Massachusetts General Hospital

Biography

After graduating Phi Beta Kappa and Magna Cum Laude in Biology from Harvard College, Dr. Thomas Gill received his MD from Harvard Medical School. He completed his training in orthopaedic surgery at the Harvard Combined Orthopaedic Residency Program. After graduating, Dr. Gill was awarded the Maurice E. Muller Scholarship to study reconstructive surgery in Bern, Switzerland and other European academic centers. He completed his fellowship training in Sports Medicine and Shoulder Surgery at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado.

Dr. Gill is an Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School. He has served as Chief of the MGH Sports Medicine Service and Director of the Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. Dr. Gill serves as the Medical Director for the New England Patriots, Team Physician for the Boston Bruins and previously was the Medical Director for the Boston Red Sox. He has been named to the "Top 1% of Doctors in America" and consistently is listed among the "Best Doctors in America" and "Best of Boston" physicians.

Dr. Gill is Director of Research for the Sports Medicine Service, has published over 140 peer-reviewed manuscripts and edited two text books in knee and shoulder surgery. He has received multiple research awards, including the prestigious Excellence in Research Award, Aircast Award, O'Donoghue Award and Hughston Award from the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine. He is a fellow of the American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, a member of the American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine, and a member of the Team Physician Societies of the NFL and the NHL. His work is recognized both nationally and internationally. He has been elected to the Herodicus Society, the honor society for Sports Medicine surgeons, and the American Orthopedic Association.

Research

Dr. Gill has a particular interest in biomechanics of the knee and shoulder, as well as tissue engineering techniques for joint preservation and cartilage repair in the knee. Dr. Gill is Co-Director of the MGH Orthopedic Bioengineering Laboratory, where he has helped to establish a robotic and cadaveric study protocol designed to investigate the biomechanical consequences of ligament injuries in the knee. His primary focus is to determine the effects of injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in the knee. More importantly, he studies the effects of subsequent ACL and PCL reconstruction on knee joint function and the potential for future arthritis, with a goal to determine whether such degenerative changes can be prevented through different surgical reconstructive techniques.

Dr. Gill plans to extend the use of the robot model to the shoulder joint in an effort to study the biomechanics of the throwing motion. He has collaborated on the establishment of the first, live, 3-dimensional imaging system using fluoroscan, dynamic MRI and computer modeling that has enabled him to directly evaluate the degree of function in an injured joint and actual restoration of function after surgical repair. Most recently, Dr. Gill has helped to build a pioneering, new Sports Performance Analysis Center at Patriot Place in Foxborough to study both healthy and injured athletes of all levels while performing their sports, such as pitching, swinging a golf club, or kicking a soccer ball. The goal of this technology is to improve an athlete's function and performance.

Dr. Gill's second research focus is tissue engineering. He is currently studying the use of cell-seeded biologic scaffolds to perform cartilage repairs in the knee. Many of these repairs have not been previously possible without such biologic engineering. The goal of these studies is to help preserve joints, and prevent the need for total joint replacements.

PublicationsBook: Complications of Shoulder Surgery, Edited by Gill TJ and Hawkins RJ. Lippincott, 2006
Book: Knee Arthroscopy Techniques, Edited by Gill TJ. Slack, 2009

Knee:

Gill TJ. The Treatment of Articular Cartilage Defects using Microfracture and Debridement. Am J Knee Surg 2000;13:33-40.

Gill TJ, DeFrate L, Wang C, Carey CT, Zayontz S, Zarins B, Li G. Biomechanical effect of posterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on knee joint function - Kinematic response to simulated muscle loads. Am J Sports Med, 2003;31:530-536.

Gadikota H, Kozanek M, Seon JK, Oh L, Gill TJ, Montgomery K, Li G. Biomechanical comparison of Single Tunnel-Double Bundle and Single Bundle Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstructions. Am J Sports Med 2009.

Weinand C, Peretti GM, Adams SB, Bonassar L, Randolph MA, Gill TJ. An Allogeneic Cell-based Implant for Meniscus Lesions. Am J Sports Med 2006;34:1779-1789.

Shoulder:

Dutcheshen NT, Reinold MM, Gill TJ. Superior Labrum Anterior Posterior Lesions in the Overhead Athlete: Current Options for Treatment. Operative Tech Sports Med 2007;15:96-104.

Warner JP, Gill TJ, Millett PJ, Pathare N, O'Holleran J. Anatomic Reconstruction of the Glenoid for Recurrent Shoulder Instability. Am J Sports Med 2006;34:205-212.

Werner SL, Gill TJ, Hawkins RJ, Murray TA, Cook TD. Relationships between throwing mechanics and shoulder distraction in professional baseball pitchers. Am J Sports Med 2001;29:354-358.

Collaborating for a new health care center

MGH's Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Services at the new Brigham and Women's/Mass General Health Care Center at Patriot Place, a multispecialty ambulatory health care center in Foxboro, opened Feb. 2

Athletes and concussions: Knowing the ImPACT

Concussions are common injuries in young athletes. Despite the inherent dangers, however, they often go undiagnosed. To better monitor and enable proper treatment of concussions, staff at the Sports Medicine Service at Mass General are sponsoring new, innovative diagnostic software known as "ImPACT."

Young Pitchers and Injuries: Throwing Overboard

Athletes, even Little Leaguers, are often accustomed to expecting some type of injury or discomfort from their sport, but that doesn’t have to be the case. Physicians at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Sports Medicine Service explore how trauma injuries—like strains, sprains and overuse—can be avoided.

MGH honors pioneer in arthroscopic surgery

MGH Hotline 07.02.10 Dinesh G. Patel, MD, chief of MGH Arthroscopic Surgery, is widely recognized as a world pioneer in the field of arthroscopic surgery -- a minimally invasive procedure that uses an endoscope and specially designed surgical instruments to examine and treat damage to a joint.

Sports medicine experience

MGH Hotline 08.06.10 Only weeks after the dedication of the Dinesh G. Patel, MD, Arthroscopy Learning Laboratory, the lab’s resources are already being put to good use.

MGH hosts president of Latvia

MGH Hotline 10.08.10 Hundreds of clinical and research fellows train at the MGH each year and go on to achieve great things in their careers. One former fellow, who trained in the MGH Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in the early 1990s, is the current President of the Republic of Latvia Valdis Zatlers.

Racing for the cure

MGH Hotline 10.08.10 Nearly 6,000 runners and walkers participated in the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Boston on Sept. 25.