Corinna Franklin, MD, is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in pediatric and adolescent sports medicine, with a particular interest in female athletes. She also cares for young patients with neuromuscular disorders, including cerebral palsy, and fractures.
As a clinician, Dr. Franklin makes listening to her patients a priority, whatever their injury or condition happens to be. “Every patient and family is different, and there may be complicating or mitigating factors that you won’t know about if you don’t take the time to listen and ask,” she says. She makes a special effort to make sure nonbinary and transgender athletes feel comfortable. “I want them to know that I am very happy to help everyone meet their athletic goals.”
Dr. Franklin was in medical school when she decided to pursue orthopaedics. “All the orthopaedic surgeons I worked with seemed happy and fulfilled. They felt they’d had a good career and made an impact in patients’ lives,” she says. “It’s also a constantly evolving field. It’s never static. We’re always coming up with new ways to solve problems.”
Working with athletes is especially rewarding, says Dr. Franklin, a runner herself, because “no one is more eager to get better than an athlete who wants to get back on the field.” This can mean high expectations for both doctor and patient to do their best, she adds, and it’s a pleasure when the care and healing get patients back to doing whatever it is they love.
In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Franklin is interested in research, especially in sex-based differences between male and female athletes, the biomechanics of sports injury risk, and recovery from sports injuries.
