About
Dr. Scott Hacker, M.D., M.S., F.A.A.O.S.
Board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon. Over two decades of surgical experience. San Diego’s trusted specialist for sports injuries, joint replacement, and regenerative orthopedics.
Your surgeon
Dr. Scott Hacker, M.D., M.S., F.A.A.O.S.
Dr. Scott Hacker is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine, knee and shoulder surgery, cartilage restoration, arthritis treatment, and robotic-assisted joint replacement. A native San Diegan, Dr. Hacker returned to San Diego in 2003 after completing advanced orthopedic training and has since cared for athletes, active adults, and patients of all ages throughout the region.
Dr. Hacker’s practice focuses on advanced arthroscopic techniques, reconstructive surgery of the knee and shoulder, treatment of sports-related injuries, joint preservation, and alternatives to joint replacement when appropriate. He is certified as a Mako robotic joint replacement surgeon and has performed thousands of joint replacement procedures. He is also one of a select group of orthopedic surgeons with specialized experience in cartilage repair and restoration.
A unique part of Dr. Hacker’s background is his training in both engineering and medicine. He earned his undergraduate degree in bioengineering from the University of California, San Diego, graduating Magna Cum Laude, and later completed a master’s degree in bioengineering and orthopedic biomechanics at the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. His graduate work focused on the biomechanical properties of meniscal tissue, cartilage, and orthopedic structures. This engineering foundation continues to influence his approach to orthopedic surgery, joint mechanics, implant technology, cartilage preservation, and clinical innovation.
Dr. Hacker completed medical school at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, followed by general surgery and orthopedic surgery training at the University of Washington in Seattle. His residency training included experience at Harborview Medical Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, the Veterans Administration Medical Center, and Virginia Mason Medical Center. He also completed an orthopedic research fellowship at UC San Diego.
After residency, Dr. Hacker was selected for the prestigious Orthopedic Sports Medicine Fellowship at the internationally recognized Steadman-Hawkins Clinic in Vail, Colorado. There, he trained under Dr. Richard Steadman and Dr. Richard Hawkins in advanced knee and shoulder surgery while caring for athletes and patients from around the world.
Dr. Hacker has extensive experience caring for athletes at every level, from high school and recreational athletes to collegiate, professional, and Olympic competitors. He has served as a Team Orthopedic Surgeon for the United States Olympic Team at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California. He was also previously affiliated with the Denver Broncos, Colorado Rockies, and U.S. Olympic Ski Team.
In addition to his surgical practice, Dr. Hacker is actively involved in orthopedic innovation and clinical research. He serves as a Principal Investigator at Horizon Clinical Research, where he helps evaluate new treatments, technologies, and applications in orthopedics. His consulting practice includes clinical trial design, medical monitoring, research oversight, and participation in regulatory submissions for device and drug approval.
Dr. Hacker continues to teach arthroscopic shoulder and knee surgery and serves as a clinical instructor for the San Diego Sports Medicine Fellowship Program. He is board certified by the American Board of Orthopedic Surgery and is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons.
Above all, Dr. Hacker and his team are committed to providing thoughtful, individualized orthopedic care. Their goal is to help patients understand their condition, review all appropriate treatment options, and return to the activities that matter most to them.
Contact & Location
Phone
Fax
619-462-1731
Address
5565 Grossmont Center Drive
Building 3, Suite 256
La Mesa, CA 91942
Hours
Monday – Friday
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Training & credentials
Education, board certification, fellowship
Education
- BS Bioengineering — UC San Diego, Magna Cum Laude
- MS Bioengineering & Orthopedic Biomechanics — UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering
- MD — UC Irvine School of Medicine
- Residency: Orthopedic Surgery — University of Washington
- Research Fellowship — UC San Diego Orthopedic Research
- Sports Medicine Fellowship — Steadman-Hawkins Clinic, Vail CO (Drs. Richard Steadman & Richard Hawkins)
Board Certification
- American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS)
- Certified MAKO Robotic Joint Replacement Surgeon
- FAAOS — Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
Recognition
- San Diego Magazine Top Doctor — 2014, 2015, 2023
- Doctor of Excellence — The Leading Physicians of the World (2016)
- 6,000+ orthopedic procedures performed
- Principal Investigator, Horizon Clinical Research (FDA clinical trials)
- US Olympic Team Physician
- US Olympic Ski Team Physician
Affiliations
- American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (FAAOS)
- American College of Sports Medicine
- American Society of Biomechanics
- Team Physician — Denver Broncos & Colorado Rockies
- Team Physician — San Diego high schools
- Grossmont Orthopaedic Medical Group (Partner)
Research & scholarship
Publications & Bibliography
A. Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles
- Hacker SA, Boorman R, Lippitt S and Matsen FA. Impaction grafting improves the fit of uncemented humeral arthroplasty. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 12(5):431–435, 2003.
- Boorman RS, Hacker SA, Lippitt SB, and Matsen FA. A Conservative Broaching and Impaction Grafting Technique for Humeral Component Placement and Fixation in Shoulder Arthroplasty: The Procrustean Method. Techniques in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 2:166–175, 2001.
- Hacker SA and Coutts RD. A Methodology for the Quantitative Assessment of Articular Cartilage Histomorphometry. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 5:343–355, 1997.
- Coutts RD, Amiel D, Woo SL-Y, Hacker SA and vonSchroeder HP. Repair of Articular Cartilage Defects with a Perichondrium/Demineralized Allogeneic Bone Matrix Composite Graft. Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 1997.
- Yoshioka M, Coutts RD, Amiel D and Hacker SA. Characterization of a model of osteoarthritis in the rabbit knee. Osteoarthritis and Cartilage 4:87–98, 1996.
- Hacker SA and Woo SL-Y. Regional Variation and Effect of Age on the Biomechanical Properties of Human Meniscus. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering (submitted), 2000.
- Kwan MK, Hacker SA, Woo SL-Y, and Wayne JS. The Effect of Storage on the Biomechanical Behavior of Articular Cartilage — A Large Strain Study. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 114:149–153, 1992.
B. Book Chapter
- Hacker SA. Chronic Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries, in The Adult Knee, edited by Callaghan, Rosenberg, Rubash, Simonian, and Wickiewicz, 2002.
C. Abstracts & Presentations
- Sukopp M, Shemesh M, Prüch E, Ganz E, Condello V, Hacker SA, Schwer J, Ignatius A, Dürselen L, Seitz A. Biomechanical Evaluation of the In-Situ Stability of a Novel Artificial Medial Meniscus Implant. ORS Annual Meeting, February 2021.
- Hacker SA. Postoperative Management of Total Knee Arthroplasty using HTX-011 with Multimodal Analgesia: Results from a Phase 3 Open-Label Study. Orthopedics Today, January 2020.
- Hacker SA, Boorman R, Lippitt S and Matsen FA. A safe and effective technique for autogenous impaction grafting for fixation of proximal humeral prostheses. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (submitted), 2002.
- Fithian DC, Hacker SA, Irby SE, Kaufman KR and Daniel DM. Quadriceps angle revisited: The effect of tibial tubercle transfer on patellofemoral contact and tibial rotation. Transactions of the Orthopaedic Research Society, 1994.
- Yoshioka M, Coutts RD, Amiel D and Hacker SA. Characterization of a model of mild osteoarthritis in the rabbit knee. Transactions of the Orthopaedic Research Society, 1994.
- Coutts RD, Yoshioka M, Amiel D, Hacker SA, Harwood FL and Monosov A. Cartilage repair using a porous polylactic acid matrix with allogeneic perichondrial cells. Transactions of the Orthopaedic Research Society, 1994.
- Coutts RD, Kerina JM, Robins AJ, Hacker SA and Nguyen V-DN. The mechanical properties of polypropylene fumarate for the temporary fixation of intramedullary rods. Transactions of the Orthopaedic Research Society, 1994.
- Hacker SA and Coutts RD. A New Image-Based Methodology for the Evaluation of Articular Cartilage Repair. Transactions of the Orthopaedic Research Society 18:278, 1993.
- Coutts RD, Hacker SA, Constantz BR, Kerina JM and Nguyen VDN. The Evaluation of a Bioresorbable Cement for the Temporary Fixation of Intramedullary Rods. European Society of Biomaterials, 1993.
- Caywood GA, Coutts RD, Hacker SA, Kharas GB and Kitchell JP. Synthesis and Biomedical Application of Polyesters Based on a Krebs Cycle Acid. Advances in Treatment of Osteoporosis and Bone Repair, Boston, 1993.
- Hacker SA, Woo SL-Y, Wayne JS, and Kwan MK. Compressive Properties of the Human Meniscus. Transactions of the Orthopaedic Research Society 17:627, 1992.
- Coutts RD, Amiel D, Hacker SA, Kwan MK, and vonSchroeder HP. Reconstruction of Articular Cartilage Defects Using a Polylactic Acid Matrix and Periosteal Grafts. Transactions of the Western Connective Tissue Society 5:74, 1992.
- Danto MI, Hacker SA, MacKenna DA, Joshi M, Li CK, and Woo SL-Y. Effect of Strain Rate on the Mechanical Properties of Rabbit Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) and Patellar Tendon (PT). Transactions of the Orthopaedic Research Society 16:233, 1991.
- Wayne JS, Kwan MK, Hacker SA, and Woo SL-Y. A u-p Finite Element Analysis of the Behavior of a Repaired Cartilage Surface. Transactions of the Orthopaedic Research Society 16:75, 1991.
- Hacker SA, Woo SL-Y, Wayne JS, and Kwan MK. Regional Variation and Effect of Age on the Biomechanical Properties of Human Meniscus. Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering 20:449–451, 1991.
- Kwan MK, Wayne JS, Hacker SA, Woo SL-Y. Repair of Articular Cartilage Defects: A Theoretical Assessment. Transactions of the First World Congress of Biomechanics 11:20, 1990.
- Wayne JS, Kwan MK, Hacker SA, Woo SL-Y. Low Temperature Storage Effects on the Finite Strain Behavior of Articular Cartilage. Transactions of the American Society of Mechanical Engineering 18:233–236, 1989.
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