Headshot of Brenden Ronna, MD

Brenden B. Ronna, MD

  • Assistant Professor
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Biography

Brenden B. Ronna, MD, is an assistant professor of sports medicine and shoulder surgery in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. He is a fellowship-trained orthopedic sports medicine and shoulder surgeon who specializes in treating shoulder, elbow and knee injuries. 

Dr. Ronna performs arthroscopic and open orthopedic surgery. Additionally, he develops individualized treatment plans based on each patient’s lifestyle, activity level and goals. His patient-centered approach combines evidence-based care, current research and advanced surgical techniques. Ultimately, his goal is to help athletes return to competition and support patients who want to maintain an active lifestyle.

Clinical Interests 

Dr. Ronna treats a wide range of musculoskeletal injuries, including complex shoulder, elbow and knee conditions. Specifically, his expertise includes primary and revision shoulder replacement surgery, open and arthroscopic shoulder stabilization, and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

He also performs elbow ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction and complex knee procedures. These include primary and revision anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, multiligament knee surgery, meniscus repair and transplantation, cartilage restoration, and patellar stabilization.

Whenever possible, Dr. Ronna considers both nonsurgical and surgical treatment options. Additionally, he works closely with each patient to determine the best treatment plan for their recovery.

Education and Training 

Dr. Ronna earned his undergraduate degree in exercise and sport science from the University of Utah. He also received his medical degree from the university and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.

Next, he completed his orthopedic surgery residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. He then completed a visiting fellowship in shoulder and elbow surgery in Munich, Germany. Afterward, he completed a fellowship in orthopedic sports medicine and shoulder surgery at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

During his fellowship training, Dr. Ronna cared for athletes at every level of competition. For example, this included student-athletes at the University of Wisconsin and professional soccer players with Forward Madison FC. Today, he is part of the orthopedic team supporting Texas A&M Athletics, Sam Houston State Athletics and several Houston-area high schools.

Research and Education 

In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Ronna is committed to medical education and training future physicians and surgeons. He has published peer-reviewed research articles and book chapters and presented his findings at national medical meetings.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Ronna enjoys spending time with his wife and sons. Together, they enjoy traveling, sports, baking and taking part in their church and community.

Locations and Appointments 

Dr. Ronna sees patients at our orthopedic clinic in The Woodlands (external link) and Atascocita (external link). You can request an appointment online (external link) or contact the clinic at 713-486-7500. 

Education

Undergraduate Degree
University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
Medical Degree
University of Utah School of Medicine (UUSOM), Salt Lake City, Utah
Residency
Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), Houston, Texas
Fellowship
Visiting Orthopedic Shoulder/Elbow Fellow, Orthopaedische Chirugie Muenchen (OCM), Munich, Germany
Fellowship
Orthopedic Surgery Sports Medicine Fellow, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin

Areas of Interest

Clinical Interests

  • ACL Reconstruction
  • Meniscus, Meniscal Repair, Meniscal Transplant
  • Knee Cartilage Restoration
  • Multiligamentous Knee Reconstruction
  • Patellofemoral Instability
  • Shoulder Arthritis and Shoulder Replacements
  • Revision Shoulder Replacement
  • Proximal Humerus Fractures
  • Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery
  • Rotator Cuff Repair
  • Shoulder Instability, Labral Repairs
  • Open Shoulder Stabilization (Latarjet, Distal Tibial Allograft)
  • Tommy John Surgery (Elbow UCL Reconstruction) and Elbow Instability
  • Throwing Shoulder and Elbow
  • Tennis and Golfer’s Elbow
  • Sports Medicine

Publications

  1. Fiedler, B.; Grey Loyd, N.; Morrow, J.; Cione, N.; Ghali, A.; Ronna, B.; Ahmed, A.S. Spaceflight and Fractures: 5-Year-Fracture Incidence Upon Return From Spaceflight. Wilderness Environ. Med.2026, 10806032261446640
  2. Lam R, Sonia He Z, Thapar R, Wang M, Birhira D, Milad M, Ouellette L, Ghilzai U, Cushing T, Price MB, Ronna B, Atassi O, Perkins C, Dawson J, Granberry W, Harrington M, Dirschl D, Deveza, L. A Review of Medical Ethics in Orthopaedic Surgery: Current Foci and Future Considerations. The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery: 10.2106/JBJS.24.01137, May 2025
  3. Phillips T, Ronna B, Sullivan B, Terner Z, Goldenberg N, Kushare I, Shybut T. Skeletal Maturity Is Associated With Increased Meniscal and Chondral Pathology in Patients Under 21 Years of Age Undergoing Primary Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Within 6 Months of Injury. Arthroscopy. 2024 Sep;40(9):2428-2442. doi: 10.1016/j.arthro.2024.01.022. Epub 2024 Feb 3. PMID: 38311268.
  4. Phillips, T., Ronna, B.,Terner, Z., Cushing, T., Goldenberg, N. & Shybut, T. (2024) After 40 days intra-articular injury, risk profile increases linearly with time to surgery in adolescent patients undergoing primary anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 1–10
  5. Borque, K., Ngo, D., Laughlin, M., Ronna, B., Balendra, G., Pinheiro, V. H. et al. (2024) Lateral extra-articular tenodesis at primary ACL reconstruction increases career length in professional rugby players. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 1–7.
  6. Ronna B, Guan J, Karsy M, Service J, Ekins A, Jensen R. A Survey of Neurosurgery Residency Program Coordinators: Their Roles, Responsibilities, and Perceived Value. Cureus. 2019 Apr 14;11(4):e4457. doi: 10.7759/cureus.4457. PMID: 31205843; PMCID: PMC6561522
  7. Yoon SK, Thiese MS, Ott U, Kapellusch J, Merryweather A, Wood EM, Ronna BB, Foster J, Drury DL, Hegmann KT. The Role of Elbow Tender Point Examination in the Diagnosis of Lateral Epicondylitis. J Occup Environ Med. 2019 Feb;61(2):126-131. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000001496. PMID: 30507788
  8. Ott U, Thiese MS, Ronna BB, Hegmann K, Hegmann KT. Opioid use: Case-control analyses of worker’s compensation data. J Opioid Manag. 2018 Jul/Aug;14(4):273-281. doi: 10.5055/jom.2018.0459. PMID: 30234924
  9. Evans D, Ranvindra V, Ronna BB, Rubiano A, Hawryluk G. Validation of New Approach to Reading Post-Traumatic Cranial Imaging [Abstract]. Journal of Neurotrauma. A53. July 2017.
  10. Gamboa NT, Ronna B, Gamboa CT, Palmer CA, Park MS, Gurgel RK, Couldwell WT, Kalani MYS. Giant Cell Tumor of the Lateral Skull Base: Diagnostic and Management Options. J Neurol Surg Rep. 2018 Apr;79(2):e41-e54. doi: 10.1055/s-0038-1645885. Epub 2018 May 25. PMID: 29845001; PMCID: PMC5969995
  11. Thiese MS, Hanowski RJ, Moffitt G, Kales SN, Porter RJ, Ronna B, Hartenbaum N, Hegmann KT. A retrospective analysis of cardiometabolic health in a large cohort of truck drivers compared to the American working population. Am J Ind Med. 2018 Feb;61(2):103-110. doi: 10.1002/ajim.22795. Epub 2017 Nov 8. PMID: 29114913
  12. Thiese MS, Ronna B, Ott U. P value interpretations and considerations. (external link)J Thorac Dis. 2016 Sep;8(9):E928-E931. doi: 10.21037/jtd.2016.08.16. PMID: 27747028; PMCID: PMC5059270
  13. Thiese MS, Ronna B, Robbins RB. Misuse of statistics in surgical literature. J Thorac Dis. 2016 Aug;8(8):E726-30. doi: 10.21037/jtd.2016.06.46. PMID: 27621909; PMCID: PMC4999723
  14. Ronna BB, Thiese MS, Ott U, Effiong A, Murtaugh M, Kapellusch J, Garg A, Hegmann K. The Association Between Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Motor Vehicle Crashes Among Professional Truck Drivers. J Occup Environ Med. 2016 Aug;58(8):828-32. doi: 10.1097/JOM.0000000000000806. PMID: 27414010; PMCID: PMC4980233
  15. Thiese MS, Effiong AC, Ott U, Passey DG, Arnold ZC, Ronna BB, Muthe PA, Wood EM, Murtaugh MA. A Clinical Trial on Weight Loss among Truck Drivers. Int J Occup Environ Med. 2015 Apr;6(2):104-12. doi: 10.15171/ijoem.2015.551. PMID: 25890604; PMCID: PMC6977040