The Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky

Specialty Care – (Evaluation and Treatment)

Orthopeadic Institute of Western Kentucky offers a wide variety of services to patients at our Orthopedic Center.

Foremost is time with an orthopedic specialist. This specialty care may include education or consultation about a disorder or injury or a discussion of medical and surgical treatment options.

Injection therapy may be involved in certain cases, or pre-operative planning, and postoperative care with some patients.

X-Ray

The Radiology Department here at the Othopeadic Institute of Western Kentucky is equipped with a digital x-ray unit and staffed by certified technologists. By x- raying our patients here, we are able to provide the physicians with the types of images they need to be able to diagnose and treat your symptoms on the spot. By reading your e-rays here our doctors eliminate another charge to the patient and also expedite your care.

Physical Therapy

Our physical therapy department provides services related to injury prevention and rehabilitation for the physically active. We welcome you to this section, a tool developed to assist YOU in discovering solutions to your health care concerns. Whether you represent industry, athletics, or the general public...

"We simply do what's best for you!"

We offer orthopedic physical therapy services to patients under the care of any orthopedic surgeon at The Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky. Therapy plans designed to meet the individual needs of each patient are developed by licensed physical therapists. Expert rehabilitation services are provided by Rob Caturano, PT (over 15 years experience) and Gordon Dugan, MS, PT, Julian Phan, PTA, Paul Nelson, PTA, Kim Crise, PTA, Elena Swick, ATC and Anisa Cox, Certified Personal Trainer.

We are your first choice in musculoskeletal restoration and enhancement. We do more than treat injuries, we can help prevent them from occurring by utilizing our specialized services. Our professionally trained and highly qualified staff is here to meet all of your treatment and prevention needs.

Our Philosophy

We are committed to providing professional excellence by always putting the patients first. We are strongly committed to honesty, quality, and responsiveness to our customers needs.

Our Mission

Our mission is to provide services of the highest quality to our patients in order to attain optimal musculoskeletal function in a cost effective and timely manner.

Treatment Approach

Our approach to healing makes us unique in providing physical therapy and rehabilitation. We treat injuries utilizing the sports medicine model, which has been shown to facilitate a rapid return to activity. We have seen injured clients returning to work, sports, or daily activities more quickly because of rapid rehabilitation and recovery.

Our Specialties

Outpatient Treatment Services

• Orthopedic Rehabilitation
• Biomechanical Analysis
• Muscle Performance Testing
• Joint Bracing and Taping
• Foot Orthotic Fabrication
• Gait Analysis and Training
• Injury Prevention Training
• Fitness/Wellness Programs
• High School Sports Outreach
• Sport Enhancement Program

Surgery

Surgeries will be performed at The Ambulatory Surgery Center, Western Baptist Hospital and Lourdes Hospital.

Thane DeWeese, M.D.

Thane DeWeese, M.D. grew up in Saint Louis, Missouri. He is married with 4 children. He earned his medical degree at Vanderbilt University in 1991 and completed his orthopedic residency at Emory University in 1996. He completed a joint replacement fellowship with Dr. Leo Whiteside in Saint Louis, Missouri in 1997.

Dr. DeWeese has practiced in Paducah at Lourdes Hospital since 2001. He is board certified in Orthopedic surgery and is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Medical Association, Southern Orthopaedic Association, Kentucky Medical Association & McCracken County Medical Society.

Stephen H. Jackson, MD

Dr. Jackson is a native of Kirbyton, Kentucky. He is a graduate of Murray State University and University of Kentucky School of Medicine. In 1986, he completed his Orthopaedic Surgery residency training program at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield, Illinois. Dr. Jackson has 23 years experience in total joint reconstruction and fracture care.

Dr. Jackson has Full Staff Privileges at Western Baptist Hospital. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons,a Diplomat of the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, a member of the American Medical Association, Kentucky Medical Association, McCracken County Medical Society and the Southern Medical Association. Dr Jackson has had articles published in the professional journal Orthopaedics. He has given numerous presentations to area societies and industries, including topics such as Sports Medicine, Trauma, Running Injuries, Spine Injuries, Preventable Injuries and General Orthopaedics.

Shiraz K. Patel, M.D.

Shiraz K. Patel, MD is a native of Chicago, Illinois. He is a graduate of Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota and University of Minnesota School of Medicine. In 1998 he finished his orthopaedic residency at Washington University School of Medicine In St. Louis, Missouri. Dr. Patel did his fellowship in Adult Joint Reconstruction and Trauma. He has been trained in Minimally Invasive Total Knee Replacement and Hip Replacement which are his primary focuses. Dr. Patel has been certified in Anterior Supine Hip Replacement, Hip Resurfacing and is one of the few trained to do complex Total Knee and Hip Revisions.

Dr. Patel is on active staff at Lourdes Hospital in Paducah, Kentucky. He is Board Certified in Orthopedic Surgery and is a member of The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, American Medical Association, Kentucky Medical Association, and McCracken County Medical Association.

Burton N. Stodghill, MD

Dr. Stodghill is a native of Paducah, Kentucky. He is a graduate of Paducah Tilghman High School (Valedictorian), Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee, and the University of Louisville School of Medicine. In 2001, he completed his Orthopaedic Surgery residency training program in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky. Dr. Stodghill has been in private practice Orthopaedic Surgery since July 2001.

Dr. Stodghill is a member of the Kentucky Medical Association, McCracken County Medical Society and the Southern Medical Association. Dr. Stodghill has given presentations at the Louisville Orthopaedic Society and the Kentucky Orthopaedic Society. Among those were "Torsional Stability of the Intramedullary Humerus Compression Nailing" and "Fracture Site Compression and Stability of Humerus Fractures with IC Compression Nail".

Spine

* Click on Play button to play video

Clint P. Hill, M.D.

Clint P. Hill, M.D. is an orthopedic spine surgeon whose training and experience include the latest techniques in cervical, thoracic and lumbar procedures. He is trained and certified in the use of both FDA approved cervical artificial disc replacements, has performed hundreds of minimally invasive spinal procedures as well as the standard surgeries for treating virtually all spinal pathology.

Dr. Hill is a native of East Tennessee, growing up in the Gatlinburg area and is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. After completing his undergraduate work at UT, he attended East Tennessee State University for medical school. From there Dr. Hill completed a five year orthopedic surgery residency in Jackson, Mississippi at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Upon completion of his residency, Dr. Hill completed a long term fellowship in spinal surgery under the direction of Robert McGuire, M.D. Dr. Hill then moved to the Johnson City, TN area for two years where he practiced and treated a wide variety of spinal problems and traumatic injuries. He and his family have recently relocated to Paducah, Kentucky.

During Dr. Hill's residency and fellowship, he was involved in various research projects that included an investigation looking at the different effects of dynamic versus static plating in the anterior cervical spine. Also, Dr. Hill has completed research on the use of alternative bone void fillers to be used with the kyphoplasty procedure. In addition to this Dr. Hill is actively involved in product development with two separate spine manufacturing companies, primarily working on the design of new and more efficacious spinal implants.

During Dr. Hill's time in college and medical school, he served nine years in the Army National Guard and prior to attending undergraduate, Dr. Hill spent four years working on NASCAR, Winston Cup teams as a pit crew member and cylinder head specialist. Just after completion of his Bachelor's degree, Dr. Hill was married to his wife Kathy and through the years that have followed, the two have had five children (four boys and one girl). Dr. Hill spends his time away from work with his children, hunting, fishing, & flying airplanes.

K. Brandon Strenge, MD

A fellowship trained Orthopaedic spine surgeon, K. Brandon Strenge, M.D. specializes in minimally invasive microsurgery and motion preserving procedures for the treatment of cervical and lumbar disorders.

Dr. Strenge began his pre-medical training at Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL where he graduated cum laude with university honors while obtaining degrees in Zoology, Chemistry, and Psychology.

He then attended Southern Illinois University in Springfield, IL where he completed both his medical degree and residency in Orthopedic Surgery.

Dr. Strenge completed his fellowship in Spinal Surgery at the Spine Institute in Santa Monica, CA under the supervision of three world-renowned spine surgeons, Drs. Rick Delamarter, Michael Kropf, and Hyun Bae.

While training with these pioneers in the field of Spine Surgery, he gained extensive experience with motion preserving artificial disc replacement techniques as well as minimally invasive microsurgical procedures.

Sports Medicine

The Sports Medicine Clinic is a specialized program within The Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky. Our Sports Medicine Clinic is a comprehensive sports medicine center, offering integrated injury evaluation, operative and non-operative treatment and functional rehabilitation. The staff of experienced physicians, physician assistants, certified athletic trainers, and physical therapists treat patients for athletic and recreational injuries sustained by people of all ages.

Our patients range from the little league baseball player, or a mother or father interested in staying fit, to those who are just slightly active and have an injury interfering with their quality of life. These people, in addition to the high school, collegiate, and professional athletes, will benefit from the care of a sports medicine professional. Through advances in surgical techniques, our orthopedic sports medicine department can treat and rehabilitate athletes whose types of injuries were once career-ending. In addition to improved surgical techniques, sports medicine has also made tremendous strides in identifying, treating and preventing sports-related injuries through non-operative care.

The Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky is proud to introduce Dr. Brian Kern to its newly established Sports Medicine Clinic. Dr. Kern is an Orthopaedic Surgeon, fellowship-trained in sports medicine and arthroscopic and reconstructive surgery of the shoulder, knee, hip and ankle. Dr. Kern is the first Sports Medicine fellowship-trained Orthopaedic Surgeon to reside in this region and offers the latest in arthroscopic surgical techniques.

Dr. Kern completed a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI) in Los Angeles. While there he participated in the care of individuals in the NBA, MLS, NFL, PGA, college and high school athletics, those in the TV and movie industry, as well as, weekend warriors. He was mentored by nationally and internationally renowned, fellowship trained experts, several of which have been listed in Castle Connolly's “Best Doctors in America” and Los Angeles Magazine's “Southern California Super Doctors”.

He has extensive training in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, knee, hip and ankle, as well as shoulder and knee replacement.

While in Los Angeles he co-authored a chapter on cartilage transplantation in the ankle (ACI), and is currently working with SCOI to publish results on the largest series of patients undergoing ACI in the ankle in the United States. He also is doing research on outcome scores in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.

He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Arthroscopy Association of North America and American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Our goal at The Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky Sports Medicine Clinic is to assist our patients in returning to normal activity in the shortest amount of time possible without risk of re-injury. Sports medicine and fitness health care providers can help you prevent and recover from injuries, whether you are a world class athlete or just slightly active. Sports medicine and fitness practitioners also help to maximize your level of physical function, by working with you to design an exercise training program to help you return to activity. By assisting in the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of the injured athlete, our Sports Team will get you back in the game!!"

Workers' Compensation

The physicians and staff at the Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky are dedicated to providing the injured worker with the highest quality medical care and services. Early diagnosis and treatment not only allows the injured worker to return safely to work, it helps keep the cost of medical treatment and lost time at work to a minimum.

It is our goal at The Orthopaedic Institute of Western Kentucky to provide efficient care to our patients with work related injuries by concentrating on: immediate access to our physicians, providing superior service from dedicated staff while providing excellent communication for work status reports and medical records.

Please contact Donna @ (270)-450-7234 to coordinate billing and to obtain a direct line of communication for your organization and your employee.

Hand

Foot & Ankle

Brian S. Kern, MD

Brian S. Kern M.D. is an Orthopaedic Surgeon, fellowship-trained in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic and Reconstructive surgery of the shoulder, knee, hip and ankle. Dr. Kern is the first Sports Medicine fellowship-trained Orthopaedic Surgeon to reside in this region and offers the latest in arthroscopic surgical techniques.

Dr. Kern grew up on a grain and cattle farm in rural Southern Illinois. He attended Rend Lake Community College on a baseball and basketball scholarship and was an Academic All-American. He was awarded a Division I scholarship to pitch for the Saint Louis University baseball team. From there he signed a professional contract to pitch for the Oakland A's where he was named the Dave Stewart Community Service Player of the Year.

He attended the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine where he completed both his medical degree and residency in Orthopaedic Surgery. He also served eight years in the Army National Guard during that time.

Dr. Kern then completed a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Southern California Orthopedic Institute (SCOI) in Los Angeles. While there he participated in the care of individuals in the NBA, MLS, NFL, PGA, college and high school athletics, those in the TV and movie industry, as well as weekend warriors. He was mentored by nationally and internationally renowned, fellowship trained experts, several of which have been listed in Castle Connolly's “Best Doctors in America” and Los Angeles Magazine's “Southern California Super Doctors”.

Dr. Kern has extensive training in arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, knee, hip and ankle, as well as shoulder and knee replacement.

While in Los Angeles he co-authored a chapter on cartilage transplantation in the ankle (ACI), and is currently working with SCOI to publish results on the largest series of patients undergoing ACI in the ankle in the United States. He also is doing research on outcome scores in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.

He is a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, Arthroscopy Association of North America and American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine.

Dr. Kern lives in Paducah with his wife Summer and their 2 year-old son Caden. Outside of the office he enjoys hunting, fishing, exercising, golfing, bowling, skiing, watching sports and spending time with family.