David A. DiStefano, MD

David A. DiStefano, MD, is a fellowship trained surgeon specializing in Sports Medicine, Joint Replacement, and Shoulder & Elbow.

A lifelong upstate New Yorker, he was born and raised in Syracuse before graduating Magna Cum Laude from St. Lawrence University, where he made the Dean's List all semesters and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He then received his medical degree from SUNY Upstate Medical University, earning the N. Barry Berg, PhD Scholarship for musculoskeletal medicine. He completed his orthopedic surgery residency at the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY. During his residency, he received multiple awards including the John Goldblatt MD Resident Teaching Award and served as Academic Chief Resident during his final year. He then completed his Shoulder and Elbow fellowship in Denver, Colorado with the University of Colorado and Steadman Hawkins Sports Medicine Clinic, where he was involved in the care of numerous recreational, high school, collegiate, and professional athletes, learning from the physicians who cared for the University of Colorado Football team, Colorado Rapids, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rockies, Colorado Mammoth, and Denver Nuggets. Demonstrating a passion for shoulder and elbow surgery, he obtained additional training with the prestigious Sydney Shoulder Research Institute in Sydney, Australia. He has already published papers in multiple peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, and has presented his research at multiple national and international conferences.

Dr. DiStefano is extensively trained in both arthroscopic and open repair and reconstruction of the shoulder and elbow, including fracture care, tendon and ligament repair and reconstruction, as well as arthroplasty. He has a particular interest in treating shoulder arthritis in both geriatric and nongeriatric patients. He is also skilled in general fracture work and geriatric fracture care. He has trained with expert surgeons across the country, and across the world, with the goal of returning home to Syracuse to treat the honest and hardworking people of Central New York.

Dr. DiStefano emphasizes a patient-centered approach. "As an orthopedic surgeon, I am dedicated to providing individualized patient care, combining the latest advancements in orthopedic surgery with a compassionate, patient-centered approach. Every patient is unique and equally important. I believe in tailoring treatment plans to each patient's specific needs and expectations, prioritizing both nonsurgical management as well as surgical precision and excellence, with the end goal of long-term restoration of function and quality of life. By fostering open communication and ensuring my patients fully understand all of their surgical and nonsurgical options, I am committed to delivering the highest standard of care and achieving the best possible outcomes for each patient."

Practicing Locations

DeWitt-Widewaters, Camillus, Oswego Road, and Airport Business Park.

Education and Training

Education
St. Lawrence University, Canton, NY, Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics, Minor in Chemistry, Magna Cum Laude, 2011-2015
State University of New York Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, Doctor of Medicine, Step 1 257, Step 2 CK 258, 2015-2019

Orthopedic Residency Training
University of Rochester Medical Center, Orthopedic Surgery Residency, 2019-2024

Orthopedic Fellowship Training
University of Colorado, Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Fellowship, Denver, CO, 2024-2025

Further Information About David A. DiStefano, MD

Awards:
John Goldblatt MD Resident Teaching Award, 2024
AO Advanced Resident Course Award, 2023
N. Barry Berg, PhD Scholarship for Musculoskeletal Medicine, 2019
SUNY Upstate Medical Research Summer Fellowship, 2016
Phi Beta Kappa, 2015
Omicron Delta Kappa, 2014
St. Lawrence University Dean’s List, all semesters, 2011 – 2015

Presentations:
Duggal N, DiStefano D. (2017, September 15-17). Surgical decision making for ankle instability. [Poster presentation]. International Ankle Symposium. 7th Conference of the International Ankle Consortium, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.

Mahajan M, DiStefano D, Satalin J, Andrews P, Jain S, Searles Q, Gatto L, Habashi N. (2017, January 21-25). Airway Pressure Release Ventilation Accelerates Mucus Clearance via Increased Expiratory Flow Rate. [Podium presentation]. Critical Care Congress. 46th Annual Conference of the Society of Critical Care Medicine, Honolulu, HI, USA.

Haws B, DiStefano D, Kuhns B, Karnyski S, Ketz J. (2022, March 22-26). Improved Reduction of Posterior Malleolus Fractures with Open Fixation Compared to Percutaneous Treatment. [Podium presentation]. AAOS, Chicago, IL, USA. https://www.aaos.org/annual/education/.

DiStefano D, Karnyski S, Kunz B, Ketz J. (2021, September 22-25). Reduction quality of Open versus Percutaneous Techniques of the Posterior Malleolus. [Poster presentation]. AOFAS Annual Meeting, Charlotte, NC, USA.

Greif DN, Distefano D, Zhang L, Ramirez GA, Kenney RJ, Mannava S, Voloshin I. (2022, October 26-29). Correlation of Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System-Upper Extremity (PROMIS-UE) with American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) Scores in Shoulder Arthroplasty. [Poster presentation]. EOA, Atlantic City, NJ, USA.

DiStefano D, Kenney RJ, Mannava S, Voloshin I. (2022, October 19). A comparison of intraoperative details and postoperative PROMIS scores between stemmed and stemless humeral components in total shoulder arthroplasty. [Poster presentation]. URMC CMSR 12th Annual Symposium, Rochester, NY, USA.

DiStefano D, Park A, Chuka I, Mesfin A. (2023, June 14-17). Academic and demographic characteristics of Shoulder and Elbow Division Chiefs [Poster presentation]. 2023 AOA Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

DiStefano D, Grief D, Kenney RJ, Mannava S, Voloshin I. (2023, September 5-8). A comparison of intraoperative details and postoperative PROMIS scores between stemmed and stemless humeral components in total shoulder arthroplasty. [Poster presentation]. 15th International Congress on Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Rome, Italy.

DiStefano D, Grief D, Kenney RJ, Mannava S, Voloshin I. (2024, June 1). A comparison of intraoperative details and postoperative PROMIS scores between stemmed and stemless humeral components in total shoulder arthroplasty. [Podium presentation]. URMC R. Plato Schwartz Senior Thesis Presentations, Rochester, NY, USA.

Haws B, Karnyski S, DiStefano D, Soin S, Flemister S, Ketz J. (2023, October 18-21). Improved Reduction of Posterior Malleolus Fractures with Open Fixation Compared to Percutaneous Treatment [Poster presentation]. OTA 2023 Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA.

Carroll TJ, Cady-McCrae C, Brodell JD, DiStefano D, Soin S. (2023, October 18-21). Adjunctive Dorsal Spanning Plate Fixation for Challenging Distal Radius Injuries. OTA 2023 Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, USA.

Publications:
Kollisch-Singule M, Jain S, Andrews P, Smith BJ, Hamlington-Smith KL, Roy S, DiStefano D, Nuss E, Satalin J, Meng Q, Marx W, Bates JH, Gatto, LA, Nieman GF, Habashi NM. “Effect of Airway Pressure Release Ventilation on Dynamic Alveolar Heterogeneity.” JAMA Surg 151.1 (2016): 64-72.

Mahajan M, DiStefano D, Satalin J, Andrews P, Jain S, Searles Q, Gatto L, Habashi N. “Airway Pressure Release Ventilation Accelerates Mucus Clearance via Increased Expiratory Flow Rate.” Critical Care Medicine. 44.12 (2016): 321.

Mahajan M, DiStefano D, Satalin J, et al. “Time-controlled adaptive ventilation (TCAV) accelerates simulated mucus clearance via increased expiratory flow rate”. Intensive Care Med Exp. 2019;7(1):27.

DiStefano D, Mannava S. Acromioclavicular joint separation. In: Goldsmith L, editor. VisualDx Visual Clinical Decision Support Tool [online]. Rochester, NY: Logical Images; 2022. Available from: https://www.visualdx.com/visualdx/diagnosis/acromioclavicular+joint+separation?moduleId=101&diagnosisId= 56205.

DiStefano D, Wilbur D. Essex Lopresti fracture. In: Goldsmith L, editor. VisualDx Visual Clinical Decision Support Tool [online]. Rochester, NY: Logical Images; 2022. Available from: https://www.visualdx.com/visualdx/diagnosis/?moduleId=101&diagnosisId=56425.

DiStefano D, Mannava S. Glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD). In: Goldsmith L, editor. VisualDx Visual Clinical Decision Support Tool [online]. Rochester, NY: Logical Images; 2022. In press. Available from: www.visualdx.com.
DiStefano D, Karnyski S, Kuhns B, Haws B, Barra M, Ketz J. (2022). “Reduction Quality of Open versus Percutaneous Techniques for the Posterior Malleolus”. Foot & Ankle Orthopedics, 7(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/2473011421S00179.

Greif DN, Distefano D, Zhang L, Ramirez GA, Kenney RJ, Mannava S, Voloshin I. “Correlation of Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System-Upper Extremity (PROMIS-UE) with American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) Scores in Shoulder Arthroplasty”. Seminars in Arthroplasty: JSES (2022), doi: https://doi.org/10.1053/j.sart.2022.06.003.

Cady-McCrae C, Brodell J, Carroll TJ, Patel U, Dondapati A, DiStefano D, Soin S, Ketz J. “Adjunctive Dorsal Spanning Plate Fixation for Challenging Distal Radius Injuries”. J Orthop. 2024 Mar 8:54:5-9. doi: 10.1016/j.jor.2024.03.003

Proal JD, DiStefano D, Park A, Ikpeze T, Li X, Mesfin A. “Academic and Demographic Characteristics of orthopaedic shoulder and elbow division chiefs in the United States.” Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. 34.1 (2025): 136-140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2024.07.004

Morrey BF, Voloshin I, DiStefano D. “Complications of Elbow Replacement Arthroplasty.” Morrey’s The Elbow and It’s Disorders, in review.

Leadership Experience:
University of Rochester Orthopedic Residency Academic Chief, 2023 – 2024
Nth Dimensions Bioskills Laboratory Leader, 2024
University of Rochester Orthopedic Residency Curriculum Committee Executive, 2022 – 2024
University of Rochester Orthopedic Medical Student Recruitment Committee, 2021 – 2024
Local High School/College Sports Covering Physician, 2021 – 2024
University of Rochester Orthopedic Medical Student Curriculum Laboratory Leader, 2020 – 2024
Medical Student Representative, Onondaga County Medical Society Executive Council, 2018
President, SUNY Upstate COM Student AMA Chapter, 2017
President, SUNY Upstate COM Sports Medicine Club, 2017