Dr. Li will begin seeing patients on September 16, 2024.

Dr. Sam Li is an orthopaedic spine surgeon with the Nirschl Orthopaedic Center. He is a native of Maryland who graduated from Thomas S. Wootton High School. He obtained his Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience and Behavior in three years from Wesleyan University. Afterward, he was awarded the Cancer Research Training Award at the National Cancer Institute where he conducted cutting edge, translational research on rhabdomyosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma, osteosarcoma, and neuroblastoma with genome sequencing, molecular and cellular biology techniques, and animal studies. He then attended the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine where he graduated with Honors with Distinction in Research.

Dr. Li was fortunate to return to his home state of Maryland for orthopaedic surgery residency at the world-renowned University of Maryland/R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, where he was exposed to the most complex orthopaedic conditions. During residency, he received further pediatric training at Johns Hopkins Hospital and the International Center for Limb Lengthening at Sinai Hospital in addition to further joint replacement training at the Rubin Institute for Advanced Orthopedics at Sinai Hospital. He was also the team physician for the Wilde Lake High School Wildecats during residency. In his final year of residency, he was selected to be Chief Resident responsible for resident education.

He then moved to New York City and obtained fellowship training in spine surgery at Mount Sinai Hospital, one of only a few programs in North America that is designated as an AO Spine Fellowship Program. There, he was trained in all aspects of spine surgery including degenerative conditions (arthritis), deformity (scoliosis), trauma, disc herniations, and tumors of the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine. He has expertise in minimally invasive and complex spine surgery. Dr. Li is a proponent of exhausting all conservative treatment options before considering surgical treatment. Dr. Li understands that spine surgery may be daunting for patients but he believes in listening to his patients and tailoring a treatment that works best for the patient and their condition.

Dr. Li is active in research and has published in several orthopedic journals. He has also given poster and podium presentations at multiple sub-specialty conferences. He stays up to date on current research in order to tailor the best evidence-based treatment options for his patients. He has been a reviewer for Seminars in Spine Surgery and Neurospine. He is also a pioneer in new techniques and technologies. He helped pioneer biportal endoscopic spine surgery in New York City and is excited to bring minimally invasive surgery back to patients in the DMV area. He is the only DMV spine surgeon to perform biportal endoscopic spine surgery. He is at the forefront of surgical technology and has experience in motion-sparing surgery such as disc replacements and enabling technology in spine surgery such as navigation-assisted or robotic spine surgery.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Ellen, and senior dog, Brayden. He is an avid tennis player and enjoys being outdoors. He also has a love-hate relationship with his golf game. He can be frequently found under a car or tinkering with things around the house and ultimately trying to fix the things he broke. He enjoys exploring new restaurants and traveling. He has a fond appreciation for the visual and performing arts. As someone who enjoys staying active, Dr. Li relates to his patients and hopes to return his patients back to their desired lifestyle. Ultimately, Dr. Li is excited to return home to serve the patients of the DMV area.