sports Med.
Mithoefer K, Della Villa S, Silvers H, Ricci M, Hambly K. Current Concepts of Rehabilitation and Return to Sport after Articular Cartilage Repair in the Athlete. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther
Mithoefer K. Subpectoral Biceps Tenodesis: A New Technique Using Dynamic Endobutton Fixation in a Humeral Bone Tunnel with Interference Screw Augmentation. Tech Shoulder
Mandelbaum B, Mithoefer K, Peterson L, Saris DBF, Dvorak J. Cartilage Issues in Football (Soccer): An Executive Summary of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)/International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) Initiative. Cartilage
Mithoefer K, Della Villa S. Return to Sport After Cartilage Repair in the Football (Soccer) Player. Cartilage
Mithoefer K, Peterson L, Saris D, Mandelbaum B. The Evolution and Current Role of Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation for Treatment of Articular Cartilage Injury in the Football Players. Cartilage
Mithoefer K, Steadman R. Microfracture in the Football (Soccer) Player: A case series of professional athletes and systematic review. Cartilage
Mithoefer K, Saris D, Farr J, Kon E, Cole B, Ranstam J, Yao J, Zaslav K, Shive M, Dalemans W, Brittberg M. Guidelines for the Design and Conduct of Clinical Studies in Articular Cartilage Repair. ICRS Recommendations Based On Current Scientific Evidence and Good Clinical Practice Standards. Cartilage
Mithoefer K, Gill TJ, Williams RJ, Cole BJ, Mandelbaum BR. Clinical Outcome and Return to competition after microfracture chondroplasty in the athlete’s knee. Cartilage
Strauss E, Barker J, Kercher , Cole BJ, Mithoefer K. Strategies for Augmentation of Articular Cartilage Repair of Focal Chondral Defects by the Microfracture Technique. Cartilage
McAdams T, Mithoefer K, Scopp J, Mandelbaum B, Articular Cartilage Repair in Athletes. Cartilage
Mithoefer K, Hambly K, Della Villa S, Silvers H, Mandelbaum, BR. Return to sports participation after articular cartilage repair in the knee. Am J Sports Med
Mithoefer K, Mandelbaum BR. Current Treatment Methods for Articular Cartilage Injury. Eur Musculoskel Rev
Mithoefer K, McAdams TR, Williams RJ, Gill TJ, Kreuz PC, Mandelbaum BR. Clinical efficacy of the microfracture technique for articular cartilage repair in the knee. An evidence-based systematic review. Am J Sports Med
Mithoefer K, McAdams TR, Scopp J, Mandelbaum BR. Emerging Options for Treatment of Articular Cartilage Injury in the Athlete. Clin Sports Med
Hays PL, Kawamura S, Deng XH, Dagher E, Mithoefer K, Ying L, Rodeo SA. The Role of Macrophages in Early Healing of a Tendon Graft in a Bone Tunnel: An Experimental Study in a Rat Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Model. J Bone Joint Surg Am;
Mithoefer K, Scopp J, Mandelbaum BR. Articular cartilage repair in athletes. AAOS Instruct Course Lectures
Mithoefer K, Steadman JR. The microfracture technique. Tech Knee Surg
Cluett JC, Kasper JC, Mandelbaum BR, Mithoefer K. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation. Tech Knee Surg
Mithoefer K, Williams RJ, Potter HG, Spock CR, Jones EC, Marx RG, Wickiewicz TL, Warren RF. Chondral resurfacing of articular cartilage defects in the knee with the microfracture technique: Surgical Technique. J Bone Joint Surg Am
Mithoefer K, Lhowe DW, Vrahas MS, Altman DT, Erens V, Altman GT. Functional outcome after acute compartment syndrome of the thigh. J Bone Joint Surg Am
Mithoefer K, Williams RJ, Warren RF, Wickiewicz TL, Marx RG. High-Impact Athletics after Knee Articular Cartilage Repair: A Prospective Evaluation of the Microfracture Technique. Am J Sports Med
Mithoefer K, Williams RJ, Potter HG, Spock CR, Jones EC, Marx RG, Wickiewicz TL, Warren RF. The microfracture technique for treatment of articular cartilage lesions in the knee: A prospective cohort study. J Bone Joint Surg Am
Verma N, Mithöfer K, Battaglia M, MacGillivray J. The Docking Technique for Posterolateral Corner Reconstruction. Arthroscopy
Mithöfer K, Minas T, Peterson L, Yeon H, Micheli LJ. Functional Outcome of Articular Cartilage Repair in Adolescent Athletes. Am J Sports Med
Mithöfer K, Peterson L, Mandelbaum B, Minas T. Articular Cartilage Repair in Soccer Players with Autologous Chondrocyte Transplantation: Functional Outcome and Return to Competition. Am J Sports Med
Giza E, Mithoefer K , Farrell L, Zarins B, Gill TJ. Injuries in Women’s Professional Soccer. Br J Sports Med
Mithoefer K, Gill TJ, Vrahas M. Supracondylar Femur Fracture after Arthroscopic Reconstruction of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament. J Bone Joint Surg Am
Vrahas MS, Mithoefer K, Joseph D. Long-term effects of articular impaction. Clin Orthop
Mithöfer K, Gill TJ, Vrahas MS. Tibial Plateau Fracture Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol
Mithöfer K, Lhowe DW, Vrahas MS, Altman DT, Altman GT. Clinical Spectrum of Acute Compartment Syndrome of the Thigh and its Relation to Associated Injuries. Clin Orthop
Giza E, Mithöfer K, Matthews H, Vrahas, MS. Hip fracture-dislocation in soccer: a report of two cases and review of the literature. Br J Sports Med
Mithöfer K, Giza E. Pseudarthrosis of the First Rib in the Overhead Athlete. Br J Sports Med
Sami S, Liu G, Mithoefer K, Suri M, Mankin HJ. Pigmented villonodular synovitis of the anserine bursa. Orthopedics
Mithöfer K, Gill TJ, Giza E, Mandelbaum BR, Peterson L, Minas T. Treatment of full-thickness articular cartilage lesions of the knee in high-demand athletes with autologous chondrocyte transplantation. Orthop J Harvard Med School
Mithöfer K, Lhowe DW, Altman GT. Delayed presentation of acute compartment syndrome after contusion of the thigh. J Orthop Trauma