Ryan is a triple–fellowship-trained shoulder and elbow surgeon with a PhD in musculoskeletal tissue engineering.
After completing his orthopaedic surgery training in New Zealand, he undertook advanced subspecialty fellowships in Canada and the United Kingdom, working alongside internationally recognised leaders and pioneers in shoulder and elbow surgery.
Ryan has authored numerous award-winning, peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in leading “gold standard” orthopaedic reference texts. His academic work and research have received multiple prestigious international honours in orthopaedic surgery, including the Grammont Award, the Louis Barnett Prize, and the AAOS “Game Changer” Award.
In 2026, Ryan was selected for the American-British-Canadian (ABC) Travelling Fellowship—the most prestigious international travelling fellowship in orthopaedic surgery. Established in 1948, the ABC Fellowship is designed to foster lifelong international academic collaboration, promote the exchange of cutting-edge clinical practice, and cultivate future global leaders in orthopaedics.
Ryan Gao
MBChB, PGDipSurgAnat, FRACS, PhD
Ryan’s surgical expertise range from minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures to total and partial replacements of the shoulder and elbow joints.
Whether addressing sports injuries, complex trauma or arthritic conditions, Ryan employs a meticulous and multidisciplinary approach to deliver the optimal outcome for his patients.
Public Appointment:
Ryan is a specialist consultant shoulder and elbow surgeon at Northshore Hospital where he is the co-director of the Northshore Hospital Shoulder and Elbow Fellowship program. He actively engages in the training and teaching of Kiwi junior doctors and medical students as well as overseas orthopaedic Fellows and visiting surgeons.
Private Appointments:
Ryan welcomes both private and ACC patients and he consults at AXIS Sports Medicine Clinic on the North Shore.
Academics:
Ryan completed both undergraduate and postgraduate PhD studies in medicine and surgery at The University of Auckland.
Since qualifying with distinction as a medical doctor in 2009, Ryan trained both in NZ and overseas to sub-specialise as an orthopaedic shoulder and elbow surgeon.
Ryan has authored a number of book chapters on disorders of the Shoulder and Elbow joints and published numerous peer reviewed journal articles. His research has won a number of prestigious international awards.
Below are Ryan’s more than 100 research papers and presentations published or delivered in New Zealand and internationally.
Surgeries
Consult with Ryan on the specialist surgical care needed to aid your recovery.
Shoulder Surgeries:
Acromioclavicular Joint (ACJ) Fixation
Anatomic Total Shoulder Replacement
Clavicle Fracture Fixation
Distal Tibial Allograft for Shoulder Instability
Humerus Fracture Fixation
Latarjet
Pectoral Major Repair
Reverse Shoulder replacement
Rotator Cuff Repair
Pyrocarbon Shoulder Hemiarthroplasty
Scapulothoracic Fusion
Shoulder Stabilisation (Labral Repair)
Tendon Transfers Around The Shoulder
Elbow Surgeries:
Distal Biceps Tendon Repair
Distal Triceps Tendon Repair
Elbow Arthroscopy (Key Hole Surgery)
Elbow Fracture Fixation
Elbow Stabilisation
Partial Elbow Replacement (Hemiarthroplasty)
Radial Head Replacement
Tennis Elbow Release
Total Elbow Replacement
Ulna Nerve Release / Transposition
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation team at axis:
Integrated Care Pathways
Specialist Sports Physiotherapy
Return to Work Rehabilitation
Meet Our Team
Restoring Your Mobility
Ryan works closely with the team at Axis Sports Medicine. If you are referred by a specialist physiotherapist, you will be referred back to them for ongoing care.