Michael Scarcella, MD

Michael J. Scarcella, MD, is an orthopaedic surgeon in the Cleveland Clinic Orthopaedic and Integrated Surgical Institute and Clinical Instructor of Surgery at Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. He also serves as Assistant Program Director of the Cleveland Clinic Orthopaedic Surgery Residency Program, where he is actively involved in the education and training of future orthopaedic surgeons. 

Dr. Scarcella specializes in the operative treatments of shoulder, hip, knee, and sports-related injuries in pediatric, adolescent, and adults. He cares for athletes and active individuals across all levels of activity and competition, including professional, collegiate, high school, and recreational athletes. 

Dr. Scarcella has extensive experience caring for elite and professional athletes. He currently serves as Team Physician for the Cleveland Guardians, Assistant Team Physician for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Team Physician for the NBA G-Leage Cleveland Charge, and Team Physician for Cleveland State University. He also serves as the Team Physician for multiple area high schools including, St. Edwards High School. Through these roles, he provides orthopaedic and sports medicine care to athletes competing at the highest levels while bringing the same approach to the pediatric, adolescent, and adult athletes he treats in his clinical practice. 

A native of Northeast Ohio, Dr. Scarcella graduated from Padua Franciscan High School and completed his undergraduate studies at Baldwin Wallace University. He completed his orthopaedic surgery residency at Cleveland Clinic, training under world leaders in orthopaedic surgery.

Following residency, Dr. Scarcella served four years in the United States Navy as a Lieutenant Commander and Orthopaedic Surgeon. He was stationed at Naval Hospital Bremerton in Washington and served a deployment in Kandahar, Afghanistan. Throughout his active-duty career, he provided operative and non-operative care for active-duty sailors and Marines, veterans, and their dependents returning war fighters and support elements to service. He also completed training in Field Medical Service Officer training with the United States Marines Corps. Dr. Scarcella received several honors during his military service, including the Alfred Award for overall military readiness, Navy Achievement Medal in support of operations in Afghanistan, and Navy Commendation Medal for process improvement to total joint arthroplasty care pathways and development of a multidisciplinary Sports Medicine Clinic. He continues to educate Navy Hospital Corpsmen and Special Operators through the Cleveland Clinic SOCOM training program.

Following completion of his military service, Dr. Scarcella returned to Cleveland and pursued specialized training through the Cleveland Clinic Sports Medicine Fellowship. During his fellowship, he received advanced training in arthroscopic and reconstructive techniques for complex disorders of the shoulder, elbow, hip, knee and other sports-related injuries. He participated in multiple clinical research projects and was lead author on a project that won Best Research Presentation at the Cleveland Clinic Department of Orthopaedic Surgery annual research day.

Upon completion of his fellowship, Dr. Scarcella earned a Certificate of Added Qualification in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine through the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery. He is a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), a diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS), a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and a member of the Society of Military Orthopaedic Surgeons (SOMOS).  He is involved in several multi-center studies related to ACLR, and serves as a site Primary Investigator for two studies.  He is actively involved in ACL research as it pertains to outcomes and individualized outcomes related to female and male athletes.  Additionally, he is involved in outcomes research in hip and shoulder arthroscopy.  He given lectures on ACLR, sex-based outcomes in ACLR, multi ligamentous knee injuries, and shoulder instability..  He continues to actively publish in high level sports medicine journals. 

Dr. Scarcella enjoys spending time with his wife, Sofina, and his children and dog. He enjoys outdoor activities, fitness, and cross-training.