Frank Petrigliano, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon at Keck Medicine of USC and the head team physician for the Los Angeles Kings, who specializes in arthroscopic shoulder repair, knee ligament reconstruction, cartilage repair and transplantation, and elbow ligament reconstruction.
Here’s what you won’t find on his resume.
Orthopedic surgery merges two of his favorite fields.
“When I was growing up, I wanted to be an engineer or a biologist. When I went to medical school, I discovered that the field of musculoskeletal medicine married these two fields in a remarkable way. As an orthopedic surgeon, I often employ a mechanical solution to a biological problem.”
Outside of work, he enjoys entertaining friends and family.
“If I’m not working, I’m in the kitchen. We host a lot of get-togethers at our home, and I love cooking for our family and friends. The most challenging part of my day outside of the office is putting my kids to sleep!”
He loves exploring new places — and wants to visit space one day.
“I’m currently reading Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury To Apollo 13 and Beyond. I find space travel fascinating. As a lover of traveling, my favorite destination is one that I haven’t been to before.”
He pushes himself outside of his comfort zone often.
“The best piece of advice I ever received was, ‘You need to get out of your comfort zone to get the most out of your personal life and career. If you aren’t feeling a little uneasy, you’re probably not pushing the limits of what you can accomplish.’”
Helping patients recover and get back to doing what they love is what drives him to be his very best.
“The most rewarding part of my job is seeing an athlete who has fully recovered from their injury or condition, is pain-free and has returned to the sport they love. It’s always great to run into a patient outside of the office and have them express what a positive impact you had on their life.”
He believes precision medicine will one day become the standard of care.
“What I would like to see in my lifetime is the evolution of precision medicine. Precision medicine will be revolutionary in the treatment of musculoskeletal disease. We will be able to more accurately predict which specific treatment strategies will work for each individual, rather than depending on a one-size-fits-all approach.”
Innovation and research brought him to Keck Medicine, but the team is what makes him passionate about being here.
“Working at an academic medical center gives me the opportunity to perform the kind of research that can be transformative and touch the lives of many patients outside of my personal practice. I enjoy that Keck Medicine is a relatively young medical enterprise with forward-thinking leadership. The faculty and staff are encouraged to pursue innovation and develop novel approaches to improving patient care and outcomes.
Within the division of sports medicine, we have a group of highly talented and energetic faculty that are committed to providing compassionate, state-of-the-art care to our patients. Each clinician specializes in sports medicine, and consequently, our patients receive the most current and innovative care for their condition. I feel extremely fortunate to be part of such an excellent team.”
View Dr. Petrigliano’s full biography and schedule an appointment.
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