Professor
UCSD
Kenneth Vitale, MD, is a board-certified physiatrist specializing in sports medicine and nutrition. Based in San Diego, he focuses on nonsurgical treatments for orthopedic conditions, guiding patients through recovery from sports injuries, muscle and joint issues, tendonitis, bursitis, and arthritis. Dr. Vitale commonly treats meniscal and labral tears, rotator cuff problems, hamstring injuries, ligament sprains, and shoulder dislocations. His treatment strategies include therapeutic exercises, physical therapy, steroid and hyaluronate injections, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections, and nutritional supplementation, all aimed at enhancing natural healing and improving biomechanics.
Dr. Vitale collaborates with UC San Diego Health's athletic trainers to support athletes, including cyclists, swimmers, triathletes, baseball and softball players, martial artists, and weightlifters, in returning to their sports. As a professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at UC San Diego School of Medicine, he educates medical students, residents, and fellows on lifestyle and exercise medicine, and public health. His research interests encompass musculoskeletal ultrasound, PRP and stem cell injections, sports nutrition, and the use of AlterG anti-gravity treadmill exercises for lower body rehabilitation.
Before joining UC San Diego Health, Dr. Vitale was an assistant professor at NYU School of Medicine and treated patients at NYU Langone Health. He also served the Japanese community in New York City. Dr. Vitale completed his residency at NYU Langone Health's Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine and earned his medical degree from NYU School of Medicine. He holds board certification in physical medicine and rehabilitation with a subspecialty in sports medicine and is a fellow of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Additionally, he is certified in fitness nutrition by the National Academy of Sports Medicine.
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