Founder & Owner Atlanta

Phillip R. Langer, MD, MS, FAAOS Experience. Focus. Results.

Phillip R. Langer, MD, MS, FAAOS, is a double board-certified orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine and minimally invasive joint preservation. He completed three advanced fellowships in sports medicine and arthroscopy, complex orthopedic trauma, and hip arthroscopy. His practice emphasizes precise diagnosis, tissue-respecting surgery, restoration of biomechanics, and a durable return to sport, work, and active living.

Phillip R. Langer, MD, MS, FAAOS, Atlanta Sports Medicine Institute
Atlanta Sports Medicine Institute Phillip R. Langer, MD, MS, FAAOS Orthopedic Surgeon & Sports Medicine Specialist
3 Completed three advanced orthopedic fellowships
15+ Authored more than 15 peer-reviewed publications
25+ Delivered more than 25 national and international presentations
Credentials

Training you can verify.

Board certified

Double board-certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine

Fellowship trained

Completed three advanced orthopedic fellowships

Education

Graduated cum laude from the University of Notre Dame; earned an MS in physiology and biophysics and an MD from Georgetown University; completed orthopedic surgery residency at Brown University

Research

Authored more than 15 peer-reviewed publications

Recognition

Named a 2019 Top Orthopedic Surgeon by Georgia Magazine Top Doctors

Named a 2026 Top Physician in Orthopedic Surgery in Palm Beach County by Palm Beach Illustrated

Teaching

Repeatedly selected by peers since 2006 to teach shoulder, hip, and knee surgery at national and international courses

Professional experience

Trusted at the highest levels of sport.

  • Served as an orthopedic surgeon and team physician for the Miami Heat, Atlanta Thrashers, and Atlanta Falcons from 2007 to 2011
  • Since his time on the "sidelines," Dr. Langer treats NFL, NHL, and NBA players, both active and retired.
  • He also serves as a consultant to MLB players regarding elbow injuries.
Miami HeatAtlanta ThrashersAtlanta Falcons
Major League Baseball
The approach

Every movement has a purpose.

Precision first: identify the exact structure involved, protect the tissue that can be preserved, and build the plan around the sport, work, and life you want back. The record below is what that approach stands on.

  • Completed advanced fellowship training in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy
  • Completed advanced fellowship training in Complex Orthopedic Trauma at Brown University's Level I trauma center
  • Completed advanced fellowship training in Hip Arthroscopy with Marc Philippon, MD
  • Nearly two decades of orthopedic surgical practice shaped by professional sports medicine experience
FAQ

Common questions.

Answers to the questions patients ask most before a first visit.

What does a sports medicine physician do?

A sports medicine physician diagnoses and treats injuries of the bones, joints, and soft tissues, and manages the return to activity after those injuries. The work spans nonoperative care, including physical therapy, injections, and activity modification, and surgery when the structure of the joint requires it.

The goal is not only a healed injury but a body that can meet the demands you put on it.

What is the difference between an orthopedic doctor and a sports medicine doctor?

Orthopedics is the surgical specialty for bones, joints, and the soft tissues that connect them. Sports medicine is a focused discipline within it, centered on the injuries that come from sport and activity and on returning patients to performance, not just to comfort.

The two overlap: many sports medicine physicians are orthopedic surgeons who added further training in the injuries active people bring them.

Can I go straight to an orthopedic surgeon?

Often, yes. Whether you need a referral first depends on your insurance plan, not on the practice. Call the number on your insurance card and ask whether a referral is required to see an orthopedic surgeon.

If the answer is unclear, our team can help you work out what your plan requires when you call to schedule.

Patient stories

In their words.