John E. Lapkass, MD

Dr. John Lapkass is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon who specializes in joint replacement and revision surgery as well as providing treatment for sports-related injuries.

Dr. Lapkass joined Alaska Fracture & Orthopedic Clinic in 2005, after spending more than 16 years as an orthopedist at the Alaska Native Medical Center. He has received awards for recognition of and appreciation for providing health care for natives and has conducted field clinics all over the state.

Although he graduated from medical school at the University of California in San Diego, Dr. Lapkass has fully embraced the Alaska lifestyle. He enjoys many different outdoor activities, including all kinds of skiing, mountain and road biking, running, paragliding, and hiking.

He regularly participates in many of the quintessential Alaska adventure races, including the Alaska Mountain Wilderness Classic and the 200-mile Iditasport. He currently holds the record for most Wilderness Classic races finished. In addition to Alaska adventure racing, Dr. Lapkass has also participated in five 100-mile ultra races in Leadville, Colorado, where the average elevation is 10,000 feet.

Not surprisingly, Dr. Lapkass has a special interest in sports medicine. He enjoys arthroscopy, ACL reconstruction, shoulder arthroscopy, instability repair, and rotator cuff repair. He is also proficient in total joint treatment, including hip, knee, elbow, and shoulder. Dr. Lapkass is one of the only orthopedists in Anchorage who performs total elbow replacement, hip arthroscopy, and hip replacement using the direct anterior approach.

Dr. Lapkass is a favorite among his patients, some of whom have followed him to Alaska Fracture & Orthopedic Clinic from the Alaska Native Medical Center.

He is married with one daughter.