School of Medicine


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  • Gary S. Fanton, MD

    Gary S. Fanton, MD

    Clinical Professor, Orthopaedic Surgery

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsDr. Gary Fanton is the Chief of the Section of Sports Medicine at Stanford’s Department of Orthopedic Surgery. His practice primarily involves the diagnostic evaluation and treatment of sports and trauma-related injuries of the upper extremity, knee, and ankle. He is Board Certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and is currently the Team Physician in Orthopedics for the San Francisco 49ers. Dr. Fanton's past experience includes positions as team orthopedist for the San Francisco Giants, company physician for the San Jose Ballet, head team orthopedist for Stanford University football and basketball, and team orthopedist for Stanford’s additional 29 varsity sports. He co-founded the SOAR clinic where he was an active partner in private practice since 1983. He holds a B.S. degree from the University of Michigan and M.D. degree from the Medical College of Wisconsin.

    Dr. Fanton's special interests include arthroscopic surgery of the knee and shoulder...specifically, injuries to the anterior cruciate ligament of the knee, cartilage injuries, rotator cuff tears, and shoulder instability. He has done extensive research on knee ligament tears, explored new techniques for shoulder stabilization and tendon repair, and he utilizes state-of-the-art surgical procedures to enhance rehabilitation and recovery after surgery. He is frequently asked to be a guest lecturer both nationally and internationally on these and other sports-medicine related topics. He has also authored dozens of articles on sports injuries and new surgical techniques.

    Dr. Fanton was a co-founder and board member of Oratec Interventions, a medical device start-up for minimally invasive spine and joint procedures that went public in April, 2000, which was subsequently purchased by Smith-Nephew in 2002. He actively serves on the medical advisory board for several public and private surgical device companies in the Orthopedic industry and he continues to design and develop unique surgical devices for minimally invasive surgery. He has co-authored several device patents and has several others pending.

    Dr. Fanton has been a member in good standing with the American Academy of Orthopedic surgeons since 1985 and he is a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. He is also member of the Orthopedic Research Society, NFL Team Physicians Society, the American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine, The International Knee Society, International Cartilage Repair Society, and a founding member of the International Musculoskeletal Laser Society.

  • Julia Lauren Flora

    Julia Lauren Flora

    Pediatric Orthopaedic Research Assistant, Orthopaedic Surgery

    Current Role at StanfordAssistant Clinical Research Coordinator for the FASTR Program

  • Francesca Alejandro

    Francesca Alejandro

    Affiliate, Orthopaedic Surgery

    BioFrancesca Alejandro, NP was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has resided here for most of her life. She attended San Jose State University, where she obtained her Bachelors in Public Health and minor in Child Development. Seeking to further her education, she attended Western University of Health Sciences and obtained her Masters in Ambulatory Nursing and Family Nurse Practitioner degrees.

    Francesca Alejandro, NP started working at Stanford in 2008, at the time as an Operating Room assistant, and was fortunate to come back once she completed her training as a Nurse Practitioner. Francesca enjoys collegiality of the Academic setting and has a passion for Medicine, specifically Orthopedics. She enjoys spending time with her patients and educating them on how to manage their conditions and improve their health. In her spare time she enjoys traveling, medical missions, cooking, spending time with family, and watching football.

  • Michael Fredericson, MD

    Michael Fredericson, MD

    Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and, by courtesy, of Medicine (Stanford Prevention Research Center)

    Current Research and Scholarly InterestsMy research focuses on the etiology, prevention, and treatment of overuse sports injuries in athletes and lifestyle medicine practices for improved health and longevity.

  • Michael T. Freehill, MD, FAOA

    Michael T. Freehill, MD, FAOA

    Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery

    BioDr. Freehill is a board-certified, double fellowship-trained specialist in orthopaedic surgery with a sub-specialty certification in sports medicine. His concentration is in shoulder and elbow. Dr. Freehill is a team physician for the Stanford University athletics program and head physician for the Stanford University baseball team. Dr. Freehill also teaches in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at Stanford University School of Medicine.

    Dr. Freehill’s practice focuses on all shoulder conditions. He treats rotator cuff tears, shoulder instability, shoulder arthritis, sports shoulder, arthropathy, complex shoulder pathology, and sports related shoulder injury. In addition, he is also passionate about sports- related elbow injuries, with an emphasis on thrower’s elbow.

    Professional and amateur athletes, as well as non-athletes, come to Dr. Freehill for expert care. His sports medicine training and specialization in shoulder replacement procedures enable him to treat patients across the lifespan. Depending on factors including the patient’s condition and occupation, he may recommend treatment ranging from non-operative solutions (such as physical therapy) to cutting-edge biologics procedures or complex surgery.

    In addition to his positions within the Stanford University athletics program, Dr. Freehill serves as assistant team physician for the Oakland A’s. Previously, he was a team physician for the Detroit Tigers and the Winston-Salem Dash (affiliated with the Chicago White Sox); he assisted with the Baltimore Orioles. He has also served as Director of Sports Medicine for Wake Forest University Athletics.

    As executive director of the Stanford Baseball Science CORE, Dr. Freehill draws on his previous experience as a professional baseball player to help athletes of all skill levels. In the lab, he conducts cutting edge research on the biomechanics of overhead throwers in order to support advances in throwing performance. He has conducted a study on pitch counts in adolescent players funded by Major League Baseball. Dr. Freehill was also awarded a research grant from the National Institutes of Health to investigate stromal vascular fractionated mesenchymal cells and their potential for healing rotator cuff tendon tears.

    Dr. Freehill has pioneered the use of some of the latest techniques and technology for leading-edge care. Among the advanced technologies he utilizes is a virtual reality (VR) system that enables him to perform a simulated shoulder arthroplasty procedure prior to entering the operating room with a patient. The system also enables him to predict and order customized implants if needed, which is believed to enable a more positive outcome for patients.

    Peer-reviewed articles authored by Dr. Freehill explore rotator cuff injuries, shoulder arthroplasty, baseball-related injuries and performance interests, and more. His work has been featured in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Arthroscopy, and elsewhere. He has written numerous book chapters and made over 200 presentations at conferences around the world.
    Dr. Freehill’s honors include an Orthopaedic Residency Research Award while at Johns Hopkins University. He is also a Neer Award winner, denoting the highest research award selected annually by the American Shoulder and Elbow Society.

    Currently, he serves on the Medical Publishing Board of Trustees for the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine. He is a member of the American Orthopaedic Association, and the Major League Baseball Team Physician Association. He is a committee member for the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Society, International Congress of Arthroscopy and Sports Traumatology, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.