A native North Carolinian, Dr. Matt Crawford is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in adult and adolescent sports medicine injuries and cartilage restoration. As a former national champion soccer player at UNC and Major League Soccer player, Dr. Crawford understands the demands on and needs of a range of athletes and patients.
Dr. Crawford received his bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, graduating Phi Beta Kappa. He was a member of the UNC soccer team and won both an NCAA and ACC Championship while also serving as a team captain. He was named a 1st Team Academic All-American and received the Patterson Medal for UNC’s most outstanding student-athlete. After college, he played professional soccer with Major League Soccer’s Colorado Rapids before a series of injuries and surgeries led him to medical school.
Dr. Crawford graduated from the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and completed orthopedic surgery residency at Duke University. He then completed a sports medicine fellowship at the prestigious Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, Colorado.
He serves as a staff physician for US Soccer and the US Ski and Snowboard Association, traveling around the world to provide care for some of the world’s top athletes. He has also has provided care for many high school and NCAA athletic teams, including Duke basketball, soccer, volleyball, and football. Dr. Crawford’s personal experience with injury, surgery, and rehab while playing professional soccer provides perspective and motivation to help patients return to whatever their passion may be.
