James Chen, MD

Dr. James Chen is a renowned, fellowship-trained and board-certified orthopedic surgeon who focuses on treating sports-related injuries and helping individuals regain their quality of life.

Orthopedic surgeons see you on your best and worst days. The road from injury to recovery can be challenging, and the right surgeon will make a world of difference. Dr. James Chen is a board-certified and fellowship-trained general orthopedic surgeon who focuses on treating sports-related injuries and helping individuals regain their quality of life. He specializes in minimally-invasive arthroscopic surgery for the knee, shoulder, elbow, hip, and ankle, which means a quicker, easier recovery for patients, with the added benefit of less scarring. He also treats fractures and performs sports arthroplasty — minimally invasive joint replacement of the knee, shoulder, hip, and elbow.

Growing up in Sacramento in a family of doctors, he was lucky to witness the rewards of helping people get back to where they want to be physically firsthand. He became interested in sports medicine from playing soccer at Jesuit High School and for the Olympic Development Program. He served as the team captain for his college team. After graduating from Swarthmore College, he moved back to California to get his Master’s in Public Health at UC Berkeley and his Doctorate of Medicine from UC Davis. He then completed his internship and residency at the prestigious University of Hawaii, Queens Medical Center and a fellowship at UCSF in Orthopedic Surgery, Sports Medicine, and Arthroscopy. He is board certified in both Orthopedic Surgery and the subspecialty of Orthopedic Sports Medicine. He is an assistant clinical professor at UCSF School of Medicine and the Director of the San Francisco Sports Medicine Fellowship.

Since 2011, Dr. Chen has maintained his private practice and one of the most well-respected orthopedic injury treatment centers in San Francisco. He is celebrated as one of the top orthopedic surgeons in the area, not just for his abilities in the operating room, but for his good-humored personality, expert knowledge, and personalized care. Dr. Chen loves working with people, and his patient-oriented approach helps establish the bedrock of trust and confidence necessary in achieving the best possible outcome.

His expertise covers general orthopedic injuries, fractures, joint replacements, meniscus surgery, rotator cuff repair, and anatomic ACL reconstruction, as well as minimally invasive arthroplasty for all major joints. He enjoys working with goal-oriented patients who are committed to returning to their highest possible level of performance.

In his free time, Dr. Chen enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, playing soccer, running and skiing. He is the team physician for several local schools including San Francisco City Football Club and San Francisco Elite Soccer Academy. He is a parent volunteer at St. Anne School of San Francisco. On any weeknight in San Francisco, you will find him either coaching one of his four children in competitive soccer or cheering them on from the sidelines.

As the son of two physicians, Dr. Chen understands that medicine is a career of service to patients. He therefore chose Orthopedics to combine his love for sports and his passion to take care of people. He has traveled on several medical missions to Guatemala, Mexico, and Samoa. He has volunteered his time to teach medical students, residents, and other surgeons about Orthopaedics.