Our Faculty

The Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sports Medicine, and Shoulder service is made up of an outstanding group of faculty and staff who are rooted in a tradition of patient care, education, and research. It comprises surgeons specializing in both adult and uniquely pediatric orthopaedic sports medicine. We work to provide the highest quality orthopaedic care while providing exceptional education and training experiences for our orthopaedic sports medicine fellows. We also participate in clinical and basic science research for the advancement and improvement of patient care and orthopaedic education. We have significant expertise as team physicians and enjoy the relationships that are built with our fellows while working the sidelines during game coverage.

Our faculty members are fellowship trained surgeons who chose a career in academic medicine to further their goals to provide outstanding patient care, participate in exceptional education and be involved in innovative orthopaedic research. We enjoy having fellows involved in their clinical practice and research projects. Fostering professional relationships, faculty members serve as mentors to the fellows throughout their careers, something in which we take great pride.

Our Leadership

Robert A. Arciero, MD

Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health
Chief, Sports Medicine Division, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health
Former Director, Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, UConn Health
UConn Musculoskeletal Institute

Overview

Dr. Robert Arciero is a professor and chief of the Sports Medicine Division in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn Health. He served as the director of the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship program at UConn Health from 2001 to 2023. Dr. Arciero was recognized for his service and leadership and was president of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, the premier orthopaedic sports society in the world.

Dr. Arciero is an active team physician for the UConn athletic programs providing sports care for the men's and women’s basketball, football, and hockey teams. He is also an orthopaedic team physician for USA Hockey and was the lead physician for the 2004 and 2008 World Championship team. Dr. Arciero is the author of over 120 scientific articles on ligament, tendon, and cartilage injuries of the knee and shoulder.

Prior to his arrival at UConn, Dr. Arciero spent 13 years at Keller Army Hospital at West Point, NY, as the chief of Orthopaedics and director of the U.S. Army’s Bone & Soft Tissue Trauma Fellowship. In his rank of Colonel, he served two tours of duty including Operation Desert Storm/Shield in Saudi Arabia and Iraq in 1990-1991, for which he received a Bronze Star.

Dr. Arciero has won several national and international awards. These include the prestigious O’Donahue award for best clinical research investigating anterior cruciate ligament injuries from the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and the first place award for the best research study on arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from the International Society for Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine.

His main area of expertise is arthroscopic surgery with a primary focus on knee ligament instability, cartilage repair and shoulder instability. He has special interest in the management of complex injuries of the shoulder and knee. Dr. Arciero also has extensive experience in meniscal transplantation, cartilage repair, and osteotomies of the knee to try to preserve the knee joint and avoid or delay total knee replacement.

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Katherine J. Coyner, MD, MBA

Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health
Director, Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship Program, UConn Health
Director of Fellowship Research

Overview

Dr. Coyner is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon and an associate professor of orthopedic surgery at UConn Health, specializing in orthopedic sports medicine. She obtained her Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Massachusetts Amherst in May 2023. This significant milestone further strengthens her commitment to advancing patient care, research, and education.

Dr. Coyner embarked on her academic journey at the University of Massachusetts, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in 2001. During her time there, she had the honor of serving as a two-time team captain of the women's basketball team, becoming only the second player in UMass history to achieve 1000 points and 500 assists in a career. In recognition of her athletic contributions, she was named to the Atlantic-10 Legends class of 2017.

Dr. Coyner earned her MD from Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine. She completed her residency in orthopedic surgery at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Michigan, and performed a fellowship in sports medicine at Duke University Medical Center.

As part of the UConn Musculoskeletal Institute and Sports Medicine Program, Dr. Coyner provides advanced treatment and surgical options for patients with a wide range of sports-related injuries and conditions of the shoulder, hip, and knee. She proudly serves as a team physician for the UConn Huskies and served as head team doctor for the WNBA Connecticut Sun during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. In July 2021, Dr. Coyner was elected as an AOSSM Board of Directors – Member At Large.

Prior to coming to UConn she spent 6 years at UT Southwestern Medical Center and was the Assistant Team Orthopedic Surgeon to the NHL Dallas Stars and Head Team Physician for two local high schools.

Dr. Coyner's clinical interests and expertise encompass a wide range of orthopedic conditions, including hip arthroscopy and treatment of femoroacetabular impingement, primary and revision ACL reconstructions, multi-ligament knee injuries, advanced cartilage restoration, complex shoulder instability, primary and revision rotator cuff surgery, pectoralis tendon ruptures, and distal bicep tears.

In 2022-2023 Dr. Coyner completed the Hedwig van Ameringen Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) program, a distinguished one-year leadership fellowship. Specifically designed for senior women faculty in the fields of academic medicine for entry into executive leadership positions.

She is deeply passionate about paving the way for women in the world of medicine. In the United States, fewer than 7% of orthopedic surgeons are women. In Connecticut, Dr. Coyner is one of only a few female sports medicine physicians. To address this gender gap, she hosts numerous workshops for females in high school and medical school, introducing them to the primarily male-dominated fields of orthopedic surgery and engineering. Through these initiatives, she aims to instill the necessary skills and offer mentorship, ensuring that aspiring females recognize their potential to succeed in these fields.

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Fellowship Attendings

Allison Crepeau, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health
Connecticut Children's Site Director

Overview

Dr. Allison Crepeau is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn Health. She is dual fellowship trained in pediatric orthopaedics and orthopaedic sports medicine. Dr. Crepeau played Division I lacrosse in college but grew up as a dancer and has a special interest in dance medicine as well as care of the female athlete. She worked at the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters in Norfolk, VA for 7 years before returning home to New England to join Elite Sports Medicine at Connecticut Children’s.

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Corey Dwyer, MD

Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health

Overview

Dr. Corey R. Dwyer is an assistant professor here at UConn Health, focusing in sports medicine and complex shoulder injuries.

Dr. Dwyer takes care of UConn’s elite athletes, serving as a team physician. He truly “bleeds blue.” He completed his undergraduate education, medical school, MBA, and orthopaedic surgery residency at the University of Connecticut. He is proud to return to his alma mater, where you will see him on the sidelines.

He pursued an elite fellowship at Stanford University, renowned for its cutting-edge advancements in orthopaedics and its care for sports related injuries. During his fellowship, he worked alongside sports medicine’s top experts Marc Safran and Seth Sherman. He provides a special insight into thought leaders for shoulder treatments including Michael T. Freehill, Emilee Cheung, and Geoffrey Abrams.

During his fellowship, he acted as an assistant team physician with the San Francisco 49ers. He provides a unique perspective into the collaboration with trainers, coaches, and other medical staff at the highest level to develop treatment plans and to maximize player performance.

Dr. Dwyer was honored to be selected for the esteemed Herodicus Traveling Fellowship, a coveted experience for an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. This experience has enabled him to work alongside world renown experts and it reinforces UConn’s collaboration with leaders in the field.

He treats rotator cuff tears, shoulder instability, shoulder arthritis, fractures about the shoulder, complex shoulder pathology, and sports-related shoulder injuries. Dr. Dwyer is grateful for the mentors he has connected with during his training at UConn and Stanford, which further drives his passion to work with residents and fellows.

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Cory Edgar, MD, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health

Overview

Dr. Cory Edgar is an assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn Health. A team physician for Boston University athletics, he was recruited back after serving as assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at Boston University School of Medicine. Dr. Edgar was a former sports medicine fellow at the UConn and has a strong research and academic interest. Dr. Edgar has a Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology and established research activities in bone biology, cartilage healing and applications of stem cells for tissue healing. He is an outstanding educator with many invited lectureships and national level courses that he teaches. He most recently won the AOSSM research award and is considered a rising star in the sports medicine community.

Dr. Edgar’s clinical interests and expertise include primary and revision ACL reconstructions, multi-ligament knee injuries, meniscal transplantation, patella dislocations and instability, complex shoulder instability with bone loss, revision rotator cuff surgery, AC joint injuries, pectoralis tendon ruptures, distal biceps ruptures, ankle instability and talus OCD lesions.

Dr. Edgar continues to devote himself to improving the field of orthopedics through research. A primary area of interest and expertise is the use of stem cells to enhance healing and graft incorporation in sports medicine. His research goal is to continue to explore and develop through a translational medical approach, the application of biologics and regenerative medicine to sports medicine issues.

Dr. Edgar is committed to education and patient care. His clinical interests, education, and experience enable him to care for patients with compassion and expertise.

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Kevin P. Shea, MD

Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UConn Health

Overview

Dr. Shea was Dr. John Fulkerson’s first fellow and is presently a professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UConn Health. His office is in the MSI building where he sees patients there (Monday), and in Southington (Wednesday). He operates at both UConn John Dempsey Hospital and at the UConn Health Surgery Center in the MSI building. His specialties are rotator cuff repair and shoulder arthroplasty.

He has served as a team physician for the Hartford Whalers professional ice hockey team, the UConn varsity athletic teams, Trinity College, and for several local high schools. Dr. Shea teaches orthopaedic physical therapy at the University of Hartford and UConn at Storrs. He specializes in the treatment of shoulder and knee problems.

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SNY Interviews with UConn Team Physicians

UConn Health Orthopedic and Sports Medicine physician and head team physician for UConn student-athletes, Dr. Deena Casiero, talks with SNY about common sports-related injuries and how best to prevent them.

Dr. Bob Arciero, UConn Health orthopedic surgeon and head orthopedic team physician for the UConn Huskies, talks with SNY about ways to minimize your risk of injury during a strenuous workout.

Dr. Matt Hall, orthopedic and sports medicine physician at UConn Health and team physician for the UConn Huskies, talks with SNY about his experiences treating both elite college athletes and weekend warriors.

Dr. Katherine Coyner passionately advocates for young women to explore the STEM fields and enter the traditionally male-dominated field of medicine. In this SNY interview from the UConn Women’s Basketball game on November 17, 2017, Dr. Coyner discusses her background as a college basketball player and how she transitioned into orthopedic medicine, helping athletes and non-athletes get back on their feet after an injury.

During a recent halftime interview UConn Health orthopedic surgeon Dr. Cory Edgar talks about the latest research in treating "jumper's knee" and other knee injuries frequently seen in women's basketball players.