Dr. Thomas Loughran, MD

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Get to know Orthopaedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine Specialist Dr. Thomas Loughran, who serves patients in Richmond, Virginia.

Dr. Loughran is a board-certified orthopaedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist whose clinical interests include complex knee and shoulder ligament reconstruction, arthroscopic shoulder stabilization and rotator cuff repair, arthroscopic meniscal repair and meniscal transplantation, cartilage regeneration procedures, hip arthroscopic labral repair and impingement procedures, ankle arthroscopy and ligament reconstruction, as well as compartment syndrome evaluations.

He is currently serving patients at Virginia Commonwealth University, a Professor in the  Department of Orthopaedic Surgery in Richmond, Virginia. Virginia Commonwealth University Department of Orthopaedic Surgery has been ranked among the Nation’s Top 50 Hospitals for Orthopaedic Care in U.S. News & World Report, and is the major trauma center for Central Virginia. The surgeons and residents practice out of five sites in the Richmond area, providing top-quality care. They offer treatments in the following specialty areas: adult reconstruction, foot and ankle, general orthopaedics, hand/microsurgery, orthopaedic oncology, osteoporosis/metabolic bone, pediatric ortho, podiatry, shoulder/elbow, spine, sports medicine, and trauma.

For more than 30 years, Dr. Loughran has served as a team physician for Virginia Commonwealth University Athletics and Virginia Union University Athletics. Additionally, he has served as a team physician for Virginia State University Athletics, Richard Bland College Athletics, Longwood University Athletics, VCU Club Sports, Maggie Walker Governor’s School, Varina High School, Goodwill Games, and Richmond Flying Squirrels. 

In 1977, he earned his Medical Degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond. He then went on to complete his internship at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida, followed by his residency at VCU Medical Center and his fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Thereafter, the doctor became board-certified in orthopaedic surgery and orthopaedic sports medicine by the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, an organization with the goal of establishing educational and professional standards for orthopaedic residents and surgeons, as well as evaluating the qualifications and competence of orthopaedic surgeons. It is a member of the American Board of Medical Specialties. 

Among Dr. Loughran’s many professional affiliations, he is a member of the Arthroscopy Association of North America, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons,  founding member Orthopaedic Trauma Association, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and the Richmond Orthopaedic Society. He is also an orthopaedic consultant for the Society of Sports Therapy in the United Kingdom.

Orthopaedic surgery or orthopaedics, is the branch of surgery that deals with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. An orthopaedic surgeon offers care to patients suffering from problems associated with the joints, bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments. They perform surgeries to address trauma, injuries, tumors, infections, and other conditions that require surgical intervention. 

Sports medicine is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of injuries due to athletic activity. Sports medicine specialists are either Orthopaedic surgeons or primary care physicians who prescribe treatments for professional and amateur athletes. They are trained to address issues associated with nutrition, sports psychology, and substance abuse. They may also counsel athletes on injury prevention.

Throughout his extensive career, Dr. Loughran has earned many honors and awards, including being elected into Virginia Union University Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 and VCU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2010, as well as being named MCV Hospitals’ Clinical Physician of the Year in 2008, Top Docs in U.S. News & World Report in 2011and 2012, and “Top Doc” in Sports Medicine by the Richmond Magazine. 

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