Biography
Dr. Richter completed his medical education and residency training at UNM, where he was named the UNM Orthopaedic Resident Instructor of the Year. Following his residency, he completed a fellowship in orthopaedic sports medicine at the University of Virgnia. He began practicing orthopaedic surgery in the Department of Orthopaedics Sports Medicine Division at UNM in August 2016. He currently serves as the sports medicine fellowship director, director of clinical sports medicine research, and Associate Team Physician for the UNM Lobos varsity athletic teams.
Personal Statement
Dr. Richter specializes in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine and enjoys treating athletes of all ages and activity levels. He chose a career in academic medicine as he enjoys the complexity of patients, the opportunity to educate residents and fellows, and the ability to perform research. Dr. Richter enjoys both basic and clinical research. His research interests include the treatment and clinical outcomes of multi-ligamentous knee injuries, revision ACL reconstruction, improvement of functional outcomes with sports injuries, and financial impact studies. He is a member of AOSSM, AANA and AAOS, a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, and is also an American Orthopaedic Association Emerging Leader.
Areas of Specialty
Dr. Richter specializes in Orthopaedic Sports Medicine and treats athletes of all ages and activity levels. His practice focuses on arthroscopic surgery of the knee, hip, and shoulder, with particular interest in complex knee multi-ligament surgery and arthroscopic treatment of hip femoroacetabular impingement and other related conditions. He also performs surgery for shoulder instability, rotator cuff tears, and other related ligament and tendon injuries.
Achievements & Awards
-UNM Learning Environment Office Exemplary Teacher Recognition, August 2023
-AOSSM Boosting Orthopaedic Leaders’ Development (BOLD) Program, July 2023 - July 2025
-AOSSM-APKASS Traveling Fellowship, June-July 2023
-UNM Learning Environment Office Exemplary Teacher Recognition, February 2023
-Best Paper - Clinical Research Presentations - The IFATS 19th Annual Meeting (Joshua Harrison): Efficacy of Microfragmented Adipose Tissue for Treatment of Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study
-Resident Presentation Award (3rd Place) - 2022 OREF Central West Region Resident Research Symposium (Resident: Ryan Price): Dual Attending Surgeon Impact on Multi-Ligament Knee Reconstruction.
-Best Knee-Related Research in 2022 Award - South African Orthopaedic Association Annual Congress (Waldo Scheepers): Inclusion of Open Injuries in an Updated Schenck Classification of Knee Dislocations Based on a Global Delphi Consensus Study.
-American Journal of Sports Medicine - July 2022 Featured Author (Spotlight)
-Lineberry Foundation Award Winner, 2022
-Albuquerque the Magazine Top Doctor Nominee, Orthopaedic Surgery, March 2022
-Best Resident Presentation Award - 2021 Annual ASPS Meeting (Resident: Josh Harrison): Evaluating the Efficacy of Micro-fragmented Adipose Tissue and Intra-articular Corticosteroid Injections for Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Study. Preliminary Results.
-1st Place Podium Presentation - 2021 UNM Surgery Research Symposium: Evaluating the Efficacy of Micro-fragmented Adipose Tissue and Intra-articular Corticosteroid Injections for Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Study. Preliminary Results.
-Albuquerque the Magazine Top Doctor Nominee, Orthopaedic Surgery, March 2021
-Reviewer for Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 2021-Present
-2nd Place Poster Award - 2020 UNM Surgery Research Symposium: Evaluating the Efficacy of Micro-fragmented Adipose Tissue and Intra-articular Corticosteroid Injections for Symptomatic Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Placebo Controlled Study. Preliminary Results.
-Albuquerque the Magazine Top Doctor Nominee, Orthopaedic Surgery, March 2020
-UNM Learning Environment Office Exemplary Teacher Recognition, December 2019
-Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Faculty Nomination, 2019
-Albuquerque the Magazine Top Doctor Nominee, Orthopaedic Surgery, March 2019
-Albuquerque the Magazine Top Doctor Nominee, Orthopaedic Surgery, March 2018 -Reviewer for Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, 2018-Present
-Reviewer for American Journal of Sports Medicine, 2016-Present
-Reviewer for UNM Orthopaedic Research Journal, 2017
-Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Association Vernon L. Nickel Award for Excellence in Research by a Resident, 2015
-UNM Orthopaedic Resident Instructor of the Year, 2015
-UNM Most Helpful Chief Resident, 2015
-American Orthopaedic Association Resident Leadership Forum, 2014
-UNM Orthopaedic Outstanding Resident Research Award, 2012
-UNM School of Medicine Faculty Award for Excellence, 2010
-Health Sciences Library Award for Excellence in Informatics, 2010
-UNM School of Medicine Faculty Commendation in Research, 2010
-Medical Student Research Day Poster Presentation Award, Third place, 2010
-Senior Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS), 2010
-Senior Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA), 2009
-La Tierra Sagrada Society Dean’s Endowed Scholarship - excellence in academics and community service, 2007
-Omega Chi Epsilon Chemical Engineering Honor Society, 2003-2004
-Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society, 2002-2004
-La Cueva High School Valedictorian, 2000
-ESPN Magazine: Navy 1st Team Academic All-American for baseball, 2000
Gender
Male
Languages
- English
- Spanish
Courses Taught
University of New Mexico Arthroscopy Skills Course. Course Instructor. Scottsdale,
AZ. 2016-current.
AAOS Instructional Course Lecture. Addressing Controversies & Achieving Consensus in the Management of Multi-ligament Knee Injuries: Surgical Timing and Rehabilitation (STaR) MLKI Study Group. Panel Moderator. AAOS 2024 Annual
Meeting. San Francisco, CA. February 2024.
AANA 6th Annual Fellows and Chief Residents Course. Course Instructor. Chicago, IL. February 2023.
AAOS Fundamentals of Knee and Shoulder Arthroscopy for Orthopaedic Residents.
Course Instructor. Rosemont, IL. September 2018.
Live Surgical Demonstration: Hamstring Tendon Harvest
Lecture: Diagnostic Shoulder Arthroscopy, Standard and Accessory Portals
2018 UNM Orthopaedic Alumni Conference. Co-Course Chair. Albuquerque, NM. June 2018.
Research and Scholarship
Richter DL, Held M, Campos T, Wascher DC, Schenck RC: The Management of Knee Dislocations in the Limited Resource Setting. J Bone Joint Surg. 2020.
Hankins DA, Korcek L, Richter DL: Femoroacetabular Impingement and Management of Labral Tears in the Athlete. Clinics in Sports Medicine. 2020.
Hankins DA, Fletcher IE, Prieto F, Ockuly AC, Myers OB, Treme GP, Veitch A, Wascher DC, Schenck RC, Richter DL: Critical Evaluation of the Methodologic Quality of the Top 50 Cited Articles Relating to Knee Dislocation and Multiligamentous Knee Injury. Orthop J Sports Med. 2019. https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967119880505.
Richter DL, Werner BC, Miller MD: Surgical Pearls in Revision ACL Surgery: When Must I Stage? Clinics in Sports Medicine. 2017;36:173-187.
Richter DL, Schenck RC, Wascher DC, Treme G: Knee Articular Cartilage Repair and Restoration Techniques: A Review of the Literature. Sports Health. 2015; 8(2):153-160.