Claude T. Moorman, III, MD
President, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute; Chair of Orthopaedic Surgery
Claude T. (T) Moorman, III, MD is Professor and Edward N. Hanley, Jr. Endowed Chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and President of the Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute.
After graduating from Duke University and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, he did his residency at Duke University and a year-long Sports Medicine fellowship at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, NY. His initial academic appointment was at the University of Maryland where he started the Sports Medicine Program, and served as Head Team Physician for the Baltimore Ravens through their first Super Bowl. He was subsequently recruited back to Duke University where he served as the Vice Chairman, Chief of Sports Medicine, and Head Team Physician at Duke University through eight National Championships and five Bowl games! He ultimately formed the Urbaniak Sports Sciences Institute and served as the Executive Director for the remainder of his 20-year term in Durham. He was recruited to Atrium Health where he took up his current duties on January 1, 2018.
Dr. Moorman is board certified in orthopaedic surgery and has also been separately board certified in orthopaedic sports medicine. His orthopaedic clinical practice has an emphasis on complex shoulder instability and multiple ligament knee injuries. As President of the Musculoskeletal Institute, Dr. Moorman manages over 100 clinical faculty, 12 PhD faculty, 31 residents and fellows, and the ancillary services supporting the musculoskeletal service line. Dr. Moorman has devoted a significant portion of his career to education of undergraduates, graduate students, medical students, residents, and fellows. Dr. Moorman was a Professor in the Department of Evolutionary Anthropology where he taught an undergraduate course Anatomy 151, which was a cadaveric study of the lower extremities for 20 years. He has served as Residency Program Director, Fellowship Program Director and on the Education Committee at three different institutions and has been responsible for the education of 168 residents and 75 fellows. He has received the Resident Teaching Award on two separate occasions.
Dr. Moorman’s productivity includes 201 publications–168 peer-reviewed manuscripts, 27 book chapters, and 6 textbooks. He has done over 1000 international, national, regional, and local scientific presentations. His awards include the Charles S. Neer Award for the outstanding basic science contribution in shoulder research, the AOSSM Aircast Award for basic science for work on the posterolateral corner of the knee, the Philip D. Wilson Award for outstanding research at the Hospital for Special Surgery, the AAOSM Aircast Award for clinical science for shoulder research, the North Carolina Orthopaedic Association Research Award, the Southern Orthopaedic Association Research Award, and a number of institutional awards for research and education. Dr. Moorman has been recognized in Castle and Connolly and Best Doctors for national recognition, NC Business Journal Best Doctors for regional recognition and Triangle Business Journal Best Doctors for local recognition for over 20 years. He has also received a number of community service awards including state honors as “Tarheel of the Week” by the Raleigh News and Observer in 2001 and the George F. Whitfield Eastern NC Sports Hall of Fame in 2020. Recently, Dr. Moorman was selected by the Southern Orthopaedic Association (SOA) as the “Distinguished Southern Orthopaedist” to be awarded at the annual meeting of the SOA in July 2021.
Dr. Moorman’s current research focus is on multiple ligament knee (MLKI) injury and repair, complex shoulder instability, and regenerative medicine indications and techniques. This work has received funding from over 30 separate grants for funding and has been presented internationally.