Dr. Li graduated summa cum laude from Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC and earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, VA. He went on to complete a six-year academic Orthopaedic Surgery residency program at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in Worcester, MA. In addition to the five-year clinical residency, Dr. Li also completed an additional year of orthopaedic surgery research fellowship in Tissue Engineering. His efforts in the laboratory has led to the development of a novel synthetic bone graft substitute for healing of segmental bone defects and was the recipient of the prestigious Resident Clinician Scientist training grant from the OREF to continue his research endeavors. In addition to his research accomplishments, Dr. Li was selected to the AOA Resident Leadership Forum and earned membership into the AOA Emerging Leaders program during his residency.

Dr. Xinning Li has a strong interest in research and believes that it is through research that advances in the field of orthopaedic surgery and patient care is made possible. His research interests focus on tissue engineering, ligament reconstruction, rotator cuff repair outcomes, large database studies, biomechanics, and shoulder arthroplasty. Dr. Li has presented research at international, national, and regional orthopedic meetings numerous times. In addition, he has received multiple research awards and has contributed over 100 peer-reviewed publications/book chapters and over 250 total podium/poster presentations and accepted abstracts to the field of orthopaedics. His research has been published in many of the leading journals in orthopaedic surgery, including The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, The Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research, and the Journal of Orthopaedic Research. He currently sits on the editorial board of three peer-review orthopaedic journals and is an active member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM), the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS), and the Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA).In addition, Dr. Li also serves on the reviewer panel for several major peer-reviewed orthopaedic journals (American Journal of Sports Medicine, Orthopedics, Journal of Orthopaedic Research, Orthopedic reviews, and Knee Surgery Sports Traumatology Arthroscopy).

In 2015, the American Orthopaedic Association selected Dr. Xinning Li as one of five Orthopaedic surgeons in the United States and Canada for the North American Traveling Fellowship (NATF). Considered to be one of the highest honors in academic orthopaedics, the NATF traveling fellowship is awarded every two years to Orthopaedic Surgeons who have shown outstanding clinical, educational, and research accomplishments. Past recipients of this fellowship have gone on to become leaders and pioneers in the field of orthopaedic surgery.

To address disorders affecting the shoulder and knee, Dr. Li specializes in advanced arthroscopic and open surgical techniques. He has a special interest in the care of athletes as he was a NCAA Division I tennis player himself. Dr. Li cares for athletes of all ages, beginning from adolescence through adulthood and at all levels of participation, from the weekend warrior to the high school, collegiate and professional athlete. He believes in a comprehensive approach to patient care, including utilization of physical therapy and conservative management to explore all alternatives of treatment before surgery is considered. His clinical interests and expertise include primary and revision ACL reconstruction, multi-ligament knee injuries, cartilage loss, meniscus injury, patellar instability, rotator cuff and labral tears, shoulder instability (Bankart repair or Laterjet procedure), pectoralis and distal biceps tendon rupture, shoulder arthritis (total and reverse shoulder arthroplasty), and elbow injuries. In addition, Dr. Li has a special interest in complex shoulder reconstruction including muscle transfers for scapula winging, scapula-thoracic pain, revision rotator cuff surgery and failed shoulder arthroplasty. He is dedicated to providing exceptional patient care with the highest level of compassion and expertise.