Richard A. Zell, MD

Dr. Zell is a Board Certified Orthopaedic Surgeon who has worked in the New Haven area since 2001. He specializes in Foot & Ankle Surgery, Knee Surgery and Orthopaedic Trauma/Fracture care.

Dr. Zell's interests in Foot and Ankle Surgery include: ankle reconstruction procedures (such as ankle fusion), ankle replacement, ankle arthroscopy, forefoot reconstruction (such as bunion surgery), tendon disorders (such as Achilles tendonitis), nerve disorders (such as tarsal tunnel syndrome). He has been able to use his training in Sports Medicine to become an expert on sports injuries of the ankle or foot(such as talar dome OCD and ankle instability) and has been able to treat many of these conditions using advanced arthroscopic techniques.  Dr.Zell has extensive experience in treatment of all ankle and foot fractures (ankle fractures, talus fractures, calcaneus fractures, lisfranc injuries and 5th metatarsal fractures).

Dr. Zell also has extensive experience in knee surgery including: meniscal injuries, ACL injuries, patella-femoral problems, fractures, and arthritis.  He is experienced in all types of arthroscopic knee surgery including ACL reconstruction, meniscal repair and reconstruction of the patella-femoral joint. He has an interest in the care of patients with knee arthritis including the use of non-operative treatments (such as Viscosupplementation injections) and knee replacement surgery.

Dr. Zell graduated from the University of Notre Dame and attended medical school at the State University of New York at Stony Brook. He completed a five year residency in Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Connecticut Integrated Residency Program (University of Connecticut Health Center, Hartford Hospital, Saint Francis Hospital and Connecticut Children's Medical Center). Dr. Zell continued his training with two Orthopaedic fellowships. The first Fellowship was in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopy. The second Fellowship was in Foot & Ankle Surgery at the Hospital for Joint Diseases (an Orthopaedic Specialist Hospital) in New York City.

Dr. Zell is an Assistant Clinical Instructor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the Yale School of Medicine. He has been awarded the 2004 Yale Orthopaedic Residents teaching award. This award is given annually to the community attending physician who contributes the most to the Orthopaedic Resident's education.

He has been selected by New Haven Living Magazine in 2012, 2015 and 2016 as a "Best Doc" for Foot and Ankle Surgery.

In 2017, he was appointed the prestigious honor of Chair of the Membership Committee of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (Dr. Zell was appointed by the Jeffrey E. Johnson, MD and Dr. Zell has accepted the role of Chair.)

Dr. Zell treats patients in our Hamden, Milford, and Branford locations.

Hamden, CT: 9 Washington Avenue, 06518 | See Map

Tel: 203-865-6784 
Fax: 203-865-6788

Branford, CT: 469 West Main Street, 06405 | See Map

Tel: 203-865-6784 
Fax: 203-865-6788

Milford, CT: 30 Commerce Park, 06460 | See Map

Tel: 203-865-6784 
Fax: 203-865-6788

Dr.Zell performs surgery at Yale New Haven Hospital(St. Raphael’s Campus and York Street) Shoreline Surgery Center, Milford Hospital and Connecticut Orthopaedic Institute at MidState Medical Center. 

Appointments with Dr.Zell can be made by calling (203) 865-6784.