Kris John Alden
  • Adult Hip and Knee Reconstruction, Hip Replacement, Joint Replacement
  • Basalt & Aspen
  • University of Illinois at Chicago in Illinois
  • Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland
  • Mayo Clinic in Minnesota
  • The American Board of Orthopedic Surgeons

Kris John Alden,

MD, PhD

Total Joint & Adult Reconstructive Surgery

Dr. Kris Alden is a board-certified and fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeon who specializes in the treatment of hip and knee arthritis and related disorders.  He is committed to providing patients with the latest, most advanced and innovative, surgical and non-surgical treatment of hip and knee disorders. He has been closely involved in the development of innovative techniques for hip and knee replacement and revision surgeries. With many research and clinical interests in addition to his surgical practice, he has devoted his career to improving the quality-of-life for patients in need of both nonsurgical treatment as well as those requiring joint replacement and revision arthroplasty procedures. 

Dr. Alden completed a highly competitive dual degree program in which he received his M.D. and Ph.D. (Biophysics) concurrently at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His Ph.D. thesis on calcium channel function earned him the Outstanding Thesis Award among the hundreds of Ph.D. dissertations submitted for review across the University.  In addition, during his final year of medical school, he was awarded the Kate and Michael Bárány award for research, scholarship, and academic excellence. 

Following medical school, Dr. Alden trained in orthopaedic surgery at the John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland. During his final year of residency at John Hopkins Hospital, Dr. Alden served as Chief Resident. Upon completion of his residency, he began his fellowship in hip and knee reconstruction surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. While there, as a fellow-in-training, he worked with some of the top surgeons worldwide in all the latest approaches to hip and knee replacement, minimally invasive surgery, and complex revision hip and knee replacements.

With a particular interest in using innovative techniques, Dr. Alden strives to achieve the best results for active patients with hip and knee arthritis, offering both non-surgical and surgical treatments to resolve pain and restore function.  Dr. Alden is also a leader in outpatient total joint surgery, starting in 2013 where he implemented clinical care pathways and protocols to allow minimally invasive joint replacement surgery being performed in the outpatient setting, with the aim of quicker recovery, less complications, and quicker return to a functional and active lifestyle. As a leader in hip and knee replacement surgery, Dr. Alden has travelled extensively across the United States and internationally to teach other surgeons novel and complex joint reconstruction techniques and improve the techniques of hip and knee replacements. He has served as a lecturer at some of the most esteemed symposiums in the world.

Dr. Alden specializes in the direct anterior approach to total hip replacement surgery. This is a minimally invasive technique that provides less discomfort, a faster recovery and improved mobility. He also performs customized knee replacements which allow the surgeon to tailor the surgery to a patient’s unique knee anatomy and reduces the risk of misalignment. These technologies improve the patient’s outcome by extending implant longevity and helping the patient regain an active lifestyle. He performs complex revision hip and knee surgeries including, direct anterior hip revisions, distal femur replacements, and total femur replacements.

Dr. Alden has written numerous orthopedic research-related peer reviewed articles and book chapters on various knee and hip topics and regularly has presented his findings at national orthopaedic conferences. He serves on the editorial board for the Journal of Orthopaedic Experience and Innovation.  

He strongly believes in returning patients to an active and healthy lifestyle. Starting swimming from an early age, he was a 4-time UAA champion swimmer in college and NCAA champion (1990). For his athletic success he was inducted into the University of Chicago’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2003.  He transitioned to triathlons where he has completed 2 Ironman triathlons. He understands the positive impact of athletics on health, longevity, and quality of life. Dr. Alden and his team do the utmost to provide patients with highest level of care to regain an active lifestyle.  Dr. Alden is dedicated in ensuring that his patients understand the options available for their specific needs and is committed to delivering the best orthopedic services so that individuals can lead the most active lifestyle as possible.

Away from the office, Dr. Alden enjoys being outside participating in a range of activities including golf, running, biking and fishing. He loves spending time with his wife and children enjoying the outdoors.

Specialties
  • Knee arthroplasty
  • Hip arthroplasty
  • Direct anterior hip replacement
  • Custom knee arthroplasty
  • Revision hip and knee arthroplasty
Education and Training:
Undergraduate Degree:
BA, Biology – University of Chicago, Chicago, IL (1987-1991)

Graduate Degree:
MS, Biology – Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL (1991-1993)

Medical Degree and PhD:
University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, IL, Department of Physiology & Biophysics (1994-2002); Outstanding Thesis Award (2003)

Residency Training:
Orthopedic Surgery – Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD (2002-2007); Chief Resident (2006-2007)

Fellowship Training:
Lower Extremity Joint Reconstruction – Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN (2007-2008)

Board Certifications
  • Orthopaedic Surgery (ABOS)
Professional Memberships
  • American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
  • American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons
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