Dr Ian Al’Khafaji

Dr lan Al'Khafaji is a U.S.-trained, American board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons. He has advanced fellowship training in knee and hip surgery, sports medicine, and joint replacement. Originally from Tampa, Florida, Dr Al'Khafaji completed his medical degree at the University of South Florida before undertaking orthopaedic residency training at Wake Forest University in North Carolina. He went on to complete a world-renowned sports medicine fellowship at the Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, where he cared for elite and professional athletes and developed expertise in cartilage restoration techniques such as meniscus and cartilage transplantation.

His passion for hip and knee surgery brought him to Melbourne, where he trained at OrthoSport Victoria with a focus on complex ligament injuries and knee replacements. He later completed a specialised hip fellowship with Dr John O'Donnell, gaining expertise in anterior hip replacement and hip arthroscopy. Further subspecialty training at the Melbourne Orthopaedic Group expanded his skills in hip preservation and robotic-assisted knee replacement. Before settling in Australia, he also practiced in Phoenix, Arizona, at the state's busiest trauma centre, managing complex sports-related and joint injuries.

Dr Al'Khafaji holds leadership roles in several international orthopaedic organisations, including the International Society for Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ISAKOS), the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA), the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), and the International Society of Hip Arthroscopy (ISHA). He also serves as an orthopaedic consultant for professional surfers competing in the World Surf League.

Alongside his clinical practice, Dr Al'Khafaji is a committed researcher and educator. He has published widely in leading orthopaedic journals, presented at international meetings, and frequently moderates sessions at scientific conferences. His current research focuses on ACL injuries, hip arthroscopy, and femoroacetabular impingement. He is also a Senior Lecturer at the University of Melbourne.