Dr. Erik Contreras is a fellowship trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in shoulder & elbow surgery, sports medicine, and joint replacement. His philosophy is to treat each patient as a whole and develop an individualized treatment plan based on the patient’s needs and goals, beginning with nonsurgical treatment whenever possible. If surgery is needed, Dr. Contreras prefers to use minimally invasive techniques utilizing the most advanced technologies available.

Dr. Contreras received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin and his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School. He completed his orthopedic residency training at The Ohio State University, where he trained with expert surgeons taking care of NCAA Division 1 athletes. He then completed his fellowship training at the prestigious NYU Langone Orthopedic Hospital in New York City, where he trained in all aspects of shoulder and elbow surgery under the guidance of world-renowned orthopedic surgeons.

Dr. Contreras was elected as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society, an award given to the top medical students in each class. He has written several publications in renowned orthopedic journals, presented at national and international meetings, and contributed book chapters to the orthopedic literature. Outside of his practice, he enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, hiking, and trying new restaurants.

Colasanti CA, Mercer NP, Contreras ES, Simovitch RW, Zuckerman JD. Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty Design: Inlay vs. Onlay – Does it Really Make a Difference? J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2024 Apr;S1058-2746(24)00229-5.

Contreras ES, Virk MS, Kwon YW, Zuckerman JD. Shoulder prosthetic joint infections presenting as atypical sinus tracts – A case series. JSES Int. 2023 Dec;8(2):322-327.
 
Contreras ES, Kingery MT, Zuckerman JD, Virk MS. Treatment of Glenoid Wear with the Use of Augmented Glenoid Components in Total Shoulder Arthroplasty – A Scoping Review. JBJS Rev. 2023 Oct;11 (10): e23.00063.

Contreras ES, Lynch DJ, Hatef S, Speeckaert AL, Goyal KS. Risk Factors for Loss of Reduction after Open Reduction and Internal Fixation of Isolated Olecranon Fractures in Adults. HAND (N Y). 2022 Mar;15589447221075667.

Contreras ES, Deiparine S, Ulrich M, Alvarez P, Bishop JY, Cvetanovich GL. The Utility and Cost of Atypical Cultures in Revision Shoulder Arthroplasty. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2021 Oct;30(10):2325-2330.

Contreras ES, Lynch DJ, Hatef S, Speeckaert AL, Goyal KS. Risk factors for symptomatic hardware removal after plate fixation of olecranon fractures. Curr Orthop Pract. 2021 Sep;32(5):474-478.

Contreras ES, Cvetanovich GL, Bishop JY. Superior capsular reconstruction using a dermal allograft. AAOS Orthopaedic Video Theater Plus. 2021 Aug.

Vajapey SP, Contreras ES, Cvetanovich GL, Neviaser AS. Neurologic complications in shoulder arthroplasty: a review. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2021 Jun;20:101475.

Vajapey SP, Contreras ES, Neviaser AS, Bishop JY, Cvetanovich GL. Outpatient total shoulder arthroplasty: a systematic review evaluating outcomes and cost-effectiveness. JBJS Rev. 2021 May;9(5).

Contreras ES, Frantz TL, Bishop JY, Cvetanovich GL. Periprosthetic infection after reverse shoulder arthroplasty: a review. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2020 Dec;13(6):757-768.]

Vajapey S, Santiago J, Contreras E, Quatman C, Phieffer L. Contourable craniofacial mesh plate osteosynthesis of patellar fractures: A new, low-profile fixation technique. J Clin Orthop Trauma. 2019 Oct;10(Suppl 1):S201-S206.