Bio


Dr. Rondy Michael Lazaro is a board-certified, fellowship-trained physiatrist with specialization in sports medicine in the Stanford Health Care Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Division. He is also a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Stanford University School of Medicine.

Dr. Lazaro’s clinical expertise includes diagnosing and treating a wide range of sports medicine conditions. His clinical practice focuses on injuries and conditions of the lower extremity (hip, knee, ankle, and foot). He is an expert in using ultrasound to diagnose musculoskeletal injuries and perform ultrasound-guided procedures. Dr. Lazaro is experienced with treating injuries in runners and other endurance athletes. He is also well-versed in taking care of performing artists such as dancers and musicians.

He has extensive experience providing medical coverage for high school, collegiate, and professional athletic events and teams. He was a lead venue physician for the 2023 World University Games in Lake Placid, New York. He also served as company physician for New York State Ballet.

His research focuses on evidence-based approaches to prevent injury, relieve pain, and optimize health and performance. Organizations such as the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) have supported his work with grant funding.

Dr. Lazaro has been published in journals such as The Knee and Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. He has presented his findings at national and international conferences, including the annual meetings of the Association of Academic Physiatrists and the AMSSM.

Dr. Lazaro is an active member of several professional societies, including the American College of Sports Medicine and the International Association for Dance Medicine & Science. He also serves on committees for the AMSSM and the Performing Arts Medicine Association. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Lazaro is originally from Hayward, California. He graduated from Stanford University with a BA in Music (concentration in Conducting) and BS in Biology. He earned his MD from the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He completed his internship in Internal Medicine at Alameda Health System/Highland Hospital. He then completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Virginia Commonwealth University, followed by a fellowship in Sports Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University and Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center.

Clinical Focus


  • Physical Medicine and Rehab

Academic Appointments


Honors & Awards


  • Vice Chief Resident, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Research Excellence Award, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • R.K. Gadi Service Award, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • Hook Scholar, Edward W. Hook Scholars Program in Humanities and Ethics, University of Virginia School of Medicine

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations


  • Member, Performing Arts Medicine Association (PAMA) (2016 - Present)
  • Member, International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (2019 - Present)
  • Member, International Association for Dance Medicine and Science (2019 - Present)
  • Member, Association of Academic Physiatrists (2015 - Present)
  • Member, American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) (2015 - Present)
  • Member, American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (2023 - Present)
  • Member, American College of Sports Medicine (2015 - Present)
  • Fellow, American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (FAAPMR) (2015 - Present)

Professional Education


  • Board Certification: American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Sports Medicine (2019)
  • Board Certification: American Board of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Physical Medicine and Rehab (2019)
  • Fellowship: Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (2019) VA
  • Residency: Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (2018) VA
  • Internship: Alameda Health System Highland Hospital (2015) CA
  • Medical Education: University of Virginia School of Medicine (2014) VA

All Publications


  • Comparison of Pain With Ultrasound-Guided Intra-Articular Hip Injections With and Without Prior Subcutaneous Local Anesthesia. Clinical journal of sport medicine : official journal of the Canadian Academy of Sport Medicine Lazaro, R. M., Smith, J. M., Bender, N., Punreddy, A., Barford, N., Paul, J. H. 2024

    Abstract

    To compare pain levels of intra-articular hip steroid injections performed with and without prior subcutaneous local anesthesia (LA) injection.Randomized prospective study.University-based musculoskeletal clinic.Forty-one adult patients undergoing a first-time ultrasound-guided unilateral intra-articular hip steroid injection.Subjects were randomized into 1 of 2 groups: intra-articular hip injection with prior subcutaneous LA with 2 mL of lidocaine 1% (With LA) or hip injection without prior subcutaneous LA (Without LA). Visual analog scale (VAS) pain scores (0-100) were collected before and after each injection.Visual analog scale pain score for the intra-articular hip injection.Of the 41 total subjects, 18 were randomized to the Without LA group and 23 to the With LA group. There was no significant difference in baseline (preprocedure) VAS scores between the Without LA (mean ± SD = 39.2 ± 27.2) and With LA (41.2 ± 24.0) groups (P = 0.864). The mean ± SD VAS score for the subcutaneous LA injection in the With LA group was 20.4 ± 16.1. There was no significant difference in VAS scores for the intra-articular hip injection between the Without LA (48.5 ± 27.7) and With LA (39.5 ± 25.7) groups (P = 0.232).Subcutaneous injection of lidocaine before an intra-articular hip injection did not significantly decrease pain from the intra-articular hip injection. Providers may perform intra-articular hip injections with a 22-gauge 3.5-inch spinal needle without the need for an extra subcutaneous LA injection.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/JSM.0000000000001260

    View details for PubMedID 39046314

  • Patellar mobility and lower limb kinematics during functional activities in individuals with and without patellar tendinopathy. The Knee Lazaro, R. M., Souza, R. B., Luke, A. C. 2021; 30: 241-248

    Abstract

    Case-control.To examine whether patients with patellar tendinopathy (PT) display greater patellar mobility and different lower body kinematics than patients without PT.PT is a common overuse condition of the patellar tendon that can cause pain and impair function. Subjects with overuse knee problems display different hip and knee functional mechanics, specifically valgus collapse. Patellar hypermobility has not been specifically studied as a possible risk factor for PT.11 patients with PT and 11 controls without PT, age 18 to 40, were studied. Using a patellofemoral arthrometer (PFA), maximal lateral and medial patellar displacement was measured. 3-D motion analysis was performed to determine lower extremity joint motions during single-leg step down and drop vertical jump tests.Patients with PT had significantly increased lateral patellar mobility compared to controls (12.21 ± 3.33 mm vs. 9.19 ± 1.92 mm, P = .017). PT patients showed significantly greater peak hip adduction with both drop vertical jump (2.7° ± 6.3° vs. -5.6° ± 4.2°; P = .003) and step down (17.0° ± 3.8° vs. 12.5° ± 4.4°, P = .024). PT patients demonstrated increased peak ankle external rotation with drop vertical jump (-21.1° ± 5.9° vs. -14.8° ± 5.5°, P = .023) and step down (-15.6° ± 5.5° vs. -9.0° ± 6.0°, P = .017).Patients with PT exhibit increased lateral patellar mobility, hip adduction, and ankle external rotation. The effects of increased patellar mobility deserve further study in the development, management, and prevention of PT.

    View details for DOI 10.1016/j.knee.2021.04.002

    View details for PubMedID 33957465

    View details for PubMedCentralID PMC8880291

  • A Pilot Study of Knee and Hip Osteoarthritis Patient Experience with Telemedicine During the COVID-19 Pandemic Advances in Clinical Medical Research and Healthcare Delivery Lazaro, R. M., Smith, K. J., Bawany, M. H., Barford, N., Paul, J. H. 2021
  • Knee Orthoses for Sports-Related Issues Atlas of Orthoses and Assistive Devices Lazaro, R. M., Dec, K. L. 2019
  • Sports-Related Injuries in Youth Athletes: Is Overscheduling a Risk Factor? CLINICAL JOURNAL OF SPORT MEDICINE Luke, A., Lazaro, R. M., Bergeron, M. F., Keyser, L., Benjamin, H., Brenner, J., d'Hemecourt, P., Grady, M., Philpott, J., Smith, A. 2011; 21 (4): 307-314

    Abstract

    To examine the association between "overscheduling" and sports-related overuse and acute injuries in young athletes and to identify other potential contributing factors to create a working definition for "overscheduling injury."Survey.Six university-based sports medicine clinics in North America.Athletes aged 6 to 18 years (13.8 ± 2.6) and their parents and pediatric sports medicine-trained physicians.Questionnaires developed from literature review and expert consensus to investigate overscheduling and sports-related injuries were completed over a 3-month period.Physician's clinical diagnosis and injury categorization: acute not fatigue related (AI), overuse not fatigue related (OI), acute fatigue related (AFI), or overuse fatigue related (OFI).Overall, 360 questionnaires were completed (84% response rate). Overuse not fatigue-related injuries were encountered most often (44.7%), compared with AI (41.9%) and OFI (9.7%). Number of practices within 48 hours before injury was higher (1.7 ± 1.5) for athletes with OI versus those with AI (1.3 ± 1.4; P = 0.025). Athlete or parent perception of excessive play/training without adequate rest in the days before the injury was related to overuse (P = 0.016) and fatigue-related injuries (P = 0.010). Fatigue-related injuries were related to sleeping ≤6 hours the night before the injury (P = 0.028).When scheduling youth sporting events, potential activity volume and intensity over any 48-hour period, recovery time between all training and competition bouts, and potential between-day sleep time (≥ 7 hours) should be considered to optimize safety. An overscheduling injury can be defined as an injury related to excessive planned physical activity without adequate time for rest and recovery, including between training sessions/competitions and consecutive days.

    View details for DOI 10.1097/JSM.0b013e3182218f71

    View details for Web of Science ID 000292284700005

    View details for PubMedID 21694586