Passionate, Specialized Care for Knees
The Shelbourne Knee Center Adds Physician
Indianapolis North LIVING WELL Magazine
Knee pain is one of the most common reasons people over the age of 50 have for visiting a physician or orthopedic surgeon, but how do you decide where to go for help? Most patients choose to visit an orthopedic surgeon because they specialize in the treatment of joint problems. However, orthopedic surgeons vary in their degree of specialization. Some surgeons specialize in the treatment of only one joint, while others provide care for a wider variety of orthopedic problems. By finding a doctor who specializes in treating patients with knee pain and knee injuries only, you will benefit from the unique skills and experience that they have gained by treating patients with similar conditions.
The staff at The Shelbourne Knee Center has a passion for knees. Founded by orthopedic surgeon K. Donald Shelbourne, MD, the Shelbourne Knee Center specializes in a comprehensive yet personalized approach to knee care. That’s right – just knees!
For the past three decades, Shelbourne and his staff have worked to continually improve the current standards of knee care by studying and documenting the recovery of thousands of patients. The resulting knowledge base provides a frame of reference for knee procedures, recovery, and treatment that no other orthopedist, physical therapist, or athletic trainer can duplicate.
The wealth of information is the foundation of a collaborative approach to patient care that is embraced by the Shelbourne Knee Center physicians, physical therapists, and athletic trainers, who all work closely together to provide individualized care for every patient.
This collaborative treatment philosophy is shared by every member of the Shelbourne Knee Center staff – a staff that is growing as they are adding a third orthopedic surgeon to the practice.
Dr. Rodney Benner worked in the research department at the Shelbourne Knee Center while he was a student at the Indiana University Medical School in 2003. It was at that time that Benner realized he shared Shelbourne’s passion for knee care and he decided to specialize in the treatment of knee conditions and injuries.
Originally from Remington, Indiana, he graduated from Valparaiso University in 2002 and Indiana University Medical School in 2006. Benner completed a residency at the University of Tennessee-Memphis at the Campbell Clinic and a knee joint replacement fellowship at The Insall-Scott-Kelly Institute in New York City.
He has returned home to Indiana to join Shelbourne and Dr. Scott Urch at the only knee specialty clinic in the state. Benner brings the same dedication to informative, collaborative care that is shared by Shelbourne and Urch.
“Can you imagine what it’s like to visit an orthopedic surgeon and be told that the only way to help your knee pain is surgery, so come back when the pain is too much to bear? We have heard that numerous times from patients who come to our office for a second opinion,” says Benner. “We are delighted to share with them that our research shows in many cases, knee pain can be resolved simply by restoring normal motion and strength. We are even further delighted to be able to bring the physical therapists into the patient’s room with us while we explain their condition and treatment plan. It really is a unique set up and one that we are proud of.”
Shelbourne agrees. “We know it’s not typical for a surgeon to work directly with rehab specialists to oversee a non-operative treatment plan, but we are not a typical doctor’s office. In cases where surgery isn’t immediately required, we don’t have to take a wait-and-see approach. We are able to use what we’ve learned from our research and start patients on a physical rehabilitation plan that gets them on the road to recovery.”
“But when surgery is required, our patients are comforted by the fact that we have performed thousands of ACL reconstructions, knee arthroscopies, and total knee replacements,” says Urch. “The combined experience of our surgeons and physical therapy staff is second to none.”
For more information or to schedule an appointment with the Shelbourne Knee Center, please call 317-924-8636, or visit FixKnee.com.
