Hospital for Special Surgery · New York

Dr. Sabrina Strickland Board-Certified Orthopedic Sports Surgeon

My goal is to return my patients to an active lifestyle — for some this means Division 1 sports, and for others it is playing with their children in the park.

Fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon with 24 years of experience taking care of active patients aged 12 to 80 who want to return to sports.

Castle Connolly Top Doctor
Top Doctor
Castle Connolly
HSS  · Hospital for Special Surgery
Weill Cornell  · Associate Professor
AOSSM & ISAKOS  · Society Member
Steadman Hawkins  · Sports Medicine Fellow
Overview

Dr. Sabrina Strickland is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine. She is a fellowship-trained sports medicine surgeon with 24 years of experience treating active patients aged 12 to 80. Her practice focuses on knee cartilage repair, patellar stabilization, MPFL reconstruction, tibial tubercle osteotomy, ACL and meniscus surgery, and joint preservation — including BEAR, MISHA, and CartiHEAL implants. Patients travel to her from New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey for second opinions on complex knee cases.

Dr. Sabrina Strickland at the Hospital for Special Surgery
Live the life you want

What if you didn't have to live with knee pain?

Knee pain doesn't have to sideline you. Dr. Strickland works with patients to understand their goals — from returning to marathon running, to getting back on the dance floor, to walking the city pain-free — and builds a plan that gets them there.

Why patients choose Dr. Strickland

A practice built around complex knees and second opinions.

01

Sought out for second opinions

Patients travel to me for second opinions on cartilage transplants, surgery for patellar instability, and ACL and meniscal repair.

02

FDA trial participation

I participate in FDA trials so that I can offer my patients the newest and most advanced treatments.

03

Stem cell research & practice

I use stem cells in my practice and do stem cell research. My goal is to treat arthritis before joint replacement is required — and if replacement is required, to replace as little of the knee as possible to achieve a good outcome.

Experience that matters

Numbers from a focused practice.

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ACL reconstructions
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MPFL reconstructions
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Tibial tubercle osteotomies
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Osteochondral allograft transplantations
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Peer-reviewed publications
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Caring for active patients aged 12 – 80
Featured specialties

Specialized care for complex knee conditions.

Dr. Strickland's practice is intentionally narrow. These are the conditions she operates on every week — with the pace, protocols and outcomes that come from doing a small number of procedures exceptionally well.

Dr. Sabrina Strickland East 72nd Street · New York
Meet the doctor

Sabrina Strickland, M.D.

“I want patients to understand what's happening inside their knee as well as I do — so the decisions we make are ours together.”

Dr. Strickland is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and Associate Professor of Clinical Orthopedic Surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Her practice focuses on knee cartilage repair, patellar stabilization, patellofemoral replacement, MPFL repair, tibial tubercle osteotomy, meniscal surgery, ACL reconstruction, and cartilage transplants — including BEAR, MISHA and CartiHEAL implants. She does extensive research and continuously works to improve patient outcomes.

Treatment philosophy

Non-surgical first — surgery when it's the right answer.

“I begin with a thorough evaluation in person or a chart and image review on telehealth and use non-surgical treatments such as hyaluronic acid, PRP, and stem cells when appropriate — but move to surgery when it is necessary to optimize long-term function.”

I love taking care of straightforward problems such as meniscal and ACL tears, small cartilage flaps and arthritis. However, my specialty is joint preservation and patellofemoral joint disease — I offer specialized and state-of-the-art treatment for these often complex conditions.

Patients we care for

Active patients, at every level.

  • Professional / Collegiate Athletes
  • Active Adults / Weekend Warriors
  • Youth / High School Athletes
  • Dancers / Performing Artists
  • Second Opinion Seekers
Service areas

Where Dr. Strickland's patients come from

Patients travel to Dr. Sabrina Strickland at the Hospital for Special Surgery from across New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey — including Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Westchester County, Long Island, Stamford, Greenwich, and surrounding areas.

She also treats patients from across the United States and internationally who are seeking specialized care for complex knee conditions and second opinions. Many patients are referred for advanced procedures such as cartilage restoration, patellar stabilization, ACL reconstruction, and joint preservation.

Patient success stories

What Dr. Strickland's patients say, after.

A small selection of patient stories — in their own words — about the outcomes that matter to them, from the marathon to the dance floor.

Gillis Frechette at the NYC Marathon after knee surgery
★★★★★

“I ran the NYC Marathon this past Sunday — something before the surgery I NEVER thought I would be able to accomplish. Completing the marathon was healing and rewarding in so many ways.”

Read her full story
Peyton Ely, competitive dancer, back to dancing after patella surgery
★★★★★

“With lots of hard work and dedication I was back to dancing in 4 months. I just had my first competition — no pain whatsoever. I can’t thank Dr. Strickland and her whole entire team enough.”

Read her full story
Rachel Schechter hiking the Inca Trail after ACL surgery
★★★★★

“A year after surgery I was even able to hike the Inca Trail, a 26-mile 4-day hike with a lot of elevation. My knee had no issues. I’m so grateful to be back outdoors and doing things I love.”

Read her full story
Carrie Craig back to Pilates and yoga after shoulder labrum repair
★★★★★

“Dr. Strickland was able to restore me back to my previous active lifestyle. Today I am 100% back doing Pilates, weights, yoga and push-ups — less than a year later.”

Read her full story
Rhona Chambers, Ironman triathlete, back running after meniscus repair
★★★★★

“Starry Night — not enough stars for my review for Dr. Strickland and her team. I’m currently 5 months post-op and can run 6 miles no problem. Five months until the NYC Marathon — real good chance.”

Read her full story
Avery, young softball player, after bilateral MPFL reconstruction and TTO for severe patellar misalignment
★★★★★

“Since age eight, knee instability was a defining challenge. After years of physical therapy and braces failed to stop frequent subluxations and dislocations, Dr. Strickland diagnosed severe bilateral patellar misalignment — both kneecaps more than 10mm out of place — and corrected it across two years of staged MPFL and tibial tubercle osteotomy work.”

Read her full story
Watch the introduction

A minute with Dr. Strickland.

Transcript
[Music] words can't totally explain how much she meant to me because she fixed the thing that I thought was unfixable I had been told was unfixable you're going to a doctor who's confident who knows what they're looking at who's able to give you the right kind of guidance and the right care I can very often bring my patients back to a level where they can ski again or they can play tennis again and for some of my patients they can go up and down stairs again and these are things that we sometimes take for granted the day I went in and when I finally took the brace off I walked 20 steps and I was like I do this and then that was the beginning of getting back and realizing I'm gonna be back in the game my specialty within orthopedics and sports medicine what that means is that I do shoulder and knee surgery but my passion is patellofemoral disorders i co-founded with my partner patellofemoral Center at the Hospital for Special Surgery something that's really important to me as a doctor is making my patients feel comfortable it's pretty scary to have surgery and it's pretty scary to be injured I have a team that works with me that is amazing meaning the most important thing about when I hire an employee is that they're nice and that patients feel comfortable with them and the thing goes for me I never felt that she rushed through any of the detailed explanations that she gave me and obviously should perform two successful surgeries on me that got me back on my feet I have three kids three girls their ages 13 13 and 15 and theft's twins the most rewarding part of my job is getting people back to the things they want to do having patients see me in clinic three months six months a year after surgery and say gosh I never thought I'd ride a horse again and I'm back riding a horse or I used to get up from a table and worried that I was gonna stumble because my knees hurt so much and now I get up and I don't even think about it so it can be a huge range of what patients are telling me but having a job where people say thank you all day long is pretty often [Music]
Credentials & community

Trained, recognized, and giving back.

Education
  • State licensure in New York and Connecticut
  • Sports Medicine and Shoulder Fellowship at The Hospital for Special Surgery
  • Orthopedic Surgery Residency at The Hospital for Special Surgery
  • General Surgery Internship at Cornell-New York Presbyterian Hospital
  • Medical School at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke’s, 1996
  • College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell University, 1991
Recognitions & awards
  • Castle Connolly Top Doctor (since 2016)
  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgery Leadership Fellow
  • Philip D. Wilson Teaching Award (HSS)
  • AOA (Alpha Omega Alpha)
  • National Merit Scholar
Memberships
  • International Patellofemoral Study Group
  • Arthroscopy Association of North America
  • International Society for Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopedic Sports Medicine
  • International Cartilage Repair Society
  • American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine
  • The Women's Sports Forum
Training & continuing education
  • MAKO Robotic Surgery certification
  • Speaker & instructor — International Patellofemoral Study Group
  • Speaker & instructor — Arthroscopy Association of North America
  • Speaker & instructor — International Sports Medicine Fellowship course
  • Speaker & instructor — ISAKOS (Knee Surgery & Orthopedic Sports Medicine)
  • Speaker & instructor — International Cartilage Repair Society
Community & service
  • Mentor for orthopaedic residents at the Hospital for Special Surgery
  • Speaker at community health programs
  • Former Chief of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bronx VA Medical Center
  • Cornell University Presidential Council of Cornell Women
  • Cornell University Arts and Sciences Health Career Advising Committee
Two locations

Find us in New York or Stamford.

Insurance & payment

Insurance plans we accept.

Most commercial plans accepted. Out-of-network and self-pay welcome. Patient financing available.

United Healthcare
Aetna
Cigna
Blue Cross Blue Shield
Emblem
GHI
Oxford
In-network with most commercial plans
Coverage verified before your visit
Out-of-network & self-pay welcome
For patients outside our in-network plans
Financing available
Ask the office about patient financing options
Patient FAQ

Common questions, answered.

What conditions does Dr. Strickland treat?

Dr. Strickland focuses on knee and shoulder injuries in active patients — ACL and ligament tears, meniscus tears, cartilage injuries, joint instability, patellar (kneecap) instability, knee arthritis, and joint preservation. Her practice is intentionally narrow: these are conditions she operates on every week.

Will I need surgery, or are there non-surgical options first?

Surgery is not the first step for most patients. Dr. Strickland begins with a thorough evaluation in person or a chart and image review on telehealth, and uses non-surgical treatments such as hyaluronic acid, PRP (platelet-rich plasma), and stem cells when appropriate. She moves to surgery when it is necessary to optimize long-term function.

How experienced is Dr. Strickland with these procedures?

Dr. Strickland has 24 years of experience and has performed more than 1,000 ACL reconstructions, 450+ MPFL reconstructions, 470+ tibial tubercle osteotomies, and 300+ osteochondral allograft transplantations. She has authored 93 peer-reviewed publications and is regularly sought out for second opinions on complex knee cases.

What insurance plans do you accept?

The practice is in-network with most major commercial plans including United Healthcare, Aetna, Cigna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Emblem, GHI, and Oxford. Out-of-network and self-pay patients are welcome, and patient financing is available. Coverage is verified before your visit.

Where are the offices and how do I make an appointment?

Dr. Strickland sees patients at Hospital for Special Surgery, 523 East 72nd Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10021, and at the Stamford / Chelsea Piers satellite office at 1 Blachley Road, Stamford, CT 06902. To request an appointment, use the HSS scheduling link on this page or call (646) 960-7227.

Currently welcoming new patients

Ready to meet? Let's talk about your knee.

Dr. Strickland sees new patients at HSS on East 72nd Street and at Chelsea Piers in Stamford. Pick the way that's easiest for you.

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