Mary L. Ireland, MD

Mary Lloyd Ireland, MD is an Orthopaedic Surgeon and Full Clinical Professor in the University of Kentucky's Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine. She received her Medical Degree from the University of Tennessee Center for the Health Sciences in Memphis. Her Orthopedic residency was at the University of California, Irvine. She did two fellowships in Sports Medicine: Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, and Hughston Orthopaedic Clinic in Columbus, Georgia.

She founded the Active Women’s Health Initiative through the College of Health Sciences at the University of Kentucky in 2018. She is the Co-Director of this Initiative with the mission of Optimizing health and promoting physical activity and wellness for girls and women across the lifespan. The “Girls Can” initiative was started in 2019. Now renamed the Active Girls Healthy Women’s Initiative Endowment opportunities are in place. (www.uky.edu/chs/aghw & www.MaryLloydIreland.com/awhi.html).

She is a philanthropist creating the James E Ireland Foundation in 1994. (www.IrelandFoundation.org). She is an advocate for women in professional and athletic arenas. She is a staunch supporter of resident education and shows expertise and skills in caring for patients. She has lectured extensively. (www.MaryLloydIreland.com).

Dr. Ireland served as a Team Physician for EKU for 18 years and Team Physician for the University of Kentucky for 11 years. She served as Medical Coordinator and Head Physician for the Bluegrass State Games for 11 years. 

She was honored to serve in the US Olympic Sports Medicine program for numerous teams. She was the Head Physician at the Olympic Sports Festival in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1990 and served Medical Staff Member at the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain in 1992.

She is a fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons and the American College of Sports Medicine. She is a member of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society, and an affiliate member of the National Athletic Trainers Association.

Dr. Ireland has served on multiple AOSSM committees including Nominating, Hall of Fame, and Youth Sports STOP project. She has served on the Kentucky Medical Association's Committee on School Health, Physical Education, and Medical Aspect of Sports since 1989. She has been a member of the Kentucky State Advisory Council on Athletic Trainers since 1992.

Dr. Ireland has published 48 chapters and 71 articles in peer-reviewed journals. She is co-editor of The Female Athlete (Saunders 2002) and editor of the AAOS Instructional Course Lectures - Sports Medicine, published (2005). She is co-editor of ACSM A Comprehensive Review 2nd

Edition(Walter Klowers 2025) She is involved in numerous endeavors regarding gender differences, injury patterns, treatment, and prevention of injuries of the knee and shoulder.

Dr. Ireland was inducted into the AOSSM Hall of Fame in 2023. She was named Southeast Athletic Trainer's Association (SEATA) Sports Medicine Person of the Year in 1997 and was the recipient of the President's Challenge Award for the National Athletic Trainer's Association (NATA) in 1998.

Dr. Ireland is a member of many professional societies and participates in various capacities on a regular basis.

Dr. Ireland’s professional society memberships include:

• American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

• American College of Sports Medicine, Fellow

• American Orthopaedic Association

• American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine

• American Medical Association

• American Sports Medicine Institute

• ACL Study Group

• Arthroscopy Association of North America

• Fayette County Medical Association

• Forum

• Herodicus Society

• The Hughston Society

• Kentucky Medical Association

• National Athletic Trainers' Association, Inc.

• The Orthopaedic Guild

• Ruth Jackson Orthopaedic Society

Dr. Ireland serves on the editorial board or reviewer for numerous journals including:

• Journal of Sport Rehabilitation,

• American Journal of Sports Medicine

• Journal of Athletic Training

• Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise

• British Journal of Sports Medicine

• Sports Medicine

• ACSM Current Sports Medicine Reports

• Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery

• Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Dr. Ireland Swimming Achievements

• World ranked in breast stroke 1973 and 1974


• Member World University Student Games - Moscow, U.S.S.R., August 1973

• Participant AAU Nationals, 1968-1977


• Participant Olympic Trials – 1972 &1976


• Participant Masters Swimming Championships 1980, 1981, 1984

• KHSAA Hall of Fame inductee 2010