About Miho Tanaka, MD, PhD

Watch a video about my work

Departments, Centers, & Programs:

Clinical Interests:

Treats:

Languages:

Locations

Sports Medicine at Mass General Waltham
52 Second Ave.
3rd Floor, Suite 3300
Waltham, MA 02451
Phone: 617-643-3866

Sports Medicine Service
Charles River Plaza
175 Cambridge St., 4th Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Phone: 617-643-3866

Medical Education

  • MD, New York Medical College
  • Residency, Johns Hopkins Hospital***
  • Fellowship, Hospital for Special Surgery

American Board Certifications

  • Orthopaedic Surgery, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery
  • Sports Medicine, American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery

Note: This provider may accept more insurance plans than shown; please call the practice to find out if your plan is accepted.


Research

Dr. Tanaka's primary research focus is on the biomechanics, imaging and anatomy of the patellofemoral joint as it relates to patellar instability. She has produced more than 100 articles, book chapters and presentations primarily focusing on this topic, and she and her colleagues were awarded the Patellofemoral Surgical Anatomy Excellence Award by the Patellofemoral Foundation and Arthroscopy Association of North America in 2014 and 2021. She was inducted into the International Patellofemoral Study Group in 2017 and was the recipient of the 2017, 2019, 2020 and 2021 grant awards from the Arthroscopy Association of North America.

Dr. Tanaka additionally has interest in improving the understanding of treatment outcomes and injury prevention in female athletes. She directs the Mass General Women's Sports Medicine Program and was previously the founding director of the program at Johns Hopkins, created to promote multidisciplinary research, clinical care and outreach/education focused on female athletes. She aims to bridge clinical gaps for female athletes through collaborations with experts in multiple fields, while promoting educational outreach to prevent injuries in women. She was awarded the Community Partnership Grant by the Eileen Fisher Foundation in 2015-2016 for her work in organizing educational programs for injury prevention in local girls' schools. Dr. Tanaka currently serves as Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Women's Sports Medicine.

Publications

  • See a complete list of my publications via the National Institutes of Health.

    Select publications:

    • Lampros RE, Wiater AL, Tanaka MJ. Rehabilitation and Return to Sport After Medial Patellofemoral Complex Reconstruction. Arthrosc Sports Med Rehabil. 2022 Jan 28;4(1):e133-e140. doi: 10.1016/j.asmr.2021.09.030. PMID: 35141545; PMCID: PMC8811515.
    • Tanaka MJ, Mirochnik K, Esfahani SA, Lubberts B, Waryasz G, Bhimani R.Arthroscopic Patellofemoral Measurements Can Reliably Assess Patellar Instability. Arthroscopy. 2022 Mar;38(3):902-910. doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2021.06.022. Epub 2021 Jul 9. PMID: 34252558.
    • Tanaka MJ, Forman JM, Otwell AG, Frischmann LD, Jones LC, Szymanski LM.Characterization of knee dysfunction and related risk factors during pregnancy. Phys Sportsmed. 2022 Feb;50(1):78-83. doi: 10.1080/00913847.2021.1882277. Epub 2021 Feb 10. PMID: 33507121.
    • Tanaka MJ, LiBrizzi CL, Rivenburgh DW, Jones LC. Changes in U.S. girls' participation in high school sports: implications for injury awareness. Phys Sportsmed. 2021 Nov;49(4):450-454. doi:10.1080/00913847.2020.1852861. Epub 2020 Dec 10. PMID: 33210569.
    • Tanaka MJ. Femoral Origin Anatomy of the Medial Patellofemoral Complex: Implications for Reconstruction. Arthroscopy. 2020 Dec;36(12):3010-3015. doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2020.06.015. Epub 2020 Jun 20. PMID: 32569722.
    • Tanaka MJ, Oh LS, Martin SD, Berkson EM. Telemedicine in the Era of COVID-19: The Virtual Orthopaedic Examination. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2020 Jun 17;102(12):e57. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.20.00609. Erratum in: J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2020 Oct 21;102(20):e121. PMID: 32341311; PMCID: PMC7224627.