Caitlin Rugg, MD
Orthopedics
An orthopedic surgeon that specializes in the management of sports medicine and shoulder injuries. Dr. Rugg attended Stanford University for undergrad, where she studied Human Biology with a focus on Human Performance and then received a Master’s degree in Biology. There, she joined the women’s ultimate frisbee team, and continued to compete nationally in the sport for over a decade.
In medical school at UCLA, she had the opportunity to work closely with the sports medicine physicians in the orthopaedic surgery department, rotating in the clinic and operating room, performing research, and accompanying the team physicians to the training room. She returned to the Bay Area to complete a five-year orthopedic surgery residency at UCSF, where she continued sports medicine research and served as a team physician for high school football in San Francisco. Her interest in sports medicine led me to pursue specialty training at Duke University, where she completed a 1-year Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery Fellowship. As a fellow she honed skills in arthroscopy, cartilage surgery, and shoulder replacements and worked as a team physician for Duke Basketball, Duke Football, Duke Soccer, North Carolina Central University sports teams, and local high school teams.
In her practice, she focuses on injuries of the shoulder and knee. Many of the surgeries I perform are done arthroscopically, which is a minimally invasive technique involving placing a camera and tools into the joint through small portals. Shoulder and knee injuries can affect patients of all ages including young athletes, weekend warriors, and grandparents! My research interests include the effect of sports specialization in young athletes, sports injury risk factors in college athletes, and outcomes after ACL reconstruction.