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About Dr. Kunze
Dr. Kyle Kunze is a fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine and Joint Preservation Surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS). He also serves as an Assistant Professor in Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. His expertise surrounds the treatment of knee, hip and shoulder injuries with a specialized focus on joint preservation and reconstruction surgery. Dr. Kunze's philosophy is that care should be customized to the individual needs of each patient to help them achieve their goals, whether that involves returning to athletic activities or improving the quality of their daily lives.
After graduating from the University of Chicago with honors and obtaining a bachelor of science in biology, he went on to complete medical school at Rush Medical College and an orthopedic surgical residency at HSS. Dr. Kunze completed advanced fellowship training in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at the prestigious Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush University, where he served as an Assistant Team Physician for the Chicago Bulls, Chicago White Sox, and Chicago Steel. He also completed an advanced traveling fellowship across Europe working alongside world experts where he focused on learning advanced techniques in complex knee and shoulder preservation surgery.
Dr. Kunze and his team combine clinical expertise with a treatment approach that is grounded in the belief that every patient deserves comprehensive, individualized treatment designed around their goals, lifestyle, and long-term health. As a world renowned researcher on sports medicine injuries, patient outcomes and artificial intelligence, he combines clinical experience and evidence-based medicine in his treatment approach. From competitive athletes to weekend warriors to patients who simply want to move through life pain-free, Dr. Kunze and his team meet every patient where they are. With clear communication and evidence-based care — blending both surgical and non-surgical options — they make sure you feel informed, supported, and confident at every step of your journey back to health.
Special Expertise
ACL reconstruction and repair
Articular cartilage restoration and transplantation
Knee preservation (osteotomy and cartilage)
Meniscus injuries
Patellar instability
Shoulder preservation (instability, labral tears, rotator cuff tears)
Shoulder replacements (anatomic and reverse)
Hip preservation (femoroacetabular impingement)
Procedures
Knee:
Knee arthroscopy
ACL reconstruction (primary and revision)
ACL repair
PCL reconstruction
Multiligament knee injuries
MCL / LCL repair and reconstruction
Posterolateral corner reconstruction
Cartilage preservation and restoration
Osteochondritis dissecans repair
Meniscal repair and meniscectomy
Meniscus transplant
MPFL reconstruction and patellar instability
Knee osteotomy
Tendon repairs (patellar, quadriceps)
Patella fracture fixation
Partial knee replacement
Shoulder:
Shoulder arthroscopy
Rotator cuff repair
Total shoulder replacement
Reverse total shoulder replacement
Labral repair
Minimally invasive stabilization
Superior labrum anterior-posterior (SLAP) repair
Latarjet procedure for instability
Bone block procedures for instability
Biceps tenodesis (arthroscopic and open)
Shoulder impingement decompression
Distal clavicle excision
Acromioclavicular (AC) joint arthritis surgery
AC joint reconstruction
Capsular release for frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis)
Humeral head osteochondral allograft
Pectoralis major repairs
Clavicle fracture fixation
Elbow:
Distal biceps repair
Distal triceps repair
Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis) repair
Golfer elbow (medial epicondylitis) repair
Hip:
Hip arthroscopy
Hip labrum repair
Abductor tendon repair (open)
Trochanteric bursectomy
Biologics:
Platelet rich plasma (PRP)
Bone marrow aspiration concentration (BMAC)
Patient ratings for Dr. Kunze
Insurance
If your insurance is not listed, please call our office if you have questions regarding your insurance coverage. If you have out-of-network benefits, then your insurance may reimburse you for a portion of your office visit.
Credentials
Appointments
Attending Orthopedic Surgeon, Hospital for Special Surgery
Assistant Professor in Orthopedic Surgery, Weill Cornell Medical College
Assistant Professor in Orthopedic Surgery, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
Affiliations
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS)
Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA)
American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)
American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES)
European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery & Arthroscopy (ESSKA)
International Cartilage Research Society (ICRS)
Awards
Todd J. Albert Academic Leadership Award Recipient, 2025
OREF Clinician Scientist Training Grant, 2024
SBCJ Best Podium Presentation 2024
AANA 2024 Award for Best ePoster in Virtual Reality/AI/Robotic Surgery, 2024
AANA Resident/Fellow Scholarship Recipient, 2024
Journal of Hand Surgery, Editor's Choice Award, Winner, 2024
ORS CSCDP Participant, 2023
AANA Resident/Fellow Scholarship Recipient, 2023
AANA Research Grant Recipient, 2023
HSS Surgeon-In-Chief Research Grant Recipient, 2022
POSNA Research Grant Recipient, 2022
The Hip Society's John Charnley Award, 2022
ISAR Best Poster Award, 2022
Arthroscopy Journal Best Resident/Fellow Research Award, 2021
Arthroscopy Journal Best Systematic Review/Meta-Analysis Award (runner-up), 2021
James G. Clark MD/Ruth E. Schmidt RN Endowment Award – Rush Medical College, 2020
Gold Humanism Honor Society Award – Rush Medical College, 2020
Sigma Xi Research Award, Rush University Medical Center, 2018
Education
Medical: Rush Medical College
Internship: Hospital for Special Surgery
Residency: Hospital for Special Surgery
Fellowship: Sports Medicine & Shoulder Surgery, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush
European Traveling Fellowship in Complex Knee and Shoulder Surgery
State Licensure
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Indiana, Illinois
Languages
EnglishFor My Patients
Publications by Dr. Kunze
Selected Books/Chapters
Alfonsi SP, Shalakhti O, Kunze KN. Chapter 8: Predictive Analytics in Perioperative Orthopedic Care. Artificial Intelligence in Orthopedic Surgery: Development and Clinical Applications. Edited by Cody C. Wyles and Kellen Mulford. 2026. Springer.
Vaja S, Khan Z, Chahla J, Kunze KN. Chapter 10.6: The Role of Large Data Registries and Artificial Intelligence in Orthopaedic Research and Clinical Practice. In: Basic Methods Handbook for Clinical Orthopaedic Research: A Practical Guide and Case Based Approach. Edited by: Volker Musahl, Jón Karlsson, Michael T. Hirschmann, Olufemi R. Ayeni, Robert G. Marx, Jason L. Koh, Norimasa Nakamura. Planned publication September 2026. Springer.
Shaikh HJF, Polce EM, Chahla J, Kunze KN, Myers TG. Chater 26: Artificial Intelligence in Orthopedics. In: Artificial Intelligence in Clinical Practice: How AI Technologies Impact Medical Research and Clinics. Edited by Chayakrit Krittanawong. 2024, Pages 235-243. Academic Press.
Kunze KN, Nwachukwu BU, Nho SJ, Chahla J. Chapter 9: Artificial Intelligence in Hip Arthroscopy. In: Artificial Intelligence in Orthopaedic Surgery Made Easy. Edited by Filippo Familiari, Olimpio Galasso, Giorgio Gasparini. 2023. Springer.
Kunze KN, Dines JS, Camp CL, ElAttrache NS. Chapter 67: Articular Injuries in the Athlete. Morrey's The Elbow and Its Disorders, 6th Edition. Edited by Bernard and Mark Morrey and Joaquin Sanchez-Sotelo. 2023. Elsevier.
Sculco PK, Kunze KN. Chapter 7: Preoperative Planning for Total Hip Replacement Surgery. In: Lange J, Wood K, Kang J. (eds). 2022. Hip-Spine Syndrome: Special Considerations for Orthopedic and Spine Surgeons. Slack Inc.
Kunze KN, Hussain ZB, Sánchez M, Chahla J. Injectable Orthobiologics for the Treatment of Subchondral Insufficiency Fractures of the Knee (SIFK) and Related Pathogenic Processes. In: Filardo G., Mandelbaum B.R., Muschler G.F., Rodeo S.A., Nakamura N. (eds) 2022. Orthobiologics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-84744-9_28.
Cole BJ, Burnett RA, Kunze KN, Chahla J. Focal Chondral Injuries. In The Complex Knee Management Guide: Restoring the Anatomy to Achieve Best Outcomes. Edited by Robert LaPrade and Jorge Chahla. 2020. Elsevier.
Burnett RA, Metha N, Kunze KN, Moatshe G, LaPrade RF, Chahla J. Management of Multi-ligament Knee Injuries in Basketball. In: The Basketball Sports Medicine and Science Book. Edited by Lior Laver, Baris Kocaoglu, Brian Cole, Amelia J. H. Arundale, Jeffrey Bytomski, Annunziato Amendola. 2020. Springer.
Selected Presentations
Kunze KN, Madjarova S, Olsen R, Smolarsky R, Mehta S, Baldwin R, Ranawat AW, Nawabi DH, Kelly BT, Nwachukwu BU. Tranexamic Acid and Visual Field Clarity During Hip Arthroscopy: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) Annual Meeting. May 8, 2025. Washington, DC, USA.
Nwachukwu BU, Varady NH, Allen AA, Dines JS, Altchek DW, Williams RJ III, Kunze KN. Large Language Model Treatment Recommendations are not Concordant With Clinical Practice Guidelines. Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) Annual Meeting. May 8, 2025. Washington, DC, USA.
Lu AZ, Mazzucco M, Pareek A, Fu MC, Dines DM, Warren RF, Gulotta LV, Dines JS, Kunze KN. Can ChatGPT-4 Be Used to Answer Patient Questions Concerning the Latarjet Procedure for Anterior Shoulder Instability? American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2024 Annual Meeting. February 14, 2023. San Francisco, CA, USA.
Kunze KN, Beckman J, Russell L, Distad A, Beathe J, Sculco PK, Thor P, Jules-Elysee K. Integration of an Artificial Intelligence Based Alert System into Clinical Workflow Resulted in a Reduction in the Incidence of Hyponatremia after Total Joint Arthroplasty. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) 2024 Annual Meeting. February 14, 2023. San Francisco, CA, USA
Pareek A, Kunze KN, Madjarova S, Nawabi DH, Ranawat AS, Chahla J, Pearle AD, Williams RJ, Kelly BT, Nwachukwu BU. Deep Learning Automated Acetabular Measurements in Hip Femoroacetabular Impingement or Dysplasia are More Accurate, Reproducible, and Less Time Consuming. International Society for Hip Arthroscopy (ISHA) Annual Meeting. October 5-7, 2023. Cape Town, South Africa.
Jang SJ, Alpaugh K, Kunze KN, Li TY, Mayman DJ, Vigdorchik JM, Jerabek SA, Gausden EB, Sculco PK. Deep Learning Automation of Preoperative Radiographic Parameters Associated With Early Periprosthetic Femur Fracture After Total Hip Arthroplasty. International Society for Technology in Arthroplasty. New York, NY, USA. September 27-30, 2023.
Jang SJ, Kunze KN, Vigdorchik JM, Jerabek SA, Mayman DJ, Sculco PK. The Hip Society John Charnley Award: Deep Learning Prediction of Hip Joint Center on Standard Pelvis Radiographs. Winter (Open) Meeting of The Hip Society/AAHKS at the AAOS 2022. Chicago, IL. March 23-26, 2022.
Kunze KN, Polce EM, Clapp IM, Nwachukwu BU, Nho SJ. Machine Learning Algorithms Predict Clinically Significant Improvement in Sports-Specific Function for Athletes Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome. AAOS 2021 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. Aug 31-Sept 3, 2021.
Cinque ME, Kunze KN, Williams BT, Moatshe G, LaPrade RF, Chahla J. Higher Incidence of Post-traumatic Radiographic Osteoarthritis with Transtibial Femoral Tunnel Positioning Compared to Anteromedial Femoral Tunnel Positioning During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. AOSSM-AANA Combined Meeting, Nashville, TN, USA. July 7-11, 2021.
Nwachukwu BU, Beck EC, Kunze KN, Chahla J, Rasio J, Drager J, Nho SJ. Defining the MCID, PASS and SCB for Arthroscopic Hip Preservation Surgery at Minimum Five-Year Follow-up. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting, July 9-12, 2020. Seattle, WA, USA.
Research
Dr. Kunze is an internationally renowned orthopedic surgeon and scientist focusing on improving the treatment of shoulder, knee and hip injuries. He has lectured around the world on his research concerning the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging digital technologies to improve patient outcomes and the quality of care delivered to patients. His current interests include the development of innovative AI technologies to improve postoperative rehabilitation, access to healthcare, and accuracy of diagnosis. He has published over 240 peer-reviewed articles on these topics and his research continues to drive innovation in orthopedic surgery and healthcare.
Industry Relationships
HSS has a long history of supporting appropriate relationships with industry because they advance HSS's mission to provide the highest quality patient care, improve patient mobility, and enhance the quality of life for all, and to advance the science of orthopedic surgery, rheumatology, and their related disciplines through research and education.
As of , Dr. Kunze reported no relationships with the healthcare industry.
HSS and its physicians make this information available to patients and the public, thus creating a transparent environment for those who are interested in this information. Further, the HSS Conflicts of Interest and Commitment Policy prohibits physicians from collecting royalties on products they develop that are used on patients at HSS.