About Donald J. Lao, DO

Donald J. Lao, DO, a board-eligible orthopedic surgeon, is a native of Utah and joined The Colorado Center for Orthopaedic Excellence in 2023. His clinical expertise is in primary and complex revision hip and knee replacement, prosthetic joint infections, and orthopedic trauma, particularly fractures occurring around hip and knee replacements. He pursued additional fellowship training in minimally invasive hip and knee replacement surgery, including anterior approach total hip arthroplasty, partial knee replacement, and robotic-assisted hip and knee surgery.

Dr. Lao graduated from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, ID, where he was a captain and all-conference selection for the varsity basketball team. He graduated with a degree in biology and a minor in chemistry. He then obtained his medical degree at A.T. Still University in Mesa, AZ, where he was selected to the Sigma Sigma Phi osteopathic service fraternity and served as his school’s chapter president for two years. He was also selected to the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He completed his orthopedic internship and residency at Research Medical Center, affiliated with Kansas City University, and served as chief resident in his final year. He then completed a rigorous fellowship in hip and knee replacement and orthopedic trauma through the University of Minnesota at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN.

Dr. Lao is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, the American Osteopathic Academy of Orthopedics, the American Association of Hip and Knee Surgeons, and an Emerging Leader in the American Orthopaedic Association.

In his free time, Dr. Lao enjoys getting outdoors and spending time with his wife, daughter, and dog.