About Dr. Harold:

Dr. Harold is an orthopedic surgeon that is fellowship trained in Shoulder & Elbow Surgery and Hand Surgery.

Dr Ryan E Harold, IBJI - Orthopedic Shoulder, Elbow, and Hand Surgery

He specializes in all shoulder and elbow conditions, including:

  • Rotator cuff repair surgery (from small to massive, acute to chronic)

  • Management of irreparable rotator cuff tears

  • Shoulder replacement surgery

  • Shoulder arthritis

  • Cuff tear arthropathy

  • Redo (revision) and complex shoulder replacement

  • Infected shoulder replacements

  • Unstable/dislocating shoulder replacments

  • Loose shoulder replacement components

  • Shoulder instability and dislocation surgery (arthroscopic labrum repair and Remplassage surgery)

  • Bone block glenoid reconstruction - Latarjet Procedure and Distal Tibia Allgraft (AAGR) reconstruction

  • Scapulothoracic snapping/dysfunction

  • Sternoclavicular arthritis or instability

  • Elbow fractures, arthritis, and dislocations

He also specializes in hand conditions including:

  • Distal radius (wrist) fractures/breaks

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome

  • Cubital tunnel syndrome

Through his extensive training, he developed expertise in minimally invasive arthroscopic shoulder surgery, shoulder replacement surgery, complex shoulder reconstruction, revision/re-do shoulder replacement, and elbow surgery.

He has a specific interest in cutting-edge custom 3D-printed shoulder replacement implants, preoperative 3D planning software, and computer-assisted navigation for shoulder replacement surgery. Dr. Harold also specializes in hand conditions, including arthritis, fractures, nerve, tendon, and artery injuries.

A man (Dr. Harold) in a suit and glasses standing at a podium with a sign that reads 'ASES Annual Meeting' and the logo of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. The man (Dr. Harold) appears to be giving a speech at a conference.

Dr. Harold presenting at the National 2022 American Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ASES) meeting on shoulder replacement surgery.

Dr. Harold grew up in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. He attended Purdue University where he received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to Medical School he worked as a professional Mechanical Engineer. He attended medical school at University of Illinois at Chicago and completed orthopedic surgery residency at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Harold went on to complete a one-year Hand & Upper Extremity Surgery fellowship at the Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center in Indianapolis. Dr. Harold then did a second one-year of subspecialty fellowship training in Shoulder & Elbow arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery at Washington University in St. Louis.

Dr. Harold is an outdoor and technology enthusiast. He is an avid runner, snow skier, golfer, and has a personal interest in 3D printing in orthopedic surgery. His wife is a pediatrician and together they have two sons and a daughter.

  • Shoulder & Elbow Surgery Training (1 additional year subspecialty training):

    Washington University, St. Louis, MO

    Under: Dr. Jay Keener, Dr. Aaron Chamberlain, Dr. Alexander Aleem, Dr. Ben Zmistowski, and Dr. Ken Yamaguchi

    Hand Surgery Fellowship (1 additional year subspecialty training):

    Indiana Hand to Shoulder Center, Indianapolis, IN

    Under: Drs. Kleinman, Fischer, Greenberg, Baltera, Merrell, Kaplan, Hoyer, Crosby, Peck, Smetana, Puri

    Residency Training: Orthopedic Surgery (5 years)

    Northwestern Memorial Hospital, Chicago, IL

    Under (Hand Surger): Dr. Thomas Wiedrich, Dr. Chirag Shah, Dr. David Kalainov, Dr. Jason Ko

    Under (Shoulder & Elbow Surgery): Dr. Guido Marra, Dr. Matthew Saltzman

    Medical School:

    University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine (UIC COM), Chicago, IL

    Undergraduate Training:

    B.S. Mechanical Engineering

    Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN

  • Dr. Harold takes care of all shoulder, elbow, and hand problems. He is passionate about shoulder replacement and re-do (revision) shoulder replacement surgery, rotator cuff surgery, elbow surgery, and hand surgery. Some of the procedures he performs include:

    • Anatomic total shoulder replacement surgery (TSA)

    • Reverse total shoulder replacement surgery (RSA)

    • Reverse shoulder replacement for proximal humerus fractures

    • Revision (re-do) shoulder replacement surgery

    • Infected shoulder replacements

    • Dislocated shoulder replacements

    • Painful shoulder replacements

    • Fractured (broken) shoulder replacements

    • Cuff tear arthropathy (CTA)

    • Rotator cuff tears

    • Graft augmentation of rotator cuff repairs

    • Massive rotator cuff tears

    • Irreparable rotator cuff tears

    • Elbow fractures

    • Elbow dislocations

    • Complex elbow injuries

    • Elbow UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) injuries

    • Tommy-John injuries and surgery

    • Distal radius fractures

    • Carpal tunnel syndrome

    • Cubital tunnel syndrome

    • Trigger fingers

    • Hand fractures / breaks

    • Hand arthritis

    • Hand nerve, tendon, and artery injuries

    • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) society: General Member

    • American Association for Hand Surgery (ASSH): General Member

    • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS): General Member

    • Reviewer for: Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (JSES)

    • Reviewer for: Journal of Hand Surgery (JHS)

  • • Advanced Shoulder Arthroplasty Meeting (ASAP) – Snowbird, UT 2026

    • Revision Shoulder Replacement Course (DJO/Enovis): Advanced Management Techniques for Complex Glenoid and Humeral Bone Loss, Infection, Instability, and Advanced/Complex Revision Shoulder Techniques – Tampa, FL 2025

    • Arthroscopic Distal Tibial Allograft (AAGR) and Lower Trapezius Tendon Transfer Course, with Dr. Ivan Wong, Peter Chalmers – Cincinnati, OH 2024

    • Arthroscopic Distal Tibial Allograft (AAGR) Course, with Dr. Ivan Wong - Chicago, IL 2024

    • Advanced Shoulder Arthroplasty Meeting (ASAP) – Snowbird, UT 2024

    • Nice Shoulder Course, Course Chairman – Pascal Boileau – Nice, France 2022

    • Stryker Tornier Shoulder Arthroplasty Course – Denver, CO 2022

    • Arthrex Shoulder Arthroscopy Course – Naples, FL 2022

    • Depuy Shoulder Arthroplasty Course – Austin, TX 2022

    • AAOS/ASES Anatomic and Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty, State of the Art: 2022 – Rosemont, IL

    • Mixed Reality in Shoulder Arthroplasty using HoloLens 2, Industry Sponsored 2022 – St. Louis, MO

    • Advanced Shoulder Arthroplasty Meeting (ASAP) – Snowbird, UT 2022

    • Total Elbow Arthroplasty Course, Industry Sponsored – Park Ridge, IL 2021

    • Augmented Reality in Shoulder Arthroplasty using HoloLens 2, Industry Sponsored 2021 – Indianapolis, IN

    • Best in Practice Nerve Repair: Axogen Sponsored Cadaver Course 2020 – Indianapolis, IN

    • Microvascular Surgery Skills Training Course – Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN - 2020

    • Advanced Shoulder Arthroplasty Meeting (ASAP) – Snowbird, UT - 2020

    • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ASES) 2019: Essentials of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery – Rosemont, IL 2019

    • International Congress for Joint Reconstruction (ICJR) 8th Annual Shoulder Course 2019 – Las Vegas, NV

    • San Diego Shoulder Institute (SDSI) 2019 Endured Course – San Diego, CA 2019

    • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS)/American Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (ASES) Reverse Total Shoulder and Latarjet/Open Instability Procedures – Rosemont, IL 2019

    • Total Shoulder Arthroplasty Laboratory, Industry Sponsored, Park Ridge, IL 2019

    • Total Elbow Arthroplasty Laboratory, Industry Sponsored, Burr Ridge, IL 2019

    • AO Trauma – Advanced Principles – Toronto, Ontario 2017

    • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS), Fundamentals of Hip and Knee Arthroplasty – Rosemont, IL 2017

    • American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgery (AAHKS), Resident Arthroplasty Course – Dallas, TX 2017

    • AO Trauma – Basic Principles – Minneapolis, MN 2016

  • • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Annual Meeting – San Antionio, TX 2024

    • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Annual Meeting – Scottsdale, AZ 2023

    • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Specialty Day - Las Vegas, NV 2023

    • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS) – Chicago, IL 2022

    • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Annual Meeting – Tampa, FL 2021

    • American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) 76th Annual Meeting 2021 Virtual

    • American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Annual Meeting – Virtual 2020

    •American Society for Surgery of the Hand (ASSH) 75th Annual Meeting –2020 Virtual

    • International Society of Technology in Arthroplasty (ISTA) – Toronto, Canada - 2019

    • Mid-America Orthopedic Association (MAOA) – Miramar Beach, Florida 2019

    • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS) – Las Vegas, NV - 2019

    • American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) – Dallas, TX 2018

    • International Society of Technology in Arthroplasty (ISTA) – London, UK 2018

    • Mid-America Orthopedic Association (MAOA) – Houston, TX 2018

    • American Academy of Orthopedic Surgery (AAOS) – San Antonio, TX 2018

    • American Academy of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) – Dallas, TX 2017

    • International Society of Technology in Arthroplasty (ISTA) – Seoul, South Korea 2017

    • Chicago Trauma Symposium – Chicago, IL 2017

  • Selected publications:

    R Harold, P Sweeney, M Torchia, J Kramer.

    Acromial bony adaptations in rotator cuff tear arthropathy facilitates acromial stress fracture following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.

    • Seminars in Shoulder Arthroplasty: JSES (2024)

    -

    R Harold, P Sweeney, A Chamberlain, J Keener.

    Total shoulder arthroplasty in patients with a B2 glenoid addressed with high-side corrective reaming: Mean 8-year follow-up.

    • Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery (2023)

    -

    R Harold, P Henning, B Smetana, G Merrell.

    Thumb metacarpophalangeal joint static and dynamic hyperextension in a biomechanical cadaveric model.

    • Journal of Hand Surgery (2022)

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    M Hartwell, R Harold, P Sweeney, A Seitz, G Marra, M Saltzman.

    Posterior Rotator Cuff Fatty Infiltration Associated with Increased Posterior Glenoid Wear in Glenohumeral Osteoarthritis: An MRI-based Study.

    • Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research (2021)

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    R Harold, D Hu, A Edelstein, J Souza, V Brander, SD Stulberg.

    Patient Reported Outcomes After Total Hip Arthroplasty in a Developing Country by a Visiting Surgical Team.

    • Arthroplasty Today (2021)

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    R Harold, B Butler, D Delagrammaticas, R Sullivan, M Stover, D Manning.

    PROMIS Physical Function and Pain Interference Correlates with Modified Harris Hip Score in Total Hip Arthroplasty.

    • Orthopedics, 2021 Jan 1;44(1):e19-e25

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    A Martusiewicz, D Delagrammaticas, R Harold, S Bhatt, M Beal, DW Manning.

    Anterior Versus Posterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty: Patient Reported and Functional Outcomes in the Early Post-operative Period.

    • Hip International, 2020 Nov;30(6):695-702

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    J Chan, R Harold, Muturi G. Muriuki, R Havey, D Kalainov.

    Biomechanical Study of Extensor Tendon Lacerations over the Finger Metacarpophalangeal Joints.

    • Journal of Hand Surgery Global Online, 2019. 1(1): p. 15-20.

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    R Harold, D Delagrammaticas, T Keller, B Butler, MD Stover, DW Manning.

    Are Supine Intraoperative and Standing Biplanar Postoperative Radiographic Measurements of Acetabular Cup Position the Same?

    • Hip International, 2020 Sep;30(5):530-535

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    R Harold, J Macleod, B Butler, R Sullivan, MD Beal, DW Manning.

    Single Use Custom Instrumentation in Total Knee Arthroplasty: Effect on In-Hospital Complications, Length of Stay, and Discharge Disposition.

    • Orthopedics, 2019: p. 1-5.

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    S Sahota, F Lovecchio, R Harold, MD Beal, DW Manning.

    The Effect of Smoking on Thirty-Day Postoperative Complications After Total Joint Arthroplasty: A Propensity Score-Matched Analysis.

    • The Journal of Arthroplasty, 2018. 33(1): p. 30-35.

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    R Harold, B Butler, J Lamplot, H Luu, C Lawton, DW Manning.

    Multifaceted Aseptic Protocol Decreases Surgical Site Infections Following Hip Arthroplasty.

    • Hip International, 2018. 28(2): p. 182-188.

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    D Bronsnick, R Harold, A Youderian, G Solitro, F Amirouche, B Goldberg.

    Can High-Friction Intra-Annular Material Increase Screw Pullout Strength in Osteoporotic Bone?

    • Clinical Orthopedics and Related Research, 2015. 473(3): p. 1150-4.