Christopher S. Klifto, MD
Hand and Upper Extremity Surgeon, Orthopaedic Surgeon
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About Me
I am an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in upper extremity conditions. My focus is on treating orthopaedic issues related to the shoulder and elbow, including arthritis, rotator cuff injuries, labral tears, frozen shoulder, sports injuries, fractures, tendon injuries, and cubital tunnel syndrome. I offer both conservative and surgical treatment options, collaborating with each patient to determine the best plan of care based on their individual goals. My expertise includes various shoulder surgeries such as reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, anatomic shoulder arthroplasty, and shoulder hemiarthroplasty, as well as procedures like rotator cuff repair, shoulder labral reconstruction, and shoulder arthroscopy. Additionally, I address upper extremity fractures, including those of the shoulder, clavicle, humeral shaft, and elbow. My personal experience with injuries has shaped my approach, allowing me to empathize with patients and treat them with compassion and respect. I am actively involved in research, with a specific focus on the shoulder. The collaborative research environment at Duke Health is unparalleled, and I find great satisfaction in helping patients regain their desired level of activity.
- Associate Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery, Orthopaedic Surgery 2023
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Areas of Expertise
- Shoulder Pain and Injuries
- Shoulder Arthritis
- Reverse Shoulder Replacement
- Anatomic Total Shoulder Replacement
- Partial Shoulder Replacement
- Rotator Cuff and Labral Repair
- Shoulder and Clavicle Fractures
- Elbow Arthritis
- Elbow Sports Injuries
- Biceps and Triceps Tears
Ratings and Reviews
The ratings and reviews are based on patient responses to the overall provider rating question from the survey. The question reads: “Using any number from 0 to 10, where 0 is the worst provider possible and 10 is the best provider possible, what number would you use to rate this provider?” Responses are converted to a 5-point rating system and applied consistently to all providers. Learn more about our survey process. Patients who see some types of providers receive a different version of the patient satisfaction survey. Those results are not available on DukeHealth.org.
Training and Education
In the News
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Clinical Focus and Research
- Aetos Shoulder S+N Pro00114921 awarded by Smith & Nephew, Inc 2024 - 2029
- Bulleit, Clark H., Eoghan T. Hurley, Aaron D. Therien, Tom R. Doyle, Zoe W. Hinton, Kevin A. Wu, Oke Anakwenze, Christopher S. Klifto, Brian C. Lau, and Jonathan F. Dickens. “Risk factors for recurrence after Latarjet procedure: a systematic review and meta-analysis.” J Shoulder Elbow Surg 34, no. 5 (May 2025): 1305–12. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2024.08.054.
- Lorentz, Samuel, Caroline N. Park, Christopher P. Roche, Christopher S. Klifto, and Oke Anakwenze. “Do constrained liners (in a 145° onlay implant) provide any benefit? A matched retrospective study.” J Shoulder Elbow Surg 34, no. 5 (May 2025): 1158–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2024.08.042.
- Rodriguez, Kaitlyn, Jay Levin, Justin Solomon, Eoghan T. Hurley, Daniel Lorenzana, Ehsan Samei, Yaw Boachie-Adjie, Robert French, Oke Anakwenze, and Christopher Klifto. “Preoperative planning for shoulder arthroplasty is feasible with computed tomography at lower-than-conventional radiation doses.” J Shoulder Elbow Surg 34, no. 5 (May 2025): 1185–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2024.08.038.
- Hurley, E. T., M. S. Davey, C. Klifto, O. Anakwenze, H. Mullett, and L. Pauzenberger. “Total shoulder arthroplasty in middle-aged patients.” In Shoulder Arthritis across the Life Span: From Joint Preservation to Arthroplasty, 229–36, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-33298-2_25.
- Nwosu, C., and C. Klifto. “Diagnostic discovery.” In Translational Sports Medicine, 67–70, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91259-4.00021-7.
- Magill, John, Bobby Pringle, Christopher Klifto, Chris Finn, and Stephen Bailey. “Establishing Normative Values And Performance Percentiles For Club Head Speed In Golfers.” In MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE, 54:275–76, 2022.
- Lee, Z-Hye, Christopher S. Klifto, Michael T. Milone, Joshua M. Cohen, David A. Daar, Lavinia Anzai, Vishal D. Thanik, and Jacques H. Hacquebord. “Survival after Digit Replantation and Revascularization Is Not Affected by the Use of Interpositional Grafts during Arterial Repair.” In Plast Reconstr Surg, 143:551e-557e, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1097/PRS.0000000000005343.
- Klifto, Christopher. “Analysis of the Wrist in Selected Yoga Positions.” In Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 47:958–59. Ovid Technologies (Wolters Kluwer Health), 2015. https://doi.org/10.1249/01.mss.0000479343.39965.6b.
Insurance Accepted
Duke Health contracts with most major health insurance carriers and transplant networks, including the ones listed below.
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Aetna
- Aetna Choice POS, Aetna Choice POS II
- Aetna Elect Choice HMO, Aetna Open Access Elect Choice
- Aetna Health Network Only, Aetna Health Network Option
- Aetna HMO
- Aetna Limited Benefit Insurance PPO
- Aetna Managed Choice POS
- Aetna Medicare Assure Plan (HMO D-SNP)
- Aetna Medicare Eagle Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Essential Plan (PPO)
- Aetna Medicare Value Plan (HMO)
- Aetna Open Access HMO, Open Access Aetna Select, Aetna Open Access Managed Choice
- Aetna Open Choice PPO
- Aetna PCP Coordinated POS Plan
- Aetna Quality Point of Service (QPOS)
- Aetna Select HMO
- Aetna Traditional Choice
- Aetna Voluntary Indemnity Group Plan
- Aetna Whole Health – Duke WakeMed WKCC
- Aetna/CVS Health
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Ambetter
- Ambetter of North Carolina
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Blue Cross Blue Shield of NC
- Blue Advantage
- Blue Medicare (HMO, PPO)*
- Blue Options (123, PPO, HSA)
- Blue Select
- NC State Employees Health Plan
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice does not participate in the plan.
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Cigna
- Cigna Behavioral Health (*Limited eligibility)
- Cigna Choice Plus
- Cigna Connect Individual Family Plan
- Cigna Open Access
- Cigna Open Access Plus
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*Please call Cigna Behavioral Heath to see if the provider is participating in your plan.
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Duke Group Plans
- Duke Basic
- Duke Select
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Experience Health
- Experience Health Medicare Advantage (HMO) Plan
- Gateway Health Alliance
- Healthgram
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Humana
- Humana Choice (PPO)
- Humana Choice - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana ChoiceCare - Medicare Advantage (PPO)
- Humana Gold Choice - Medicare Advantage (PFFS)
- Humana Gold Plus - Medicare Advantage (HMO)
- Humana Medicare Advantage Group Plan - NC State Retirees
- MedCost
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Medicare
- First Medicare Direct
- Medicare Part A
- Medicare Part B
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NC Medicaid
- AmeriHealth Caritas North Carolina
- Carolina Complete Health
- Healthy Blue
- NC Medicaid Direct
- WellCare of North Carolina
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TRICARE
- TRICARE Prime
- TRICARE Prime Remote
- TRICARE Select
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United Healthcare
- AARP Medicare Advantage Plan 2 (HMO-POS)
- AARP Medicare Complete (HMO, PPO)*
- AARP Medicare Complete Essential (HMO)*
- All Savers Alternate Funding
- All Savers Fully Insured
- United Healthcare (HMO, PPO, POS)**
- United Healthcare Charter/Charter Balance/Charter Plus
- United Healthcare Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Core/Core Essential
- United Healthcare Navigate/Navigate Plus/Navigate Balanced
- United Healthcare Option PPO
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Choice/Choice Plus
- United Healthcare Passport Connect Options PPO
- United Healthcare Select/Select Plus
- United Healthcare Shared Services - Harvard Pilgrim/UHC Options PPO Network
- United Medical Resources (UMR)
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*Duke HomeCare and Hospice and mental health providers do not participate with the plan.
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**Duke Health does not participate in UHC plans on the Health Insurance Marketplace.
Before scheduling your appointment, we strongly recommend you contact your insurance company to verify that the Duke Health location or provider you plan to visit is included in your network. Your insurance company will also be able to inform you of any co-payments, co–insurances, or deductibles that will be your responsibility. If you proceed in scheduling an appointment and your health insurance benefits do not participate with Duke, your out of pocket liability may be higher. We will contact you regarding your coverage and patient liability. If you are uninsured, learn more about our financial assistance policy.
External Relationships
- Acumed
- Restore3D
- Stryker Orthopaedics
- Veterans Affairs
- smith and nephew