Dr. Trpimir Vrdoljak
Dr. Trpimir Vrdoljak is an orthopedic surgeon in Zagreb with extensive experience in sports medicine, arthroscopic surgery, joint replacement, and the conservative treatment of joint and soft-tissue injuries. He sees patients through Patela, where he treats a broad range of orthopedic conditions involving the hip, knee, shoulder, ankle, tendons, and cartilage. His work includes both sports-related injuries and chronic degenerative problems that affect pain, movement, and everyday function.
Clinical focus
Dr. Vrdoljak’s practice combines operative orthopedics with structured non-surgical treatment planning. He commonly evaluates patients with hip pain, knee instability, meniscal injuries, ligament injuries, shoulder instability, tendon ruptures, cartilage damage, overuse syndromes, and degenerative joint disease. His sports medicine background is especially valuable for professional athletes, recreational athletes, and physically active adults who need a treatment plan that supports recovery, return to activity, and long-term joint function.
- Hip replacement surgery, including direct anterior approach cases in selected patients
- Primary, partial, and revision knee replacement procedures
- Knee arthroscopy for meniscal, ligament, patellar, and cartilage conditions
- Shoulder arthroscopy for instability, tendon, and ligament problems
- Selected hip and ankle procedures, including arthroscopic treatment where appropriate
- Reconstruction of ruptured tendons and biologic treatment planning for selected injuries
Procedures and treatment planning
Operative orthopedics
His operative scope includes primary and revision hip arthroplasty, primary total and partial knee replacement, revision knee arthroplasty, knee arthroscopy, and arthroscopic shoulder procedures. Within knee surgery, this includes meniscus repair or removal, cruciate and collateral ligament reconstruction, patellar stabilization, and treatment of damaged cartilage. Within shoulder surgery, his work includes stabilization procedures and selected tendon and ligament reconstruction. Patients exploring surgical treatment through ZagrebMed may also be interested in services such as total hip endoprosthesis - TEP, knee arthroscopy and meniscus repair, ligament reconstruction - ACL, and arthroscopic shoulder surgery.
Conservative and biologic treatment
In addition to surgery, Dr. Vrdoljak also works with conservative strategies for sports injuries and chronic damage affecting muscles, tendons, cartilage, and joints. His treatment planning may include injection-based therapy and biologic approaches in selected cases, depending on the diagnosis, tissue involved, activity level, and treatment goals. On ZagrebMed, this connects naturally with services such as PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) therapy and ACP (Autologous Conditioned Plasma).
His approach is based on careful clinical evaluation, imaging findings when needed, the extent of structural damage, symptom severity, and the functional goals of each patient. This helps patients understand whether surgery is appropriate at the current stage or whether a well-planned conservative approach may still be the better next step.
Education and professional background
Dr. Vrdoljak graduated from the University of Zagreb School of Medicine in 1998 and completed his orthopedic specialist training at University Hospital Sveti Duh in Zagreb. His additional training includes an EFORT fellowship in Switzerland and further education in Belgium focused on the direct anterior hip replacement technique. He is also a member of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, EFORT.
From early in his career, he has been closely connected with sports medicine. He worked with the Sports Clinic of the Zagreb Sports Association, served as team doctor for the Croatian national athletics team and the Croatian men’s and women’s national volleyball teams, and was the personal physician of ATP player Marcos Baghdatis from 2012 to 2013. This experience adds important perspective for patients seeking treatment after sports injuries or planning a safe return to training and competition.
If you would like to explore orthopedic treatment options with Dr. Vrdoljak, you can send an inquiry through ZagrebMed.
Qualifications
Dr. Trpimir Vrdoljak graduated from the University of Zagreb School of Medicine in 1998. He completed his orthopedic specialist training at University Hospital Sveti Duh in Zagreb. His additional professional education includes an EFORT fellowship in Switzerland and further surgical training in Belgium focused on the direct anterior hip replacement technique.
Experience
Dr. Vrdoljak has been active in orthopedic practice since 1999. Earlier in his career, he worked with the Sports Clinic of the Zagreb Sports Association. He also served as team doctor for the Croatian national athletics team and the Croatian men’s and women’s national volleyball teams. From 2012 to 2013, he was the personal physician of ATP player Marcos Baghdatis. His clinical work includes both operative and conservative orthopedic treatment, with a focus on sports injuries, arthroscopy, arthroplasty, and biologic treatment planning. Publicly available professional profiles also connect him with the orthopedic surgery and sports medicine team at St. Catherine Specialty Hospital.
Publications
Dr. Vrdoljak is listed as co-author on several publicly indexed publications in the fields of orthopedics, regenerative treatment, and joint preservation. These include A 24-Month Follow-Up Study of the Effect of Intra-Articular Injection of Autologous Microfragmented Fat Tissue on Proteoglycan Synthesis in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis, Knee Osteoarthritis: A Review of Pathogenesis and State-Of-The-Art Non-Operative Therapeutic Considerations, Immunophenotyping of a Stromal Vascular Fraction from Microfragmented Lipoaspirate Used in Osteoarthritis Cartilage Treatment and Its Lipoaspirate Counterpart, Medicinal signaling cells niche in stromal vascular fraction from lipoaspirate and microfragmented counterpart, and One-stage bilateral total hip replacement using direct anterior approach via “bikini” incision: a case report.
Membership
Dr. Vrdoljak is a member of the European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, EFORT.
Certificates
His additional certified and documented professional training includes the EFORT fellowship in Switzerland and advanced education in Belgium focused on the direct anterior hip replacement technique.