Leon E. Popovitz, MD — Orthopedic Surgeon & Co-Founder, NY Bone & Joint Specialists
Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon (ABOS) | FAAOS | Fellowship-Trained Sports Medicine, NYU Langone | US Open Team Physician
Leon E. Popovitz, MD
- Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon (ABOS)
- Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
- Co-Founder, NY Bone & Joint Specialists
- Team Physician, US Open Tennis Championships
Leon E. Popovitz, MD, FAAOS
Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon (ABOS) | Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Fellowship-Trained: Arthroscopic Surgery & Sports Medicine — NYU Langone / Hospital for Joint Diseases
Co-Founder, NY Bone & Joint Specialists | Team Physician, US Open Tennis Championships
Clinical Assistant Professor — Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Attending Surgeon — Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health
Date Published: 8/14/2026 | Last Updated: 8/14/2026
Dr. Leon E. Popovitz, MD – At A GlanceSpecialty: Arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgery, sports medicine, and minimally invasive repair of the shoulder and knee. Rotator cuff repair, SLAP repair, Bankart repair, ACL reconstruction, meniscus surgery, cartilage restoration, and ankle arthroscopy. Board Certification: American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS). Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (FAAOS). Fellowship: Arthroscopic Surgery & Sports Medicine — NYU Langone / Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY. Residency: Orthopedic Surgery — Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY. Additional training: Harvard Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA; Cornell/Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY. Academic Appointments: Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Clinical Instructor in Orthopedic Surgery, CUNY School of Medicine. Hospital Affiliation: Attending Surgeon, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital — Northwell Health, New York, NY. Team Physician: US Open Tennis Championships. NYBJ Outcomes: Rotator cuff re-tear rate 2–4% (published 10–20%). Bankart re-dislocation <4% (published 5–15%). SLAP return-to-overhead-sport 90% (published 40–80%). Patient satisfaction 94%. Languages Spoken: English, Russian (Fluent). Access: Upper East Side: 1198 Third Ave, NY 10021. Midtown: 425 Madison Ave, Suite 200, NY 10017. Same-week consultations. No referral required. Call 212-759-4553. |
Credentials
Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon (ABOS) | Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (FAAOS)
Fellowship-Trained: Arthroscopic Surgery & Sports Medicine — NYU Langone / Hospital for Joint Diseases
Co-Founder, NY Bone & Joint Specialists | Team Physician, US Open Tennis Championships
Clinical Assistant Professor — Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
Clinical Instructor in Orthopedic Surgery — CUNY School of Medicine
Upper East Side & Midtown Manhattan | Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital — Northwell Health | 212-759-4553
SEEING PATIENTS FOR:
About Dr. Popovitz
Born in Ukraine and raised in New York, Dr. Leon E. Popovitz, MD, FAAOS is the co-founder of New York Bone and Joint Specialists and an internationally recognized orthopedic surgeon. He has lectured and presented his surgical techniques and clinical research across Europe and the Americas, and his work in arthroscopic surgery and joint preservation has been recognized by orthopedic societies on multiple continents. He is fluent in Russian. Internationally recognized for his expertise in arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgery, Dr. Popovitz specializes in the minimally invasive repair and reconstruction of cartilage, ligaments, tendons, and the critical structural elements of both joints. His treatment philosophy is preservation-first: the native joint structures we are born with are worth protecting, and surgery is the right answer when it is the right answer, not the default answer.
Dr. Popovitz trained at some of the most distinguished institutions in orthopedic surgery. He earned his MD from New York Medical College after completing the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education program. His orthopedic surgery residency at Lenox Hill Hospital included additional rotations at Harvard Children’s Hospital in Boston and at Cornell/Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York. He completed a fellowship in Arthroscopic Surgery and Sports Medicine at NYU Langone / Hospital for Joint Diseases — the fellowship that defined the technical foundation of his surgical practice.
He currently serves as an Attending Surgeon in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital within the Northwell Health system. In academic medicine, he holds the title of Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell — one of the leading academic medical centers in the New York metropolitan region — and serves as a Clinical Instructor in Orthopedic Surgery at CUNY School of Medicine, where he lectures to medical students during their surgical rotations. He has served as team physician at the US Open Tennis Championships, providing on-site orthopedic and sports medicine care to professional athletes competing at the highest level of international sport. He speaks English and Russian.
Clinical Focus
| Area | Procedures |
|---|---|
| Shoulder Surgery | Rotator cuff repair (double-row technique), SLAP repair, Bankart repair and shoulder stabilization, biceps tenodesis, shoulder impingement surgery, AC joint resection, shoulder arthroscopy |
| Knee Surgery | ACL reconstruction, ACL repair (BEAR technique), meniscus repair and meniscectomy, cartilage restoration (OATS/transplantation), patella stabilization (MPFL reconstruction), knee arthroscopy |
| Ankle Surgery | Ankle arthroscopy, Brostrom lateral ankle stabilization, osteochondral lesion treatment, ankle impingement surgery |
| Sports Medicine | Non-operative management of musculoskeletal injuries, regenerative medicine, return-to-sport protocols for athletes at all levels |
NYBJ Clinical Outcomes
| Procedure | NYBJ Outcome | Published Benchmark |
|---|---|---|
| Rotator Cuff Re-Tear Rate | 2–4% | 10–20% |
| Bankart Re-Dislocation Rate | <4% | 5–15% |
| SLAP Return to Overhead Sport | 90% | 40–80% |
| Rotator Cuff Patient Satisfaction | 94% | — |
Academic Appointments
| Appointment | Institution |
|---|---|
| Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery | Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell |
| Clinical Instructor in Orthopedic Surgery | CUNY School of Medicine — Lectures to medical students during surgical rotations |
Honors & Recognition
| Award / Recognition | Details |
|---|---|
| Castle Connolly Top Doctor | America’s Top Doctors — Multiple years |
| New York Times SuperDoctor | Named a SuperDoctor by The New York Times |
| New York Magazine Top Doctor | Named a Top Doctor and Top Orthopedic Surgeon by New York Magazine |
| Consumer Research Council | Top Surgeons, Top Orthopedic Surgeons, and Top Physicians — since 2004 |
| Leading Physicians of the World | Inducted by the International Association of Healthcare Professionals |
| Global Jewish Assistance & Relief Network | Honored for charitable endeavors and philanthropic support |
About This Page: Leon E. Popovitz, MD, FAAOS is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, co-founder of NY Bone & Joint Specialists, and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. He is also a Clinical Instructor in Orthopedic Surgery at CUNY School of Medicine. Fellowship-trained in arthroscopic surgery and sports medicine at NYU Langone / Hospital for Joint Diseases. Attending surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital — Northwell Health. Team physician at the US Open Tennis Championships. NYBJ is a private orthopedic and sports medicine practice with two Manhattan locations: Upper East Side (1198 Third Ave, New York, NY 10021) and Midtown (425 Madison Ave, Suite 200, New York, NY 10017). Dr. Popovitz speaks English and Russian.
BOOK WITH DR. POPOVITZ
Same-week consultations | Call: 212-759-4553 | Book Online | UES & Midtown
Book an appointmentCREDENTIALS
FELLOWSHIP
- Arthroscopic Surgery & Sports Medicine — NYU Langone / Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, NY
RESIDENCY
- Orthopedic Surgery — Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY
ADDITIONAL TRAINING
- Harvard Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA
- Cornell/Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY
INTERNSHIP
- General Surgery — St. Vincent’s Hospital & Medical Center (Level 1 Trauma), New York, NY
MEDICAL SCHOOL
- New York Medical College
- Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, CUNY
BOARD CERTIFICATION
- American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS)
FELLOWSHIPS & MEMBERSHIPS
- Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (FAAOS)
- Member, European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy (ESSKA)
- Licensed in New York and New Jersey
HOSPITAL AFFILIATION
- Attending Surgeon — Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Lenox Hill Hospital, Northwell Health, New York, NY
TEAM PHYSICIAN
- US Open Tennis Championships
LANGUAGES
- English
- Russian
ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
- Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Orthopedic Surgery — Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell
- Clinical Instructor in Orthopedic Surgery — CUNY School of Medicine — Lectures to medical students during surgical rotations
LATEST RELEASES IN MEDIA & PRESS
RECENT BLOGS FROM THE AUTHOR
Our Locations
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Upper East Side: Full Service Orthopedic Center & Walk-In
1198 3rd Avenue, Between 69th and 70th Street New York, NY 10021Physician appointments: Mon–Fri 9am–5:30pm, Sat 8:30am–4:30pm
Physical therapy: Mon–Fri 7am–7pm, Sat 8am–2pmPhone: (212) 759-4553 -
Orthopedic Doctor Midtown Manhattan NYC — New York Bone & Joint Specialists
425 Madison Ave, Suite 200 (second floor) New York, NY 10017 (corner of East 49th Street)Physician appointments: Mon–Fri 8:00 am–6:00 pm
Physical therapy: Mon–Fri 7 am–7 pm, Sat 8 am–2 pmPhone: (212) 759-4553 -
Orthopedic Doctor Upper East Side NYC — New York Bone & Joint Specialists
130 E 67th St New York, NY 10065Physician appointments: Mon–Fri 8:00am–6pm, Sat 8:30am–4:30pm
Physical therapy: Mon–Fri 7am–7pm, Sat 8am–2pmPhone: (212) 759-4553