I am an orthopedic surgeon at Memorial Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine where I specialize in hand and upper extremity surgery and sports medicine. I treat patients with upper extremity conditions from the fingertips to the shoulder. The most common conditions are compressive neuropathies such as carpal and cubital tunnel and stenosing tenosynovitis, better known as trigger finger. I also treat hand, wrist and elbow trauma, and patients with shoulder conditions such as rotator cuff tears and instability.

I enjoyed math, science and helping other people from a very young age, so becoming a doctor was the perfect fit for my combination of interests. Being the first doctor in my family has been a great responsibility and it’s been humbling to inspire younger family members to follow a career in medicine.

I see patients suffering from chronic conditions and those who suffered a life-changing accident, as well as all types of athletes, from professionals to “weekend warriors” like myself. It’s a privilege to take care of patients no matter their injuries or causes and bring them back to where they were before their ailment. There’s always something we can do to make an impact on their lives and their recovery.

Having been on the other side of the equation, I know how important it is for patients to have adequate time with their physician and understand their condition so they can be empowered to obtain a better outcome. My goal is to provide patients with an understanding of their condition and the spectrum of treatment options that are available. Fortunately, most hand and wrist conditions can be managed successfully with non-operative options.

Medicine, as in sports, is all about the team. I cherish the comradery with the rest of the medical staff at our clinic. We all work together to achieve the same goal: taking care of our patients and returning them to their activities.

In addition to patient care, I also enjoy working with sports teams. As a sports medicine fellow at Inova Hospital, I had the privilege to be part of the medical staff providing care for multiple professional teams including the Washington Nationals (MLB), DC United (MLS), Washington Spirit (NWSL) and the DC Defenders (XFL). I also had the opportunity to take care of athletes from high school to college levels.

Hospital Affiliations

• Memorial Hospital Miramar
• Memorial Regional Hospital

Gender

• Male

Languages

• Spanish

Education

University Of Puerto Rico, 2016

Internships

University Of Puerto Rico, 2017, Orthopedic Surgery

Residency

University Of Puerto Rico, 2021, Orthopedic Surgery

Fellowships

Inova Fairfax Medical Campus, 2023, Sports Medicine
University Of Virginia Medical Center, 2022, Hand Surgery

Certifications

Publications

Please view Dr. Eduardo J. Natal Albelo’s publications on PubMed. 

Research

My current research focuses on hand and upper extremity conditions and the impact of socioeconomic factors on patients’ outcomes. 

 

Recent research projects include:

• Orthopedic Surgery – San Juan, P. R.

• UPR-RCM “Effect on Flexor Tendon Length After Proximal Row Carpectomy and Fusion,” San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2019
• “Hand Surgeon Availability: Hand Surgery Trauma Coverage in Puerto Rico Hospitals,” 2018
• “Orthopedic Surgery Residency Case Log Transition: An Analysis of ACGME Data,” 2017
• “Functional and Disability Assessment Among Hispanics With Zone 2 Flexor Tendon Injuries: Comparative Study Between Flexor Digitorum Superficialis Repair and Flexor Digitorum Superficialis Excision,” 2016-2018

• Summer Externship Program at NYU-HJD NYC, New York

• "Incidence of Shoulder Complications Secondary to Lower Limb Pathology”, 2013

• Anatomy and Neurobiology Department – San Juan, Puerto Rico

• “The effect of the anabolic steroid, nandrolone, in conditioned place preference and D1 dopamine receptor expression in adolescent and adult mice” Behavioral  Processes. 2015 Jan 19. pii: S0376-6357(15)00036-4. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.01.008. Martínez-Rivera FJ1, Natal-Albelo EJ2, Martínez NA3, Orozco-Vega RA4, Muñiz-Seda OA2, Barreto-EstradaJL5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25612844. 2010-12.

Professional Organizations

• American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (Board Eligible)
•  American Society for Surgery of the Hand
•  American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine
•  Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society

Presentations

• American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine Meeting, Speaker on July 14, 2023: “Greater Area Deprivation and Medicaid Insurance Status Adversely Affect Timing of Care and Rate of Re-Injury Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction”