Joseph L. Yellin, MD
Areas of expertise: Pediatric orthopedic surgery, Sports medicine, Sports injuries, Pediatric fractures and trauma, Arthroscopy, ACL reconstruction in pediatric/adolescent/elite athletes, Meniscus repair, Cartilage preservation, Treatment of cartilage lesions (OCD lesions) of the knee and elbow, Throwing and the overhead athlete, Shoulder dislocations and instability repair, Athletic injuries of the shoulder, elbow, knee and ankle, Patella dislocation and instability repair/reconstruction, Meniscus transplant
Locations: Specialty Care, Virtua, Specialty Care, Atlantic County, Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care
About Joseph L. Yellin, MD
Joseph L. Yellin, MD, is an attending orthopedic surgeon with the Orthopedic Center and the Sports Medicine and Performance Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).
Dr. Yellin earned a bachelor’s degree in Biological Basis of Behavior from the University of Pennsylvania and earned his medical degree from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Before his fourth year of medical school, Dr. Yellin pursued research as a Benjamin Fox Orthopaedic Research Fellow at CHOP, confirming his interest in pediatric orthopedics. During this year, he also served as the assistant coach for a few Olympic-bound USA gymnasts!
“As a former competitive gymnast and an elite-level gymnastics coach, I have always been fascinated with orthopedic sports injuries, and more importantly, how to help athletes safely and effectively return to the sports they love,” Dr. Yellin says. “I know firsthand how difficult it is to recover and come back from injuries, and I'm there for you and your family.”
Dr. Yellin completed an orthopedic surgery residency at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program in Boston, MA, before returning to CHOP as a pediatric orthopedic surgery fellow in the Division of Orthopedics. During his time at CHOP, Dr. Yellin worked with a variety of leading orthopedic specialists to learn about providing excellent care to all pediatric orthopedic patients in various pediatric orthopedic subspecialties. He spent a portion of this year with a focus on the intricacies of optimal surgical management of young athletes with pediatric sports conditions.
He then went on to complete an additional fellowship in Orthopedic Sports Surgery at Penn, where he had the privilege of working with many high school athletes, collegiate athletes (Penn Football, Penn Basketball, Penn Wrestling, Penn Gymnastics), and professional teams (Philadelphia Flyers and Philadelphia 76ers).
Dr. Yellin’s philosophy of care is centered on a team approach, working closely with patients and their families in addition to our entire orthopedic team (including athletic trainers and physical therapists) to build a comprehensive and supportive environment for patients to successfully recover, optimize their performance, and accomplish their goals. “Seeing my patients’ drive and determination to return to the activities they love – whether they are recovering from a broken bone or an ACL reconstruction – makes me want to do this job forever,” Dr. Yellin says. “Of course, completely achieving this goal and getting to the other side of an injury is always incredibly rewarding for the patient, their family, and me!”
Dr. Yellin’s research interests include: pediatric orthopedic surgery, pediatric through elite level sports medicine, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in patients with open growth plates and skeletally mature athletes, arthroscopy, shoulder instability/dislocations and instability repair, arthroscopic meniscus repair, meniscus preservation and replacement surgery, athletic injuries in the knee, shoulder, elbow, and hip, cartilage preservation, treatment of cartilage lesions (OCD lesions), patella dislocation and instability repair, elbow injuries including ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) repair and reconstruction, throwing and the overhead athlete, pediatric orthopedic trauma and fracture care.
Dr. Yellin has presented several research studies and projects at the national and international level including Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine (PRiSM), European Paediatric Orthopaedic Society (EPOS) and the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA), and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS).
More from Dr. Yellin: Read a Q&A to get to know him.
Titles
Attending Orthopedic Surgeon
Awards and Honors
2015, Benjamin Fox Orthopaedic Research Scholar
2015,Young Investigator/Medical Student Presentation Award
2011, Summa Cum Laude, University of Pennsylvania
2011, Edward N. Pugh Jr. Award
2011, Graduated with Honors in the Major, University of Pennsylvania
Leadership and Memberships
Memberships in Professional Organizations
American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)
AOA Emerging Leaders Program
Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA)
Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (POSNA)
Pediatric Research in Sports Medicine (PRiSM)
Education & training
Medical Degree
MD - University of Pennsylvania, Phila.,PA
Residency
Orthopaedic Surgery - Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program, Cambridge, MA (Chief Resident, Chief Education Resident)
Fellowship
Pediatric Orthopedics - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Orthopedic Sports Medicine - University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Publications
Publications
2024
Yellin JL, Feroe AG, Watkins IT, Guevel B, Haber DB, Kocher MS. Management and Subsequent Outcomes of Patellar Sleeve Injuries: A Retrospective Case Series of 90 Paediatric and Adolescent Patients. Journal of Children’s Orthopaedics. 2024 Feb;18(2):208-215 2.
Desai VM, DeFrancesco CJ, Yellin JL, Nguyen JC, Williams BA. Patient Characteristics and Postoperative Outcomes of Surgically Treated Inferior Pole Patellar Sleeve Fractures. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. 2024 Jun 14. EPub ahead of print 3.
Kiani SN, Yellin JL, Huffman WH, Guzek RH, Shea KG, Nguyen JC, Ganley TJ. Patella and Trochlea Osteochondritis Dissecans: Demographics and Treatment Paradigms. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. 2024 Feb;44(2):138-143 4.
2023
Yellin JL, Tysklind RG, Hussain ZB, Zheng ET, Heyworth BE, Kocher MS. Bilateral Osteochondritis Dissecans (OCD) of the Knee in Pediatric and Adolescent Patients Presenting with Unilateral Symptoms: An Epidemiological and Radiographic Analysis. Journal of Children’s Orthopaedics. 2023 Aug;17(5):481-488. 5.
Stevens A, Yellin JL, Baghdadi S, Ganley TJ. Pediatric Tibial Spine Fractures: Current Research and Debates. University of Pennsylvania Orthopaedic Journal. 2023 June;33:101-102.
2022
Gornitzky AL, England P, Kiani SN, Yellin JL, Flynn JM. Why Don’t Kids Wear Their Brace? A Prospective Study Investigating Psychosocial Characteristics That Predict Scoliosis Brace Wear. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. 2022 Oct 5; Online ahead of print.
Kiani SN, Yellin JL, Houlihan NV, Talwar D, Shea KG, Ganley TJ. Trends in Pediatric ACL Reconstruction: The Impact of COVID-19. Journal of Athletic Training. 2022 March 10 Online ahead of print.
Yellin JL, Lu LY, Bauer AS, Duane J, Virtual Rotation Education Committee, Dyer GSM. Selecting the Next Class: The “Virtual Orthopaedic Rotation” JAAOS Global Research and Reviews. 2022 Jan;6(1)
2021
Yellin JL, Fabricant PD, Anari JB, Neuwirth AL, Ganley TJ, Chauvin NA, Lawrence JT. Increased Glenoid Index as a Risk Factor for Pediatric and Adolescent Anterior Glenohumeral Dislocation: An MRI-Based Case-Control Study. Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine. 2021 Mar;9(3)
Yellin JL, Parisien RL, Talathi NS, Farooqi AS, Kocher MS, Ganley TJ. Narrow Notch Width is a Risk Factor for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury in the Pediatric Population: A Multicenter Study. Arthroscopy, Sports Medicine, and Rehabilitation. 2021 Mar;3(3):e823-e828
Reyes A, Yellin JL, Von Keudell A. Closed Reduction Percutaneous Pinning Management of a Cuboid Fracture-Dislocation in a 70-Year-Old Man: A Case Report. Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery Case Connector. 2021 April;11(2)
2020
Yellin JL, Striano BM, Waters PM, Dyer GSM. Education Disrupted by COVID-19? An Opportunity to Improve and Engage. Journal of the Pediatric Orthopaedic Society of North America (JPOSNA). 2020 Aug;2(2)
2019
Roaten JD, Kelly DM, Yellin JL, Flynn JM, Cyr M, Garg S, Broom AM, Andras LM, Sawyer J. Pediatric Femoral Shaft Fractures: A Multicenter Review of the AAOS Clinical Practice Guidelines Before and After 2009. Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. 2019 Sep;39(8):394-399
Harris L, Arkader A, Broom A, Flynn JM, Yellin JL, Whitlock P, Miller A, Sawyer J, Roaten J, Skaggs DL, Choi PD. Pulseless Supracondylar Humerus Fracture with Anterior Interosseous Nerve or Median Nerve Injury – An Absolute Indication for Open Reduction? Journal of Pediatric Orthopaedics. 2019 Jan;39(1):e1-e7
Editorials, Reviews, Chapters
2019
Shea K, Polousky J, Yellin JL, Ho M, Ganley T, Styhl A. Knee Disorders in Children. In: Davids JR Section Ed. Pediatric Disorders. In: Chapman MW, James MA. Chapman’s Comprehensive Orthopaedic Surgery. (Volume 4). New Delhi, India: Jaypee Brothers Medical Publishers (P) Ltd; 2019:4985-5010
2016
Yellin JL, Flynn JM. Operative Treatment of Femur Fractures Using Flexible IM Nails. In: Skaggs DL, Kocher MS, eds. Master Techniques in Orthopaedic Surgery: Pediatrics. 2nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2016:83-95
Halawi MJ, Yellin JL, Ranawat A, Satpathy J, Golladay GJ, Lonner JH, Barsoum WK. Unicompartmental, Patellofemoral, and Bicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty. In: Mont MA, Tanzer M, eds. Orthopaedic Knowledge Update: Hip and Knee Reconstruction 5. Rosemont, IL: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; 2016:149-162