
Christopher J. Wahl, MD
“Our challenge is not just to bring people back to the same level, but to always strive to improve their performance as well.”
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Dr. Wahl is a fellowship-trained Orthopaedic Surgeon, specializing in treating athletes of all ages and problems related to the knee, shoulder, elbow and ankle.
He developed a regional and national reputation in the treatment, innovations, and study of high-energy, complex knee and shoulder injuries. While he enjoys treating all athletic soft tissue and bony injuries, his specific interests include knee ligament reconstruction and revision, cartilage transplantation and repair, osteotomies, partial and total knee replacements and peri-articular fracture management.
Specialties and Areas of Focus
- Knee
- Shoulder
- Sports Medicine
- Elbow
- Ankle
Background
From 2004-2012, Dr. Wahl served as an Associate Professor and team physician at University of Washington in Seattle, where he cared for the UW football, men’s basketball, volleyball, softball, gymnastics and tennis teams. In 2013, Dr. Wahl was named Head Team Physician for the San Diego Chargers. He has been listed among the national and regional ‘Top Doctors’ in U.S. News & World Report, Seattle Magazine and Seattle Met Magazine.
Dr. Wahl attended medical school and residency at Yale University. He then completed a sports medicine and shoulder surgery fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, where he assisted in the care of the New York Giants football team. Dr. Wahl then completed the AO John Border Traveling Trauma Fellow in Augsburg, Germany and Zurich, Switzerland. He was the recipient of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine Fellowship, teaching and learning at notable sports medicine facilities across South America.
In terms of treatment philosophy, “Every person and injury is unique–it is important to understand the factors that are most important to a person and their goals and then to tailor a comprehensive treatment and rehabilitation approach that is likely to achieve those goals. In sports medicine, we have to excel on three levels: prevention, treatment, and training. Our challenge is not just to bring people back to the same level, but to always strive to improve their performance as well. The continual advances in research-proven philosophies, techniques, instruments and implants that improve our patients’ outcomes make this a very exciting time.”
Outside of his clinical life, Dr. Wahl enjoys road & gravel cycling, mountain biking, skiing, and all other outdoor mayhem with his wife, kids and Weimaraner’s.
Awards
Castle Connolly Top Doctor
2022
Seattle Magazine Top Doctors
2010, 2011, 2012, 2021
Orthopaedic Surgery & Sports Medicine
2011, 2012, 2023
San Diego Magazine
2013
U.S. News & World Report
2011, 2012
Super Doctors
2011
Education & Credentials
Medical School
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
Residency
Yale University
New Haven, Connecticut
Fellowship
Hospital for Special Surgery
New York, New York
Board Certification
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery




Patient Resources
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- Information about what treatments and medications have been tried in the past
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Reviews
News & Events

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