Donald C. Fithian, M.D. (Orthopaedics)
dcf@donfithianmd.com
Dr. Fithian is an experienced, board-certified expert who specializes in diagnosing complex problems in athletes of all ages, and in the surgical treatment of complex knee and shoulder disorders.
Dr. Fithian grew up in New Jersey, went to college in New Hampshire, and spent 10 years in New York City for medical school and residency training in orthopedic surgery. He came to San Diego in 1990 to do a fellowship in orthopedic sports medicine at Kaiser Permanente under the Direction of Dale M. Daniel, M.D., who was a friend and mentor to many San Diego orthopaedists of that time. Dr. Fithian worked with Dr. Daniel and his staff, studying and treating knee and shoulder injuries in recreational athletes, and assumed directorship of the program after Dr. Daniel’s death in 1995. During more than 25 years with Kaiser Permanente, Dr. Fithian was also the architect of the Kaiser Permanente Joint Replacement Registry, which is now the largest implant registry in the United States.
Dr. Fithian was named “Dale M. Daniel Partner of the Year” of the San Diego Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) in 2007. He was co-recipient in 2008 of Kaiser Permanente’s prestigious Vohs Award, a national award recognizing clinical innovation for the development of the Total Joint Registry. Dr. Fithian was honored by Coast Surgery Center Staff in 2009 as “Physician of the Year”. In 2015 he was honored by the San Diego Orthopaedic Society with the Distinguished Service Award. He has travelled extensively, and served as visiting professor to numerous residency programs in the United States and overseas. Fluent in French and Spanish, Dr. Fithian travels yearly to Central and South America and the Caribbean to provide orthopaedic services to indigent patients.
