Thomas J. Kremen, MD
- Sports Medicine|
- Orthopedic Surgery
About
As a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist, Thomas J. Kremen, MD has devoted his career to helping patients of all sports levels maintain active lifestyles. Using the latest orthopedic techniques and science, Dr. Kremen helps athletes in Los Angeles recover quickly from injury, getting them back into the game stronger than ever.
From shoulder problems to debilitating knee injuries, Dr. Kremen understands the added stresses that active lifestyles place on the human musculoskeletal system. His goal is to not only help his patients overcome their injuries, but also provide solid preventive care to avoid re-injury down the road.
In his role as a sports medicine specialist, Dr. Kremen has served as team physician for organizations around the country, and around the world, helping athletes across the globe stay at the top of their game. He has served as team physician for numerous organizations including Duke University Intercollegiate Athletics, US Men's National Team Soccer, LA Galaxy, LA Football Club, and USA Swimming. He currently serves as a team physician for the UCLA Bruins NCAA Division I intercollegiate athletics team, the chair of USA Swimming's Sports Medicine and Science Committee, the Assistant Orthopaedic Surgeon for the Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) and the Head Team Physician for the South Bay Lakers (NBA G-League)
Dr. Kremen earned his bachelor's degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 1998 where he was also a varsity athlete and captain of the NCAA Division I men's swimming team. He earned his medical degree from the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) in 2006 and then continued at UCLA where he completed his Orthopedic Surgery Residency Training in 2012.
Between 2008 and 2009, Dr. Kremen honed his research knowledge as a California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Clinical Fellow and in 2013, he completed an Orthopedic Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery fellowship at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.
Dr. Kremen stays up to date in his field through memberships in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine, and the Arthroscopy Association of North America, to name just a few.
In his pursuit of finding the best treatments, Dr. Kremen regularly participates in research studies, and he has authored and presented dozens of research papers. His research interests include biomechanical studies of shoulder and knee reconstruction procedures and innovative biologic therapies to enhance tissue regeneration after musculoskeletal injuries.
Dr. Kremen is a full-time faculty member at the University of California, Los Angeles where he provides his patients with state-of-the-art care.
Languages
Education
Medical Board Certifications
Fellowships
Residency
Internship
Degree
Recognitions
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Super doctors, Southern California, 2024
- Super Doctors® Southern California, 2023, 2024
- Super Doctors® Southern California, 2020, 2021
- Western Orthopaedic Association’s David H. Chafey III, MD Donor Award, Western Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting, 2019
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Locations
Westwood Orthopaedic Surgery
Hospital Affiliations
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center
Medical Services
Areas of Focus
Research
Publications
- Kremen TJ, Haggerty E, Chahla J, Eberlein SA, Nelson TJ, Schroeder G, Metzger MF. Comparative Analysis of Sagittal Plane Radiographic Landmarks Used to Identify the Femoral Attachments of Lateral Knee Structures. Arthroscopy 2020 Jul 29:S0749-8063(20)30599-5. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2020.07.006. PMID: 32738278
- Kremen TJ, Stefanovic T, Tawackoli W, Salehi K, Avalos P, Reichel D, Perez MJ, Glaeser JD, Sheyn D. A Translational Porcine Model for Human Cell-Based Therapies in the Treatment of Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury. Am J Sports Med. 2020 Sep 14:363546520952353. PMID: 32924528
- Garlich J, Little M, Nelson TJ, Eberlein SA, Monfiston CH, Kremen T, Metzger MF. A Comparison of Three Fixation Strategies in the Treatment of Neer Type IIB Distal Clavicle Fractures. J Orthop Trauma. 2020 Aug;34(8):e266-e271. PMID: 32118623
- Garlich J, Samuel K, Nelson TJ, Monfiston C, Kremen T, Metzger MF, Little M. Infraspinatus Tenotomy Improves Glenoid Visualization with the Modified Judet Approach. J Orthop Trauma. 2020 Mar;34(3):158-162. PMID: 31725084
- Kremen TJ, Bez M, Sheyn D, Ben-David S, Xiaoyu D, Tawackoli W, Wagner S, Gazit D, Pelled G. In Vivo Imaging of Exogenous Progenitor Cells in Tendon Regeneration via Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Particles. Am J Sports Med. 2019 Sep;47(11):2737-2744. PMID: 31336056
- Robinson K, Kremen TJ, Olin T, Wilber R. Pulmonary Function Evaluation in Elite Swimmer: A Case Series of Environmental Considerations. Current Sports Medicine Reports. 2019 April;18(4):109-111. PMID: 30969233
- Bez M, Kremen TJ, Tawackoli W, Avalos P, Sheyn D, Shapiro G, Giaconi J, Ben-David S, Snedeker J, Gazit Z, Ferrara K, Gazit D, Pelled G. Ultrasound-mediated Gene Delivery Enhances Tendon Allograft Integration in Mini-pig Ligament Reconstruction. Mol Ther. 2018 Jul 5;26(7):1746-1755. PMID: 29784586
- Kremen TJ, Polakof LS, Rajaee S, Nelson TJ, Metzger MF. The effect of Hamstring Tendon Autograft Harvest on the Restoration of Knee Stability in the Setting of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Rupture and Concurrent Medial Collateral Ligament Injury. Am J Sports Med. 2018 Jan;46(1):163-170. PMID: 29048929
- Bez M, Sheyn D, Tawackoli W, Avalos P, Shapiro G, Giaconi JC, Da X, David SB, Gavrity J, Awad HA, Bae HW, Ley EJ, Kremen TJ, Gazit Z, Ferrara KW, Pelled G, Gazit D. In Situ Bone Tissue Engineering Via Ultrasound-mediated Gene Delivery to Endogenous Progenitor Cells in Pigs. Sci Transl Med. 2017 May 17;9(390). PMID: 28515335
- Neumann JA, Zgonis MH, Rickert KD, Bradley KE, Kremen TJ, Boggess BR, Toth AP. Interposition Porcine Dermal Matrix Xenografts: A Successful Alternative to traditional treatment of Massive Rotator Cuff Tears. Am J Sports Med. 2017 May;45(6):1261-1268. PMID: 28141953
Link to Dr. Kremen's complete list of publications >
Link to Dr. Kremen's ACL clinical trial being conducted at UCLA >
In the News
- Affiliation: Los Angeles Lakers (NBA) nba.com/lakers/team/trainers-and-performance
Insurance
- Aetna
- Anthem Blue Cross
- Blue Shield of California
- Centivo
- Cigna
- First Health
- Health Net of California
- Interplan (part of HealthSmart)
- L.A. Care
- MultiPlan
- UFCM Health System
- Prime Health Services
- Private Healthcare Systems (PHCS)
- TRICARE
- UnitedHealthcare
The list of health care plans above may not be comprehensive and could change.
Please contact your benefits coordinator or health insurance company directly to verify coverage.
Visit our health insurance information page for more details.
Recognitions
- Super Doctors® Southern California, 2023, 2024
- Super Doctors® Southern California, 2020, 2021
- Western Orthopaedic Association’s David H. Chafey III, MD Donor Award, Western Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting, 2019
- Featured Author of the Month, American Journal of Sports Medicine, January 2018
- Young Investigator Award Recipient, Western Orthopaedic Association Annual Meeting, 2017
- New Investigator Award Recipient, Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (OREF), 2015
- Young Investigator Award Recipient, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), 2015
- Hermes Award Recipient, Piedmont Orthopaedic Society Annual Meeting, Athens, Greece, 2014
- Feagin Medical Scholar, Duke University School of Medicine, 2013
- Barbara and Martin Pops Scholarship Recipient, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, 2008
- University of California, Santa Barbara Golden Eagle Scholar-Athlete Award Recipient, 1998