Jorge Padilla, MD

Restoring movement through innovation and compassion in hip and knee reconstruction

When joint pain starts to limit everyday life, restoring movement can mean restoring independence. Jorge Padilla, MD helps patients regain mobility and confidence through advanced hip and knee reconstruction, combining precise surgical technique with a patient-centered approach to care.

“My goal is to help patients get back to doing the things that matter most to them,” he said. “Joint pain can take away independence and quality of life, and it’s incredibly rewarding to restore mobility and confidence through thoughtful, personalized care.”

Dr. Padilla is an orthopaedic surgeon at VCU Health and an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the VCU School of Medicine. He specializes in hip and knee reconstruction and joint replacement surgery, caring for patients in Richmond and Colonial Heights. He is fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Padilla earned his medical degree from Puerto Rico’s Ponce Health Sciences University School of Medicine and completed an orthopaedic surgery residency at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell at Huntington Hospital, where he received comprehensive training in a wide range of musculoskeletal conditions. Following his residency, he pursued advanced subspecialty training in complex reconstruction and joint replacement at VCU.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Padilla is active in academic medicine and research. His work has examined topics including surgical outcomes, cost-effectiveness, perioperative optimization and opioid-sparing pain management strategies in hip and knee arthroplasty. Through peer-reviewed publications and national presentations, he has contributed to research aimed at enhancing patient recovery, surgical efficiency and value-based care.

“Orthopaedic surgery is evolving rapidly, and technology that stems from our collective research allows us to be more precise than ever before,” he said. “Advances such as robotics and improved surgical techniques not only enhance accuracy in the operating room, but also have the potential to improve recovery and long-term outcomes for our patients.”