Nicolas Piuzzi, MD
Hip and Knee Orthopedic SurgeryReconstructive Orthopedic Surgery
Highlights
Age Groups Seen
- Adult
Languages
- Spanish
- French
- English
Gender
MaleAbout Nicolas Piuzzi
Title
Cleveland Clinic Adult Reconstruction Research (CCARR) Director; Musculoskeletal Research Center (MSRC) Co-Director
Biography
Dr. Piuzzi is an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in adult joint reconstruction at Cleveland Clinic and currently serve as Cleveland Clinic Adult Joint Reconstruction Research (CCARR) Director. As an orthopedic clinician-scientist his expertise is in primary and revision total hip and knee procedures for the treatment of osteoarthritis, osteonecrosis, arthrofibrosis, osteolysis, periprosthetic infections and periprosthetic fractures. As such, his research is directly translational to his clinical practice, reinforcing the clinician-scientist role. He is committed to the development and optimization of strategies for preservation, repair, regeneration, augmentation or replacement of musculoskeletal tissues. Dr Piuzzi vision is to advance patient care through Evidence-Based Orthopaedic Surgery and Personalized Medicine.
As Staff Surgeon at Cleveland Clinic (CC) Adult Joint Reconstructive Surgery Center he routinely perform 400+ surgeries per year. As Director of Cleveland Clinic Adult Reconstruction Research (CCARR), he was granted 40% dedicated time to coordinate and lead the CC Joints Clinical Research Program, a world leader team in arthroplasty research that incorporates translational and clinical research. As one of the largest and more productive Joints research groups in the United States, it has a total annual research expenditures exceeding $1-2 million from several funding sources and a staff team comprised of: 1 Program Manager; 1 Data Analyst, 4 Research Coordinators, and 1 Associate Staff (PhD), in addition to Research Fellows and medical students. Altogether the group publishes 100+ Peer-Reviewed manuscripts per year, and is actively conducting 10+ Clinical trials.
Along with his commitment to providing outstanding patient care and performing high quality impactful research, Dr. Piuzzi believes strongly in the importance of advancing the field of orthopaedics through involvement in leadership, advocacy, and education, and is actively involved in mentoring medical students, residents, and fellows. He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), International Society for Cellular Therapy (ISCT), and American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons (AAHKS) among others. He serves in the ORS Clinical Research Committee, AAOS American Joint Replacement Registry Young Committee, AAHKS Research Committee, and ISCT Musculoskeletal Committee. He has published over 375 peer-reviewed articles, presented in multiple national and international meetings, and won multiple awards including the 2018 AAOS/OREF/ORS Clinician Scholar Career Development Program Award and 2020 OREF/Current Concepts in Joint Replacement (CCJR) Clinical Practice Award. He currently serves as Associate Editor in the Journal of Knee Surgery and Journal of Hip Surgery, as well as reviewer in numerous prestigious Journals.
In 2016, Dr. Piuzzi completed his 5-year in Orthopaedic surgery Residency at the prestigious Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires (which was funded on 1872, and its Orthopaedic Surgery Department began on 1926 promoted by Dr.Vittorio Putti famous Italian orthopaedic surgeon, promoter of modern orthopaedic, who devoted his life to the Bologna's world renowned Rizzoli Orthopaedic Institute). Dr Piuzzi later completed a 2-year orthopaedic surgery fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic on Orthopaedic Regenerative Medicine and Cellular Therapies Clinical Scholar/Fellowship which combined Adult joint reconstructive surgery with the application of biological therapies to the treatment of disorders of bone & joint.
If you are interested to learn more, or contribute to the Cleveland Clinic Adult Reconstruction Research (CCARR) Program please contact piuzzin@ccf.org
Education & Board Certifications
Education
- Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic, 2018
- Residency: Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires , 2016
- Medical Education: Universidad del Salvador, 2010
Professional Highlights
- Associate Professor in the Department of Surgery in the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western Reserve University
- Cleveland Clinic Musculoskeletal Research Center (MSRC) Co-Director
- Associate Editor Journal of Knee Surgery
- Associate Editor Journal of Hip Surgery
Awards
- 2010 Honor Graduation – Medical Doctor (GPA: 8.90/10) (3rd highest GPA) UNIVERSIDAD DEL SALVADOR, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2010
- First place Award - XIV Research meeting Universidad del Salvador for study titled: “Anatomic variations of the popliteal artery and its collaterals”, Buenos Aires Argentina, 2010
- 2012 Accésit Award - XVII Residents Session at the A.A.O.T Orthopedic Argentine Annual meeting Annual Meeting: Awarded for study titled: “Arthroscopic repair of Bankart lesion in athletes”, Buenos Aires, Argentina. December 2-5, 2012
- 2013 Special Mention - Menção especial para o trabalho – Tema Livre Oral – XIX Shoulder and Elbow Latin American meeting. Awarded for study titled: “Non-surgical functional treatment for displaced olecranon fractures in the elderly”, Natal, Brazil. October 24-26, 2013
- First Place Award POSTER - XIX Congreso de la Asociación del Trauma Ortopedico. [XIX Argentinian Trauma Association Annual meeting]
- Awarded for study titled:\"Penetration in the anterolateral cortical in proximal femur fractures treated with short intramedullary nails: Two Case Report”, Buenos Aires, Argentina. October 17-19, 2013
- First Place Award Oral Presentation 39th Argentinian Hand Association Annual Meeting – [Asociación Argentina de Cirugía de la Mano. 39 Congreso Argentino de Cirugía de la Mano.] For the study titled: “Non-surgical functional treatment for displaced olecranon fractures in the elderly”, San Luis, Argentina October 13, 2013
- 2014 Annual Award Laboratorio Bagó – for the study titled: “Therapeutic modification of the natural history of osteoarthritis, role of supplements” 51º A.A.O.T.: Orthopedic Argentine Annual meeting - Buenos Aires, Argentina. December 10, 2014
- 2015 First Place Paper Award - Residents Session of the 52º A.A.O.T. Orthopedic Argentine Annual meeting: For study titled: “Clinical and radiological outcomes comparison between total ankle arthroplasty and total ankle arthrodesis for the treatment of posttraumatic ankle osteoarthritis” Buenos Aires, Argentina. December 1-5, 2015
- AAOS/ORS Biologic Treatments of Orthopaedic Injuries (BTOI) research symposium
- Selected to participate as a Young Investigator in the symposium November 5-7, 2015, in Rosemont, IL
- 2016 Leading article J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2016 Sep 21;98(18):1511-21: Intra-Articular Cellular Therapy for Osteoarthritis and Focal Cartilage Defects of the Knee: A Systematic Review of the Literature and Study Quality Analysis. (doi: 10.2106/JBJS.15.01495.) Piuzzi NS*, Chahla J,* Mitchell JJ, Dean CS, Pascual-Garrido C, LaPrade RF, Muschler GF. (*First co-authors)
- 2017 Young Entrepreneur Award, AAOS/ORS Translating Orthopaedic Technologies into Clinical Practice: Pathways from Novel Idea to Improvements in Standard of Care Research Symposium, Rosemont, IL, May 2017
- 2017 recipient of the Best Poster Award in \"Complications Not Including Infection\" category for the poster entitled “Low-Dose Aspirin has Non-Inferior Chemoprophylactic Effect on Venous Thromboembolism after Total Knee Arthroplasty” and presented at the 2017 AAHKS Annual Meeting in Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas, TX, November 2-5, 2017
- 2017 Blue Ribbon Article Award Winner (November/December 2017) Factors Influencing Patients’ Hospital Rating After Total Joint Arthroplasty by Jaydev B. Mistry, MD; Chukwuweike U. Gwam, MD; Morad Chughtai, MD; Anton Khlopas, MD; Prem Ramkumar, MD; Nicolas S. Piuzzi, MD; George Muschler, MD; Steven F. Harwin, MD; Michael A. Mont, MD; Ronald E. Delanois, MD
- 2018
- AAOS Optimizing Clinical Use of Biologics in Orthopaedic Surgery. Selected to participate as a Young Investigator in the symposium February 15-17, 2018, in Stanford, 2018
- AAOS/OREF/ORS Clinician Scholar Career Development Program Award-Rosemont, IL - September 27-29, 2018
- 2019 Best Poster Award in \"Primary Total Hip Arthroplasty\" category for the poster entitled “No Clinically Meaningful Difference in 1-Year Patient-Recorded Outcomes Among Major Approaches for primary Total Hip Arthroplasty” and presented at the 2019 AAHKS Annual Meeting in Hilton Anatole Hotel, Dallas, TX, November 2019
- 2020 OREF/Current Concepts in Joint Replacement (CCJR) Clinical Practice Award: “Developing a Personalized Outcome Prediction Tool for Knee Arthroplasty” Nicolas S. Piuzzi, MD
- 2022 ORS Strategies in Clinical Research Section 500 Award in recognition to outstanding quality and scientific achievement at ORS 2022 Annual Meeting to Presentation #217: \"Combination of Preoperative PROMs Phenotypes (Pain, Function, and Mental Health) Predicts Outcomes After Total Knee Arthroplasty\" Nicolas S. Piuzzi, MD
Innovations & Patents
Research & Publications
See publications for this provider. (Disclaimer: This search is powered by PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine. PubMed is a third-party website with no affiliation with Cleveland Clinic.)
Industry Relationships
Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists collaborate with industry to advance medical breakthroughs. These partnerships help commercialize discoveries for public benefit while maintaining scientific integrity. To ensure transparency and minimize potential bias, Cleveland Clinic reviews these relationships and publicly discloses when physicians/scientists receive significant compensation for consulting, serve in fiduciary roles, receive royalties, or hold equity interests related to their work. We manage potential conflicts through approval processes, annual reporting, and targeted management plans.
As of 2025-11-04, Dr. Piuzzi has reported the financial relationships with the companies listed below.
Consulting and/or Speaking. Dr. Piuzzi receives fees of $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) as a paid consultant, speaker or as a member of an advisory committee for the following companies:
- Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc.
- Stryker Corporation
Donation of Financial Interest. Dr. Piuzzi has consulted for, received compensation for serving as a fiduciary from, or received royalties from the following companies but instructed them to donate all compensation to not-for-profit causes or to the Cleveland Clinic to support research and education:
- Pacira Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.
* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.
Insurances Accepted
Video
Ratings & Reviews
4.7 out of 5
157 ratings, 24 reviewsThe Patient Satisfaction Rating is an average of all responses to the care provider related questions shown below from our survey. Patients that are treated in outpatient or hospital environments may receive different surveys, and the volume of responses will vary by question.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/11/2026
Dr Piuzzi is great. Very caring and willing to discuss any issues
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/11/2026
Dr. Piuzzi & his staff are wonderful!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 3/11/2026
I have already recommended Dr. Piuzzi to several people. He is an excellent surgeon. Very attentive & answers any questions. Also takes his time & doesn''t rush .
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 2/27/2026
Excellent visit with Dr. P.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/12/2026
The PA,Colin is always kind,patient and respectful. What a fantastic provider!
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/12/2026
Love this Dr. He is knowledgeable, courteous and listens.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 1/12/2026
This was a great experience with Dr. Pluzzi. Every question I had was answered. I felt very comfortable with the doctor working on me.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 12/29/2025
Dr. Piuzzi. Is is positive, and focus's on his his patient. He's plain spoken in his communicating with us. He's an asset to The Clinic.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 10/21/2025
I have great respect for Dr Puizzi, he always gives me the facts, has a smile and gives me great medical care
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 9/25/2025
Dr. Piuzzi was attentive and cared for me as a new patient. I would recommend him to everybody.An incredible first visit.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/28/2025
I think my doctor is one of the best in the world.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/28/2025
Arranging the appointment was a challenge and speaking to the office was a challenge, but once I was in for the appointment, everyone that I dealt with was above and beyond expectations. Dr. Piuzzi and his entire staff are fabulous.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/20/2025
Dr. Piuzzi greeted me with kindness and respect and was very empathetic to what I had going on.He listened intently to everything I had to tell him about my medical issues.He came up with a very good plan that included me and made me feel comfortable about the direction we were headed. I was very encouraged after meeting with him.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/5/2025
Even though I was misplaced in the appointment schedule, another dr came to my rescue and made sure I spoke to dr Piuzzi right away. It was my I2 month check for my knee replacement. My husband and I had been waiting for quit a while. I am so thankful for the unexpected rescue. Please thank the dr for me.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 8/5/2025
Dr. Piuzzi is an eminence and still takes the time to connect, ask questions and has he most caring and sincere attitude towards his patients. I have recommended Dr, Piuzzi to friends and family
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/29/2025
Dr. Piuzzi is great. My time with him was excellent. The wait time was awful 1 hour. Every time I call the clinic, I am transferred multiple times and placed on hold for extended periods of time.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/22/2025
Dr. Piuzzi replaced my right knee. Now I'll be getting the right done. He answered all of my questions and was very reassuring. He has a very pleasant bedside manner.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/15/2025
I would definitely recommend Dr. Piuzzi to anyone needing hip or knee surgery.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 7/15/2025
I was very impressed with Dr. Piuzzi and I was very pleased that he also does knee surgery. I will definitely go back to him for my next orthopedic surgery.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 6/16/2025
Dr. Puizzi is an excellent doctor and cares about his patients. I have recommended him to several friends. His PA also is very knowledgeable and helpful.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 5/13/2025
He did a thorough job of typing in what I said to describe my issues but he left everything else to the doctor.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/29/2025
The interactions with the Doctor and the remainder of his staff was very professional and respectful to me.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/29/2025
The RN assigned to this Doctor prevented me from rating the overall visit higher.
- 5 out of 5 starsReviewed on 4/29/2025
I was nervous beyond nervous being transferred from Wexner Medical in Columbus, but I was put in the hands of excellent people, especially my surgeon. Thank you Dr Piuzzi MD