Dr. James Anthony Dantonio, MD

Before pursuing a degree in medicine, Dr. D'Antonio, a native of Aliquippa, PA, made his mark as an honor student and as an All-Star for the varsity lacrosse and football teams at Rutgers University where he attended the School of Engineering on a football scholarship. He then came to the Keystone State of Pennsylvania to study medicine at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree, cum laude, in 1968. Dr. D'Antonio then served a medical internship at Presbyterian University Hospital, went West for his general surgery Residency at the University of Colorado, and came back to Pittsburgh to complete his Orthopaedic training at the University of Pittsburgh. He also served as a Major in the United State Army. A distinguished surgeon, researcher and educator, Dr. D'Antonio has been in practice since 1975 and has been a primary hip and knee surgeon since 1982. His career has been highlighted by clinical research, the development of new instruments and the development of new implants. Dr. D'Antonio has been doing clinical research on total hip patients since 1982 when he developed a study group of 100 primary cementless total hips and a group of over 100 revision hip arthroplasties. In 1984, he became intricately involved in the AAOS categorical committee on the hip, where he wrote exam questions for recertification exams for a three year period. In 1988, along with his research partner, Dr. Capello (University of Indiana), he participated in an FDA clinical trial utilizing hydroxyapatite coated hip implants and within two years, became the co-lead investigator for the study which still continues to this day. As a result of the study, Dr. D'Antonio published the first paper on HA coated implants in North America and has since written many articles and chapters in books on hip and knee arthroplasty. The HA femoral implants in these studies have had outstanding twelve year survivorship that is as good or better than any other implants published to date. In 1990 Dr. D'Antonio became active in designing hip and knee implants. Since then, he has been involved in the design of a revolutionary new total knee replacement, as well as a complete revision hip system with HA coating. His work also includes knee instrumentation for the implantation of total knees to assist surgeons with delicate procedures. One of these particular designs has been patented and is a one-of-a-kind instrumentation system.