Orthopaedic physicians who have a commitment to athletes bring advanced sports medicine training and skills to the Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Fellowship. As a network of physicians who see patients at community- and University-based medical clinics in the metro area, the Fellowship brings together the best in sports medicine to offer an unparalleled community-focused educational experience.

J. Patrick Smith, M.D. – Program Director
Board-certified orthopaedic surgeon J. Patrick Smith earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School and completed his orthopaedic residency at the University of Minnesota. Since that time he has specialized in sports medicine and adult reconstructive surgery, particularly of the knee. He is an active member of the AAOSM.

He sees patients at MSM in Minneapolis and Eden Prairie. He serves as orthopaedic team physician for the University of Minnesota Gopher Football and Wrestling programs and as team physician and Medical Director for Hamline University Department of Athletics. His wide-ranging community sports medicine experience includes providing physician coverage for such events as the NCAA-Final Four, NCAA Sub-Regional/Regionals, Team USA Canadian Cup and the Walker Cup.

David Anderson, M.D.
David Anderson completed his medical degree at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska, and completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Northwestern University in Chicago, Illinois. His advanced training includes a sports medicine fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery. His special medical interests include athletic injuries and arthroscopic surgery of the knee, should and elbow, fracture management, and joint replacement surgery.

John Anderson, M.D.
John Anderson earned his medical degree at the University of Minnesota Medical School and completed his orthopaedic residency at the same. Board-certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, his special medical interests include joint reconstruction and replacement of the hip and knee. His sports medicine interests include focus on upper extremity conditions of the shoulder, elbow and wrist.

Dr. Anderson was named outstanding orthopedist by the Mpls/St. Paul magazine in 1995 and 1996. He is widely published on the topic of shoulder injury.

J. Christiaan Coetzee, M.D.
Orthopaedic surgeon Christiaan Coetzee, M.D.,  earned his medical degree from the University of Pretoria, South Africa, in 1984 and completed his residency at the University of Stellenbosch, Cape Town, South Africa. His advanced medical training includes completion of two Fellowships: an AO Trauma Fellowship in Davos, Switzerland, and a Foot and Ankle Fellowship at the University of Washington, in Seattle.

Dr. Coetzee sees patients at Minnesota Sports Medicine in Eden Prairie and Minneapolis, where he specializes in foot and ankle reconstruction. Additional responsibilities include appointments as associate editor of the Foot and Ankle International Journal and reviewer to the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

Hollis Fritts, M.D.
Musculoskeletal radiologist Hollis Fritts graduated from the University of Texas in Austin and received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He completed a radiology residency and MRI fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. At the Center for Diagnostic Imaging, he has gained a national reputation as a specialist in musculoskeletal and sports medicine imaging. He is a member of the fellowship faculty.

Dr. Fritts has authored and co-authored many articles in professional journals that include Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, American Journal of Roentgenology, and Seminars in Ultrasound, CT and MRI. He recently authored a chapter entitled, “MRI and Shoulder Imaging” in Dr. Richard Hawkins’ book, Shoulder Injuries in the Athlete: Surgical Repair and Rehabilitation.

Dr. Fritts is a senior member of the Society of Skeletal Radiology and a member of the American College of Sports Medicine, American Roentgen Ray Society, International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and Clinical Magnetic Resonance Society.

Cooper R. Gundry, M.D.
Cooper R. Gundry, M.D. is a musculoskeletal radiologist at Center for Diagnostic Imaging (CDI) and serves as faculty for the fellowship. He graduated from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, and received his medical degree from Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland. Dr. Gundry performed his residency at the University of Vermont Medical Center Hospital. Dr. Gundry also completed a skeletal radiology fellowship at the University of California, San Diego, where he held the position of Clinical Instructor. Before joining CDI, he was chief of skeletal radiology at Medical Center Hospital of Vermont and assistant professor of radiology at the University of Vermont College of Medicine.

Dr. Gundry has published numerous articles in professional journals that include Radiology, American Journal of Roentgenology, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, and Spine. He also is the author of multiple text chapters pertaining to his subspecialty, skeletal and spine imaging. Dr. Gundry is currently a member of the Society of Skeletal Radiology, North American Spine Society, American Roentgen Ray Society, and Radiological Society of North America.

Christopher Larson, M.D.
Board-certified orthopaedic surgeon Christopher Larson earned his medical degree from the University of Minnesota Medical School-Twin Cities. He completed his orthopaedic residency at the University of North Carolina and an orthopaedic sports medicine fellowship at the Minneapolis Sports Medicine Center in Minneapolis, Minn. In those capacities, he provided medical coverage for the University of North Carolina Tarheels football and soccer programs and the Minnesota Vikings and Minnesota Timberwolves, respectively. He was the orthopedist for the National U.S. versus Canada soccer game in Blaine, Minn., in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

Dr. Larson sees patients at Orthopaedic Consultants in Minneapolis and Minnesota Sports Medicine in Eden Prairie and is co-director of orthopedics at the University of Minnestoa Medical Center, Fairview, in Minneapolis. He serves as Director of Education for the Minnesota Sports Medicine and is Medical Director and Team Physician for Augsburg College, a team physician for the Minnesota State High School League and numerous other schools that include Edina and Eastview high schools. He provides medical coverage for many community sports events, including the U.S.A. Cup Soccer tournaments.

His special orthopaedic interests include knee conditions and he is a published author in numerous peer-reviewed journals on such topics as total joint arthroplasty, orthopaedic basic science and pediatric orthopaedics. Current research interests include knee surgery and agility, hip arthroscopy outcomes and efficacy of allograft

Review Selected Publications

Greg N. Lervick, M.D.
Dr. Lervick specializes in shoulder and elbow conditions and sees patients at Minnesota Sports Medicine-Eden Prairie and at Orthopaedic Consultants-Centennial Lakes in Edina. He earned his medical degree at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, in 1996, and completed his orthopaedic surgery residency there in 2001. His advanced training includes an orthopaedic surgery shoulder fellowship at New York Presbyterian Hospital in New York City, N.Y., in 2002. He is board-certified by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.