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Andrew J. Cosgarea

Andrew J. Cosgarea, MD

Non-Operative OrthopedicsSports MedicineOrthopedic Sports Medicine

Highlights

Languages

  • English

Gender

Male

Johns Hopkins Affiliations:

  • Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Faculty

About Andrew J. Cosgarea

Professional Titles

  • The Drew Family Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery in honor of Alec J. Cosgarea
  • Head Team Physician, Johns Hopkins University Athletic Department

Primary Academic Title

Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

Background

Andrew Cosgarea, M.D., is a sports medicine specialist with expertise in the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of sports-related injuries, particularly those affecting the knee and shoulder and elbow, including sprains, strains, ligament tears and joint instability.

An experienced sports medicine surgeon and a professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Dr. Cosgarea will transition away from performing surgical procedures as of July 1, 2025. He will continue to provide office-based patient care, and will remain actively involved in clinical consultation, research and medical education.

Dr. Cosgarea’s research focuses on knee biomechanics and improving outcomes in the treatment of sports injuries. He has authored two textbooks and more than 150 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. His surgical expertise includes arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, ACL reconstruction, meniscus repair, elbow UCL reconstruction and shoulder instability stabilization procedures.

He serves as the head team physician for the Johns Hopkins University Department of Athletics, is the former chief of the Division of Sports Medicine in the Johns Hopkins Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, and served as a team physician for the Baltimore Orioles from 2000 to 2010. In 2012, he was named one of the “125 Knee Surgeons and Specialists to Know” by Becker’s Spine Review.

Dr. Cosgarea is a member of numerous professional organizations, including the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, and the International Patellofemoral Study Group. Additionally, he serves on the board of directors of the Patellofemoral Foundation.

He earned his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, did his orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Rochester and completed a fellowship in orthopaedic sports medicine at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. Prior to joining Johns Hopkins in 1998, he was an assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at the Ohio State University Medical Center, and served as an orthopaedic consultant for the Ohio State athletic department.

Research Interests

ACL reconstruction, Adolescent sports injuries, Computer simulation of knee biomechanics, Knee and shoulder rehabilitation, Knee biomechanics, Patellofemoral disorders and treatment, Patellofemoral instability, Surgical and nonsurgical treatment of sports injuries, Throwing shoulder biomechanics

Research Summary

Dr. Cosgarea’s research interests involve knee biomechanics, especially the patellofemoral joint. He has worked in collaboration with biomechanical engineer John Elias, Ph.D., on a series of projects that use computational modeling to study patellofemoral realignment surgical techniques. He is also collaborating with Dr. John Carrino using a new imaging technology, dynamic CT scanning, to better analyze biomechanical parameters.

He has been involved in a series of projects exploring posterior knee anatomy. He maintains a database that tracks surgical treatment in patients with pigmented villonodular synovitis. He has studied shoulder range of motion in baseball pitchers by collecting retrospective data from the Baltimore Orioles and prospective data from the Johns Hopkins baseball teams.

Selected Publications

  • D'Amore T, Tanaka MJ, Cosgarea AJ. When and how far to move the tibial tuberosity in patients with patellar instability. Sports Med Arthrosc. 2017 Jun;25(2):78-84. PMID: 28459750 

  • Demehri S, Thawait GK, Williams AA, Kompel A, Elias JJ, Carrino JA, Cosgarea AJ. Imaging characteristics of contralateral asymptomatic patellofemoral joints in patients with unilateral instability. Radiology. 2014 Dec;273(3):821-30. doi: 10.1148/radiol.14140295. Epub 2014 Aug 22. PMID: 25153158

  • Elias JJ, Soehnlen NT, Guseila LM, Cosgarea AJ. Dynamic tracking influenced by anatomy in patellar instability. Knee. 2016 Jun;23(3):450-5. doi: 10.1016/j.knee.2016.01.021. Epub 2016 Feb 26. PMID: 26922799

  • Tanaka MJ, Elias JJ, Williams AA, Demehri S, Cosgarea AJ. Characterization of patellar maltracking using dynamic kinematic CT imaging in patients with patellar instability. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2016 Nov;24(11):3634-3641. Epub 2016 Jun 29. PMID: 27358051

  • Williams AA, Elias JJ, Tanaka MJ, Thawait GK, Demehri S, Carrino JA, Cosgarea AJ. The Relationship Between Tibial Tuberosity-Trochlear Groove Distance and Abnormal Patellar Tracking in Patients With Unilateral Patellar Instability. Arthroscopy. 2016 Jan;32(1):55-61. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2015.06.037. Epub 2015 Oct 4. PMID: 26440373

Honors

  • Silver Reel Award, "Sports Medicine: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries,", International Television Association 29th Annual Video Festival
  • Gold Slate Award, "Common Knee Injuries,", International Television Association 26th Annual Video Festival
  • Honorable Mention, "Common Knee Injuries,", New York Film Festival
  • 106 Knee Surgeons to Know | 2017, Becker's ASC Review
  • "125 Knee Surgeons and Specialists to Know,", Becker's Spine Review, 1/1/12
  • Patellofemoral Research Excellence Award, ISAKOS 5th Biennial Congress, 1/1/05
  • Prince Alexandre de Merode Award, Oral Presentation, Sixth IOC World Congress on Sports Sciences, 1/1/02
  • First Place, Basic Science Presentation, Maryland Orthopaedic Association, 1/1/00
  • Best Team Presentation, "Operative and Non-Operative Treatment of Knee Sports Injuries,", Ohio State University, 1/1/98
  • Best Program, "Sports Medicine: Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries,", Ohio State University, 1/1/96
  • Best Clinical/Surgical Presentation Award, "Common Knee Injuries,", Ohio State University, 1/1/93

Memberships

  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
  • American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
  • American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
  • Arthroscopy Association of North America
  • Herodicus Society
  • Maryland Orthopaedic Society
  • The Johns Hopkins Medical and Surgical Association

Locations

  1. The Johns Hopkins Hospital

Expertise

Education

  • Fellowship: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Sports Medicine, 1993
  • Residency: University of Rochester Medical Center, Orthopaedic Surgery, 1992
  • Medical Education: Sidney Kimmel Medical College, MD, 1987

Board Certifications

  • Orthopaedic Sports Medicine: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2010
  • Orthopaedic Surgery: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 1995

Insurance

Search plans
  • Aetna
  • CareFirst
  • Cigna
  • First Health
  • Geisinger Health Plan
  • HealthSmart/Accel
  • Johns Hopkins Health Plans
  • MultiPlan
  • Pennsylvania's Preferred Health Networks (PPHN)
  • Point Comfort Underwriters
  • Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
  • Veteran Affairs Community Care Network (Optum-VACCN)