Dr Anna Kropelnicki

OTS Sports Medicine Doctor

BSc(Hons), BMBCh(Oxon), FRCS(Tr&Orth), PGDipSEM, Ph.D.(Cantab)

Dr Anna Kropelnicki became interested in sports medicine through her time as an elite athlete and orthopaedic surgeon. She specialises in injuries related to contact sports, concussion, traumatic injuries, and management of chronic sporting injuries. Anna trained in medicine at Oxford University graduating in 2006. She previously completed a BSc(Hons) in Neuroscience, and a Ph.D. in Neuropsychology at Cambridge University. She pursued medicine originally intending to specialise in brain injury, but her interest in sports injuries pushed her towards trauma and orthopaedics. In 2018, Anna completed her specialist surgical training but before starting as a consultant trauma and orthopaedic surgeon she undertook specialist experience on Fellowships in Sports Orthopaedics in Scotland and Sydney.

Anna competed as an elite goalkeeper in field hockey, playing in the National League (indoor and outdoor) representing some of the best clubs in the UK, training with national squads, and capped for Scotland Universities. After serious injury ended her 25-year sporting career, Anna devoted herself to sports medicine completing a postgraduate diploma in sports and exercise medicine with Bath University in 2015. Her continuing passion for managing sports injury shone through and she has moved to train formally in Sports Medicine through the Overseas Trained Specialist programme in Australia.

Anna is most passionate about working within a multi-disciplinary team to enable athletes at all levels to recover from their injury in the best way possible and return to sport safely.

Interests

Anna spends much of her time providing medical cover and improving medical support for many sports including extreme environment ultra-marathons, rugby, rugby league and several combat sports. Further, apart from playing elite and national level hockey, she has also played high level women’s cricket for Cambridge University, and represented her College’s at soccer and volleyball. More recently, Anna has become a keen hiker and especially enjoys summiting mountains.

Anna also works in concussion research with Headsafe as a consultant clinical research director, investigating better ways to diagnose and manage sports-related concussion.

Team Coverage

  • Team Doctor, Scotland Rugby League (2019-current)
  • Doctor, Macedonia Rugby League (2021-current)
  • Assistant Doctor, Cronulla Sharks (2021-current)
  • Doctor, North Sydney Bears (2020-current)
  • Club/team doctor for Saracen’s Women’s Rugby Union (2013-2017)

Events

  • Doctor, European Student Games, Croatia (2016)
  • Medical lead, Natwest Schools U18 Cup Semi-finals (2016)
  • Field of Play Medical lead, Mountain Biking, Commonwealth Games, Glasgow (2014)
  • Medical director, Sri Chimnoy self-transcendence 24-hour track race (2012-2014)
  • Chief Medical Officer, The Spine Race (2012-2016)
Providing medical cover for a variety of smaller sporting events (Presidents Cup Finals – Glebe-Burwood 2020, Harvey Norman Women’s Rugby League semi-finals 2020, Sevens and the City 2014-2016, Hurling – Londain, Championship and Premiership rugby union 2012-2018, BKB Bare-knuckle boxing World Championship tournament 2017, Senior medical officer Tough Mudder and many others)

Associations & Memberships

Academic

  • Honorary Lecturer, Aberdeen University (2019)
  • Lecturer, Middlesex University (2016-2018)