Physician Publications
Dr. Kristofer J. Jones is a board certified, fellowship trained orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in sports-related musculoskeletal injuries of the knee, shoulder and elbow. His clinical expertise includes advanced minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures and complex reconstruction of these joints. He has specialized training in the field of biologic joint preservation procedures, including modern cartilage restoration and transplantation techniques. As such, he is a select participant in a number of nationwide clinical research trials investigating novel surgical treatments for cartilage injuries.
As a former intercollegiate athlete, Dr. Jones understands the unique demands and concerns faced by athletes at all levels of participation (from professional to recreational) and his goal is to return patients back to their regular activities using evidence-based medicine to guide his treatment plan. He obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago, where he was a four-year letter winner and All-Conference tailback for the varsity football team. He was awarded the Howell-Murray Alumni Medal upon graduation. He received his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania where he received the Jonathan Rhoads Prize for Surgical Scholarship. Dr. Jones completed his orthopaedic residency training at the prestigious Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York City, frequently recognized as the #1 Hospital for Orthopaedic Surgery by US News & World Report. He subsequently completed a traveling fellowship and acquired further expertise in shoulder and cartilage surgery at specialized centers across Europe, including Lyon & Paris France. Dr. Jones returned to HSS to complete another fellowship in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery. During this time, he served as assistant team physician for the Brooklyn Nets (NBA), New York Red Bulls (MLS), and Iona College Athletics as well as an orthopaedic consultant to the United States Tennis Association (USTA) and US Open Tennis Tournament. He is currently the Head Team Physician and Director of Orthopaedic Surgery for the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and a Team Physician for the UCLA Bruins athletic teams.
Dr. Jones is accomplished in both clinical and laboratory research and has authored more than 60 scientific manuscripts and textbook chapters that have received national recognition and awards within the field of sports medicine. His specific research interests include surgical treatment of shoulder and elbow injuries in the throwing athlete, complex arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder and elbow, knee ligament reconstruction and joint biomechanics, and novel procedures for articular cartilage restoration. He is frequently invited to lecture on these topics both nationally and internationally. Dr. Jones is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS), a diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery and has been recognized as an "Emerging Leader" within the field of orthopaedic surgery/sports medicine by the American Orthopaedic Association (AOA). He also holds memberships and committee positions in several professional organizations including the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), S.T.O.P (Sports Trauma and Overuse Prevention) Sports Injuries Outreach Committee, the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS), Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) and the NBA Team Physicians Society.
Dr. Jones currently provides care at the UCLA Orthopaedic Center in Westwood on the main hospital campus, as well as the UCLA Health Primary and Specialty Care Office in Torrance for South Bay patients.
