David M. Lutton, M.D.

Biography

Dr. David Lutton is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon, specializing in the upper extremity, specifically shoulder, elbow, and sports injuries. His goal is to care for patients as he would care for a friend or family member.

Communication is critically important to the doctor-patient relationship, and Dr. Lutton strives to help patients understand what is going on inside their joints. Advanced imaging such as MRI studies will be read together in the office. Patients with shoulder arthritis may be evaluated with CT scans to allow for 3D modeling. If they choose, patients can see how state of the art computer technology, custom guides, and 3D printing can be utilized to optimize their treatment both in the office and, if needed, during surgery.

A Northern Virginia native, Dr. Lutton is a graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology and the University of Virginia. He received a Master's degree in Anatomy, and attended the George Washington University School of Medicine, where he graduated with Honors and was elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Medical Honor Society. He completed his Orthopaedic Surgery residency at GWU Medical Center.

Following residency, Dr. Lutton pursued specialty training at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, NY, as the Shoulder & Elbow Fellow for the then president of the Shoulder & Elbow Surgery Society, Evan L. Flatow, M.D. There he received advanced, state-of-the-art training in minimally invasive, arthroscopic, and open techniques for treating all shoulder and elbow pathologies, including:

• Rotator cuff injuries
• Shoulder arthritis and contractures
• Elbow arthritis and contractures
• Shoulder and elbow instability
• Shoulder and elbow fractures

As a high-volume shoulder and elbow surgeon of 15+ years, Dr. Lutton performs hundreds of shoulder replacements (anatomic/resurfacing, and reverse), as well as hundreds of arthroscopic procedures every year.

Washingtonian has named Dr. Lutton as a “Top Doc” every year since 2012, an honor bestowed by physician peers. In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Lutton is an educator. A mentor of medical students, faculty of the George Washington University Orthopaedics Residency, and faculty at national-level courses for other attending surgeons, he educates for the future. At Mt. Sinai Hospital in Manhattan, the orthopaedic residents honored Dr. Lutton with the "2008-2009 Teacher of the Year Award." As an Assistant Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at GWU, he was honored by his residents as“Teacher of the Year” in 2010-2011 and 2023-2024.

Dr. Lutton is an active member of the Mid-Atlantic Shoulder and Elbow Society as well as a member of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Lutton is an active member of the ShARC group (Shoulder Arthroplasty Research Committee), an international group of roughly 35 shoulder surgeons who meet quarterly to advance the field of shoulder arthroplasty. He also volunteers his time as a reviewer for CORR and JSES.

Dr. Lutton's wife, also a Northern Virginia native, is a local primary care physician. In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Lutton enjoys sports, fitness, and spending time with his wife and daughter.