Precise, compassionate and state-of-the-art care for the hip, knee and shoulder

Few orthopaedic surgeons can offer patients what Niraj V. Kalore, M.D., brings to a single practice: the precision of robotic joint replacement, the technical skill of minimally invasive hip arthroscopy and a deeply personal commitment to each patient's recovery. An orthopaedic surgeon at VCU Health specializing in adult reconstruction and sports medicine, Dr. Kalore has spent 14 years helping patients with hip, knee and shoulder conditions regain mobility, reduce pain and return to the lives they love.

Dr. Kalore's clinical expertise spans primary and revision hip and knee replacement, shoulder resurfacing, and primary and reverse shoulder replacement. He incorporates newer surgical techniques — including the anterior approach for hip replacement and the subvastus approach for knee replacement — for patients who are good candidates and has been performing robotic-assisted joint replacements since 2021 using multiple systems. He is one of only a handful of surgeons in the region performing hip arthroscopy, a specialized procedure used to treat labral tears, femoroacetabular impingement, hip dysplasia and proximal hamstring tears. Among his VCU Health colleagues, he is one of just three surgeons who perform the procedure.

What excites Dr. Kalore most about his specialty is its capacity for transformation. "I love the radical improvement seen in patients' pain and mobility with joint replacements, the precision I can achieve with robotic joint replacements and the high degree of skill needed for arthroscopic procedures,” he says.

That commitment to precision applies to both surgery itself and Dr. Kalore’s patient preparation process. He places particular emphasis on optimizing patients' health before they enter the operating room, collaborating with weight loss physicians, bariatric surgeons, hematologists, endocrinologists and pain management specialists across VCU Health to minimize complications and improve long-term outcomes.

The field's pace of change is something Dr. Kalore embraces rather than merely keeps up with. "Orthopaedics is constantly looking for ways to improve patient care with newer approaches, robotics and newer medications," he says. "It is challenging and very rewarding to adopt these changes and make them part of my practice." He anticipates that AI-supported decision-making and robotic shoulder replacement will further advance the field in the years ahead.

Having experienced significant health challenges within his own family, Dr. Kalore brings a personal understanding to his work. "I empathize with the suffering of my patients and do all I can to minimize it and make their lives better," he says. Patients consistently describe him as attentive, direct and genuinely caring, saying he takes time to explain their options and supports them in making the decisions that are right for them.

Dr. Kalore earned his medical degree and completed his orthopaedic residency in India. He subsequently completed three years of advanced fellowship training at the University of Minnesota, VCU Medical Center and the American Sports Medicine Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. He is board-certified in orthopaedic surgery and holds memberships in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and the Arthroscopy Association of North America.

An active researcher and peer reviewer, Dr. Kalore has published widely on topics including joint replacement outcomes, hip arthroscopy, and the use of robotics and digital technology in orthopaedics. He serves as an associate professor of orthopaedic surgery at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Outside of work, Dr. Kalore plays badminton and chess, is learning piano, and enjoys spending time outdoors — especially near bodies of water like the James River and the ocean.