Xinning Li, MD

Xinning “Tiger” Li, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at Boston Medical Center (BMC). Dr. Li is also Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and the team physician for Boston University Athletics.

Dr. Li has worked with many experts in the field of Sports Medicine and has served as the Assistant Team Physician for the New York Mets professional baseball team. During his second fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Dr. Li traveled to France to work closely with two world-renowned shoulder surgeons, Dr. Lafosse (Annecy) and Dr. Walch (Lyon) to further advance his training in complex arthroscopic shoulder surgeries and open shoulder reconstruction.

Dr. Li also completed an additional year of orthopedic surgery research fellowship in Tissue Engineering. His efforts in the laboratory led to the development of a novel synthetic bone graft substitute for healing of segmental bone defects. As a result, he was the recipient of the prestigious Resident Clinician Scientist training grant from the OREF to continue his research endeavors.

In addition to his research accomplishments, Dr. Li was selected to the AOA Resident Leadership Forum and earned membership into the AOA Emerging Leaders program during his residency. He has a strong interest in research and believes that it advances the field of orthopedic surgery and patient care. His research focuses on tissue engineering, ligament reconstruction, rotator cuff repair outcomes, and shoulder arthroplasty. He has received multiple resident research awards from the Eastern Orthopaedic Association and has contributed over 100 peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, podium/poster presentations, and accepted abstracts to the field of orthopedics.

Dr. Li specializes in advanced arthroscopic and open surgical techniques. He has a special interest in the care of athletes, as he himself was a NCAA Division I tennis player. His clinical interests and expertise include primary and revision ACL reconstruction, multi-ligament knee injuries, cartilage loss, meniscus injury, patellar instability, rotator cuff and labral tears, shoulder instability (Bankart repair or Laterjet procedure), pectoralis and distal biceps tendon rupture, shoulder arthritis (total and reverse shoulder arthroplasty), and elbow injuries.

In addition, Dr. Li has a special interest in complex shoulder reconstruction including muscle transfers for scapula winging, scapula-thoracic pain, revision rotator cuff surgery, and failed shoulder arthroplasty. He is dedicated to providing exceptional patient care with the highest level of compassion and expertise.