Mark A. Frankle, M.D.

Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Florida Orthopaedic Institute
Vice-Chair of Research and Clinical Professor, Department of Orthopaedics, University of South Florida

18 U.S. Patents

Mark A. Frankle is an internationally renowned orthopaedic surgeon, inventor, and medical device innovator whose work has transformed the field of shoulder replacement surgery. He is best known for advancing reverse shoulder arthroplasty in the United States through a breakthrough prosthetic design that improved treatment options for patients with severe shoulder arthritis and rotator cuff deficiency, a condition that historically had limited and often unsuccessful surgical solutions.

In the 1990s, Frankle recognized the limitations of the widely used Grammont-style reverse shoulder prosthesis and developed a new approach based on a lateralized center of rotation and a 135-degree humeral neck-shaft angle. This design more closely replicated native shoulder anatomy, improved impingement-free range of motion, and helped preserve remaining muscle function. Though initially met with skepticism, his design principles were eventually validated through clinical outcomes and research, and they are now reflected in modern reverse shoulder prosthetic systems used by major implant manufacturers worldwide.

Frankle holds 18 issued U.S. patents covering innovations in anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty, reverse total shoulder prosthetics, and related surgical systems. His patents have been licensed and commercialized by major medical device manufacturers, and his designs and techniques are used in thousands of procedures annually. His contributions helped establish reverse shoulder arthroplasty as one of the fastest-growing surgical procedures in the United States, now accounting for a majority of shoulder replacement procedures nationally.

Since 1992, Frankle has served as Chief of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery at Florida Orthopaedic Institute in Tampa. He is also Vice-Chair of Research and Clinical Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics at the University of South Florida’s Morsani College of Medicine. His Florida-based career spans clinical care, medical device development, research, and education, helping establish Tampa and the state of Florida as important centers for shoulder arthroplasty innovation.

Frankle is one of the most prolific researchers in shoulder and elbow surgery, with more than 200 peer-reviewed publications and extensive contributions to professional education. Through his leadership at the Foundation for Orthopaedic Research and Education (FORE), he and his team have made contributions to the literature that change practice and improve patient care. He has authored and edited major works on reverse shoulder arthroplasty and has twice received the Charles S. Neer Award, one of the field’s highest honors, in both Basic Science and Clinical Science. He has also served as President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and as an examiner for the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery.