Faculty Profile

Dr Emmanuel Papakostas is a board-certified orthopaedic and sports medicine surgeon with extensive expertise in athlete joint preservation. He earned his medical degree from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1993 and completed his Orthopaedic Specialization Diploma in 2004. After 16 years in private practice in Greece, he joined Aspetar Orthopaedic & Sports Medicine Hospital in 2020, where he serves as Clinical Lead of the Joint Preservation Center and Co-Director of the Sports Orthobiologics Laboratory. A former national-level athlete, Dr Papakostas specialises in the prevention and treatment of cartilage, meniscal, and ligament injuries in professional footballers and elite athletes. He has served as Head Team Physician for leading football clubs, consulted for national federations, and contributed to medical services at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. His early research on ankle ligament injuries earned him the FIMS Einjar Ericsson Young Investigator Award in 2002. Over more than two decades, he has authored 38 peer-reviewed publications and 12 textbook chapters, and delivered over 150 invited lectures worldwide. He has played a key role in advancing joint preservation surgery and strengthening Aspetar’s international reputation. Dr Papakostas has been deeply involved with the International Cartilage Regeneration & Joint Preservation Society (ICRS) for over 20 years, serving on multiple committees, chairing two, and holding successive terms on the General Board. He has organised high-impact educational initiatives, including a landmark ICRS Focus Meeting on cartilage injuries in sport and surgical skills courses in Doha. He recently led the ICRS–FIFA–Aspetar Consensus on treating cartilage defects in football players. He is also an active member of ESSKA and ISAKOS, serves on editorial boards, reviews research grants, and mentors surgeons through international fellowship programmes. Fluent in Greek and English, Dr Papakostas combines surgical excellence, evidence-based practice, and strategic leadership to advance athlete joint preservation globally.