Keith W. Lawhorn, MD

Specialties

Physician assistants / nurse practitioners

OrthoVirginia Offices

Dr. Keith Lawhorn specializes in knees, shoulders, and sports medicine. He is board-certified in orthopedic surgery and has a certificate of added qualification in sports medicine. He has been recognized as a top doctor by numerous local publications and is a team physician for multiple local sports teams. Dr. Lawhorn developed and designed the JuggerStitch™ Meniscal Repair Device and technique, FDA-approved to advance the treatment of arthroscopic meniscal repair surgery.

Read Dr. Lawhorn’s full bio

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for Knee, Shoulder, Sports Medicine

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703-277-2663

Bio

As an avid high school athlete, Dr. Keith Lawhorn sustained a stress fracture of the tibia that required several months of activity modification for healing. This experience stimulated his interest in orthopedics and led to a focus in sports-related orthopedic injury. He graduated with a BA in Chemistry from the University of Virginia where he won the Merck Index Award in recognition of “Top Chemistry Graduate”. He continued his education at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and was named to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed a general surgery internship and orthopedic residency at the Medical College of Virginia.

Dr. Lawhorn served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force for eight years, reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel. His service included three months in Pakistan after 9/11 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, and lead surgeon on a presidential trip to Africa in 2003. In 2004, he received the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding achievement.

Dr. Lawhorn is a leading authority on sports medicine, sharing his expertise nationally and internationally. To date, he has been an invited international speaker on sports medicine topics in Holland, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, England and Japan. He has hosted visiting surgeons from Japan, Korea and Finland who have come to observe and discuss arthroscopic knee ligament, meniscal and shoulder reconstructive surgery. He is the co-author of numerous original scientific articles focusing on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction that appear in peer reviewed research publications and textbook chapters. He has pioneered new surgical techniques on meniscal repair focused on the advancement of arthroscopic techniques utilizing all-suture knotless repair designs. He has completed numerous educational videos on his all-inside meniscal repair technique. He has served on the editorial board of the Arthroscopy Journal from 2005-2010, and is currently a principal peer reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM), a peer reviewer for the Arthroscopy Journal, KSSTA, and the Orthopedic Journal of Sports medicine (OJSM). Dr. Lawhorn also serves as an instructor for the Arthroscopy Association (AANA) and the International Sports Society (ISAKOS) teaching advanced knee and shoulder arthroscopic techniques. He is a member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) and the International Sports Society (ISAKOS).

He shares his expertise locally as well. He was team physician for the Washington Bayhawks (Major League Lacrosse) when they were located in Northern Virginia, and works as an assistant team physician with Loudoun United Soccer Team and with student athletes at Oakton High School in Fairfax and Freedom High School in South Riding.

In his free time, Dr. Lawhorn enjoys golf, circuit training, and downhill skiing. He and his wife Kim have two children and live in Fairfax.

Education & Training

  • Medical College of Virginia, Residency
  • University of Virginia School of Medicine, Medical Degree
  • University of Virginia, Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry

Certifications

  • Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery
  • Certificate of Added Qualification, Sports Medicine

ABOS board certified in orthopedic surgery

Publications

Hospital & Team Affiliations

  • Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
  • Northern Virginia Surgery Center
  • OrthoVirginia Operatory
  • Surgical Specialty Center of Mid-Atlantic
  • Team Physician, Freedom High School
  • Team Physician, Northern Virginia Community College
  • Team Physician, Oakton High School
  • Team Physician, Washington Bayhawks, 2007-2008

Organizations & Awards

  • Voted Top Doctor by Northern Virginia Magazine, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Voted Top Doctor by Washingtonian Magazine, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023
  • Voted Castle Connolly Top Doctor, 2023
  • Voted Top Orthopedic Surgeon by Maryland Magazine, 2020
  • Voted Top Doctor by Virginia Living Magazine, 2018
  • Voted Top Doctor by Washington Consumers Checkbook Magazine, 2015
  • Member of the Arthroscopy Journal Editorial Board 2021-2025
  • Given a Certificate of Reviewer Appreciation by the American Journal of Sports Medicine for the completion of 5 manuscript reviews, 2018
  • Named principle reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018
  • Study published in The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, August 2012
  • Co-wrote Chapter 74: “Hamstring Tendon Autograft for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction” in Surgical Techniques of the Shoulder, Elbow, and Knee in Sports Medicine – Second Edition
  • Runner-up Reviewer of the Year, Arthroscopy Journal
  • United States Air Force Commendation Medal, 2000
  • Certificate of Merit Award for a Scientific Exhibit at the Radiological Society of North America meeting, 1999
  • Distinguished Graduate Military Indoctrination Medical Service Officer Course, 1996
  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
  • American Orthopaeidc Society for Sports Medicine
  • Arthroscopy Association of North America
  • Medical Society of Virginia
  • Alpha Omega Alpha
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Alpha Epsilon Delta
  • U.S. Air Force Meritorious Service Medal
  • University of Virginia Echols Scholar
  • Courtland High School Valedictorian

Patient Testimonials

“An MRI after a visit to Dr. Lawhorn showed a catastrophic injury – a medial meniscus root tear. Dr. Lawhorn advised doing the repair well before the 1 year mark so that arthritis would not set in. He explained that he was patenting a new technology to make my type of repair easier for surgeons to do since accessing the root of the medial meniscus was challenging in the tiny knee space….At the 1 year mark (September 2019) I could run up to 3 miles and my knee felt 90-95% like the other knee. I was happy with this result, but Dr. Lawhorn said that I could expect even more improvement over the next year. He was right. By winter [2020], [I was] running 5-7 miles a day and my knee improved even more, now feeling 100% like the other knee. Thank you Dr. Lawhorn!” – Mary Read Mary’s full story on the blog

Treatments

  • Achilles tendon rupture and tendonitis surgeries
  • ACL reconstruction surgery
  • Acromioplasty
  • Ankle arthroscopy
  • Ankle sprain and fracture surgeries
  • Arthroscopic knee reconstruction
  • Arthroscopic meniscectomy and meniscal repair
  • Arthroscopic rotator cuff
  • Arthroscopic shoulder reconstruction
  • Athlete’s foot treatment
  • Autograft (UCL tear)
  • Biceps tendon reinsertion
  • Biceps tendon rupture surgery
  • Biceps tenodesis
  • Bilateral knee replacement
  • Bony stress reactions/stress fractures surgery
  • Broken collarbone surgery
  • Bursitis/impingement surgery
  • Cartilage injury treatments
  • Cartilage reconstruction procedures
  • Cartilage restoration
  • Closed reduction (elbow)
  • Closed reduction (finger)
  • Closed reduction (shoulder)
  • Closed reduction (sternoclavicula joint)
  • Computer assisted total knee arthroplasty
  • Computer navigated joint replacement
  • Elbow arthritis surgery
  • Elbow arthroscopy
  • Elbow surgery
  • Fixation of pathologic fractures
  • Geriatric orthopedics – fragility fracture care
  • Hand fracture surgery
  • Impingement – rotator cuff tendonitis
  • Knee ligament reconstruction
  • Labrum surgery
  • Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) repair/reconstruction
  • Little League elbow treatment
  • Little League shoulder treatment
  • Loose bodies/spurs surgery (knee)
  • Meniscal tear surgeries
  • Meniscal transplant surgery
  • Minimally invasive total knee replacement
  • Non-operative anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury treatment
  • Non-operative Bankart lesion treatment
  • Non-operative biceps tendon rupture treatment
  • Non-operative bony stress reactions/stress fractures treatment
  • Non-operative broken collar bone treatment
  • Non-operative bursitis/impingement treatment
  • Non-operative elbow bursitis treatment
  • Non-operative elbow spur treatment
  • Non-operative golfer’s elbow treatment
  • Non-operative knee arthritis treatment
  • Non-operative labral tear treatment
  • Non-operative lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury treatment
  • Non-operative medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury treatment
  • Non-operative mensical tear treatment
  • Non-operative muscle strain treatment
  • Non-operative olceranon fracture treatment
  • Non-operative patellar tendonitis treatment
  • Non-operative posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury treatment
  • Non-operative radial head fracture treatment
  • Non-operative rotator cuff tear treatment
  • Non-operative runner’s knee (chondromalacia patella) treatment
  • Non-operative shoulder arthritis treatment
  • Non-operative shoulder instability treatment
  • Non-operative shoulder separation treatment
  • Non-operative superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesion tear treatment
  • Non-operative tennis elbow – lateral epicondylitis treatment
  • Non-operative throwing injury treatment
  • Non-operative ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) treatment
  • Olceranon fracture surgery
  • Open shoulder reconstruction
  • Orthopedic trauma surgery
  • Osteoarthritis treatment
  • Partial (unicondylar) knee replacement
  • Patellofemoral knee replacement
  • Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction
  • Post-surgical problem fractures – nonunion and malunion treatments
  • Radial head fracture surgeries
  • Reverse total shoulder replacement
  • Robotic arm assisted joint replacement
  • Robotic arm assisted knee replacement (Makoplasty)
  • Rotator cuff repair
  • Shin splints treatment
  • Shoulder arthritis surgeries
  • Shoulder arthroscopy
  • Shoulder impingement syndrome treatment
  • Shoulder instability surgery
  • Shoulder replacement surgery
  • Shoulder separation surgery
  • Sprain and strain treatment
  • Superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesion tear surgery
  • Tennis elbow – lateral epicondylitis surgery
  • Throwing injury surgeries
  • Total joint replacement
  • Total knee replacement
  • Wrist fracture surgery

Video: Get to Know Dr. Lawhorn

Video: Technological Advances in Sports Medicine Knee and Shoulder Surgery

As an avid high school athlete, Dr. Keith Lawhorn sustained a stress fracture of the tibia that required several months of activity modification for healing. This experience stimulated his interest in orthopedics and led to a focus in sports-related orthopedic injury. He graduated with a BA in Chemistry from the University of Virginia where he won the Merck Index Award in recognition of “Top Chemistry Graduate”. He continued his education at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and was named to Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed a general surgery internship and orthopedic residency at the Medical College of Virginia.

Dr. Lawhorn served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force for eight years, reaching the rank of Lt. Colonel. His service included three months in Pakistan after 9/11 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, and lead surgeon on a presidential trip to Africa in 2003. In 2004, he received the Meritorious Service Medal for outstanding achievement.

Dr. Lawhorn is a leading authority on sports medicine, sharing his expertise nationally and internationally. To date, he has been an invited international speaker on sports medicine topics in Holland, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, England and Japan. He has hosted visiting surgeons from Japan, Korea and Finland who have come to observe and discuss arthroscopic knee ligament, meniscal and shoulder reconstructive surgery. He is the co-author of numerous original scientific articles focusing on anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction that appear in peer reviewed research publications and textbook chapters. He has pioneered new surgical techniques on meniscal repair focused on the advancement of arthroscopic techniques utilizing all-suture knotless repair designs. He has completed numerous educational videos on his all-inside meniscal repair technique. He has served on the editorial board of the Arthroscopy Journal from 2005-2010, and is currently a principal peer reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine (AJSM), a peer reviewer for the Arthroscopy Journal, KSSTA, and the Orthopedic Journal of Sports medicine (OJSM). Dr. Lawhorn also serves as an instructor for the Arthroscopy Association (AANA) and the International Sports Society (ISAKOS) teaching advanced knee and shoulder arthroscopic techniques. He is a member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) and the International Sports Society (ISAKOS).

He shares his expertise locally as well. He was team physician for the Washington Bayhawks (Major League Lacrosse) when they were located in Northern Virginia, and works as an assistant team physician with Loudoun United Soccer Team and with student athletes at Oakton High School in Fairfax and Freedom High School in South Riding.

In his free time, Dr. Lawhorn enjoys golf, circuit training, and downhill skiing. He and his wife Kim have two children and live in Fairfax.

  • Medical College of Virginia, Residency
  • University of Virginia School of Medicine, Medical Degree
  • University of Virginia, Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry

Certifications

  • Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery
  • Certificate of Added Qualification, Sports Medicine

ABOS board certified in orthopedic surgery

Publications

  • Inova Fair Oaks Hospital
  • Northern Virginia Surgery Center
  • OrthoVirginia Operatory
  • Surgical Specialty Center of Mid-Atlantic
  • Team Physician, Freedom High School
  • Team Physician, Northern Virginia Community College
  • Team Physician, Oakton High School
  • Team Physician, Washington Bayhawks, 2007-2008

  • Voted Top Doctor by Northern Virginia Magazine, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
  • Voted Top Doctor by Washingtonian Magazine, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023
  • Voted Castle Connolly Top Doctor, 2023
  • Voted Top Orthopedic Surgeon by Maryland Magazine, 2020
  • Voted Top Doctor by Virginia Living Magazine, 2018
  • Voted Top Doctor by Washington Consumers Checkbook Magazine, 2015
  • Member of the Arthroscopy Journal Editorial Board 2021-2025
  • Given a Certificate of Reviewer Appreciation by the American Journal of Sports Medicine for the completion of 5 manuscript reviews, 2018
  • Named principle reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018
  • Study published in The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, August 2012
  • Co-wrote Chapter 74: “Hamstring Tendon Autograft for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction” in Surgical Techniques of the Shoulder, Elbow, and Knee in Sports Medicine – Second Edition
  • Runner-up Reviewer of the Year, Arthroscopy Journal
  • United States Air Force Commendation Medal, 2000
  • Certificate of Merit Award for a Scientific Exhibit at the Radiological Society of North America meeting, 1999
  • Distinguished Graduate Military Indoctrination Medical Service Officer Course, 1996
  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
  • American Orthopaeidc Society for Sports Medicine
  • Arthroscopy Association of North America
  • Medical Society of Virginia
  • Alpha Omega Alpha
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Alpha Epsilon Delta
  • U.S. Air Force Meritorious Service Medal
  • University of Virginia Echols Scholar
  • Courtland High School Valedictorian

“An MRI after a visit to Dr. Lawhorn showed a catastrophic injury – a medial meniscus root tear. Dr. Lawhorn advised doing the repair well before the 1 year mark so that arthritis would not set in. He explained that he was patenting a new technology to make my type of repair easier for surgeons to do since accessing the root of the medial meniscus was challenging in the tiny knee space….At the 1 year mark (September 2019) I could run up to 3 miles and my knee felt 90-95% like the other knee. I was happy with this result, but Dr. Lawhorn said that I could expect even more improvement over the next year. He was right. By winter [2020], [I was] running 5-7 miles a day and my knee improved even more, now feeling 100% like the other knee. Thank you Dr. Lawhorn!” – Mary Read Mary’s full story on the blog

  • Achilles tendon rupture and tendonitis surgeries
  • ACL reconstruction surgery
  • Acromioplasty
  • Ankle arthroscopy
  • Ankle sprain and fracture surgeries
  • Arthroscopic knee reconstruction
  • Arthroscopic meniscectomy and meniscal repair
  • Arthroscopic rotator cuff
  • Arthroscopic shoulder reconstruction
  • Athlete’s foot treatment
  • Autograft (UCL tear)
  • Biceps tendon reinsertion
  • Biceps tendon rupture surgery
  • Biceps tenodesis
  • Bilateral knee replacement
  • Bony stress reactions/stress fractures surgery
  • Broken collarbone surgery
  • Bursitis/impingement surgery
  • Cartilage injury treatments
  • Cartilage reconstruction procedures
  • Cartilage restoration
  • Closed reduction (elbow)
  • Closed reduction (finger)
  • Closed reduction (shoulder)
  • Closed reduction (sternoclavicula joint)
  • Computer assisted total knee arthroplasty
  • Computer navigated joint replacement
  • Elbow arthritis surgery
  • Elbow arthroscopy
  • Elbow surgery
  • Fixation of pathologic fractures
  • Geriatric orthopedics – fragility fracture care
  • Hand fracture surgery
  • Impingement – rotator cuff tendonitis
  • Knee ligament reconstruction
  • Labrum surgery
  • Lateral collateral ligament (LCL) repair/reconstruction
  • Little League elbow treatment
  • Little League shoulder treatment
  • Loose bodies/spurs surgery (knee)
  • Meniscal tear surgeries
  • Meniscal transplant surgery
  • Minimally invasive total knee replacement
  • Non-operative anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury treatment
  • Non-operative Bankart lesion treatment
  • Non-operative biceps tendon rupture treatment
  • Non-operative bony stress reactions/stress fractures treatment
  • Non-operative broken collar bone treatment
  • Non-operative bursitis/impingement treatment
  • Non-operative elbow bursitis treatment
  • Non-operative elbow spur treatment
  • Non-operative golfer’s elbow treatment
  • Non-operative knee arthritis treatment
  • Non-operative labral tear treatment
  • Non-operative lateral collateral ligament (LCL) injury treatment
  • Non-operative medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury treatment
  • Non-operative mensical tear treatment
  • Non-operative muscle strain treatment
  • Non-operative olceranon fracture treatment
  • Non-operative patellar tendonitis treatment
  • Non-operative posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury treatment
  • Non-operative radial head fracture treatment
  • Non-operative rotator cuff tear treatment
  • Non-operative runner’s knee (chondromalacia patella) treatment
  • Non-operative shoulder arthritis treatment
  • Non-operative shoulder instability treatment
  • Non-operative shoulder separation treatment
  • Non-operative superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesion tear treatment
  • Non-operative tennis elbow – lateral epicondylitis treatment
  • Non-operative throwing injury treatment
  • Non-operative ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) treatment
  • Olceranon fracture surgery
  • Open shoulder reconstruction
  • Orthopedic trauma surgery
  • Osteoarthritis treatment
  • Partial (unicondylar) knee replacement
  • Patellofemoral knee replacement
  • Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction
  • Post-surgical problem fractures – nonunion and malunion treatments
  • Radial head fracture surgeries
  • Reverse total shoulder replacement
  • Robotic arm assisted joint replacement
  • Robotic arm assisted knee replacement (Makoplasty)
  • Rotator cuff repair
  • Shin splints treatment
  • Shoulder arthritis surgeries
  • Shoulder arthroscopy
  • Shoulder impingement syndrome treatment
  • Shoulder instability surgery
  • Shoulder replacement surgery
  • Shoulder separation surgery
  • Sprain and strain treatment
  • Superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesion tear surgery
  • Tennis elbow – lateral epicondylitis surgery
  • Throwing injury surgeries
  • Total joint replacement
  • Total knee replacement
  • Wrist fracture surgery

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Dr. Lawhorn's Full Website