Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery
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Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Micro Surgery |
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CMKI FacultyThe faculty are primarily surgeons from Kleinert, Kutz and Associates:
Joseph E. Kutz, M.D., FACS
Thomas W. Wolff, M.D.
Tsu-Min Tsai, M.D.
Luis R. Scheker, M.D.
Warren C. Breidenbach, M.D., FRCS(C)
Thomas Harter, MD
Margaret Napolitano, MD
Rodrigo Moreno, MD
Tuna Ozyurekoglu, MD
Huey Y. Tien, MD
Sunil M. Thirkannad, MD
Michelle D. Palazzo, MD
Rodrigo N. Banegas, MD
Erdogan Atasoy, M.D., FACS
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Resources | Kleinert Kutz 2007 Magazine |
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Copyright © 2007 by The Christine M. Kleinert Institute except as noted. See the copyright statement for details.
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Dr. Kleinert graduated from Temple University Medical School in 1946
and received its Distinguished Alumni Scientific Achievement Award in Surgery in 1987. His
postgraduate training was completed at Grace Hospital in Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Kleinert
founded the University of Louisville Hand Clinic in 1953 for comprehensive care of hand
patients. In 1960, the Christine M. Kleinert Fellowship in Hand Surgery was established
for those residents desiring postgraduate training. Over 900 surgeons from 49 countries
have now trained with Dr. Kleinert. Dr. Kleinert is Clinical Professor of Surgery at the
University of Louisville and at Indiana University-Purdue University, and served as
President of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand in 1976. He was the recipient of
the Scientific Achievement Award from the American Medical Association in 1980. Dr.
Kleinert was appointed a National Consultant in Hand Surgery to the Surgeon General,
United States Air Force in 1973. He has written more than 200 scientific publications.
Dr. Kutz is a past Director of the Christine M. Kleinert Fellowship in
Hand Surgery. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1958, received his
postgraduate training at the University of Louisville, and served as a Christine M.
Kleinert Hand Fellow for one year in 1963. He received the University of Detroit
President's Cabinet Award in 1979. Dr. Kutz is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the
University of Louisville. He is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand
and is past President of the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, past
President of the Jefferson County Medical Society and past Treasurer for the International
Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery. Dr. Kutz has 75 publications to his credit, 15 of
which have appeared in textbooks. 
Dr. Wolff is the Director of the Christine M. Kleinert Fellowship in
Hand Surgery. He graduated from Indiana University in 1969 and received his postgraduate
training at Charlotte Memorial Hospital in North Carolina. He served as a Christine M.
Kleinert Hand Fellow for one year in 1976. Dr. Wolff is currently Assistant Clinical
Professor of Surgery (Orthopaedics) at the University of Louisville. He is an active
member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and a member of the American
Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. His special interests include brachial plexus surgery and
reconstructive procedures such as muscle transfers for shoulder and elbow function.
Dr. Tsai graduated from National Taiwan University, Republic of China,
in 1961. He received post-graduate training at both National Taiwan University Hospital
and the University of Louisville Hospital. Dr. Tsai served as a Christine M. Kleinert Hand
Fellow in 1976. He is now Clinical Professor of Othopaedic Surgery at the University of
Louisville. He is a Fellow in the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, holds
memberships in the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery and the International
Society of Reconstructive Microsurgery, and is an active member of the American Society
for Surgery of the Hand. Dr. Tsai has more than 90 publications.
Dr. Scheker graduated from the University of Santo Domingo, Dominican
Republic, and received his postgraduate training in plastic and reconstructive surgery
with the University of Glasgow in Scotland. He served as a Christine M. Kleinert Hand
Fellow for one year in 1982 and then as a Research Fellow with the Louisville Institute
for Hand and Microsurgery. Dr. Scheker is currently Assistant Clinical Professor of
Surgery (Plastic and Reconstructive) at the University of Louisville. Dr. Scheker's
special interests include microvascular reconstruction, congenital anomalies and the
distal radio-ulnar joint. Along with Drs. Amit Gupta and
Dr. Breidenbach graduated from the University of Calgary, Canada, and received his postgraduate training at McGill University, Montreal, in plastic
surgery. He served a one-year Microsurgery Fellowship with the Eastern Virginia
Medical School in Norfolk, followed by one year as a Christine M. Kleinert Hand Fellow.
His work on vascularized nerve grafts received the American Society of Plastic and
Reconstructive Surgery (ASPRS) Clinical Research Scholarship Award. He was then
appointed the first Hand Scholar with the Louisville Institute for Hand and Microsurgery
for a period of two years. Dr. Breidenbach received the Senior Award of the ASPRS
for his work in blood flow to nerves. Dr. Breidenbach acted as lead surgeon on each of the two hand transplants performed in the United States. He is an Assistant Clinical Professor of Surgery
(Plastic and Reconstructive) at the University of Louisville. Dr. Breidenbach has served
on several committees of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and as Secretary of
the American Society for Peripheral Nerve.
Dr. Harter graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine in
1975. He completed a General Surgery Residency and Surgical Research Fellowship from New
York Hospital-Cornell Medical Center in 1982. He then completed his Plastic Surgery
Residency from Duke University Medical Center in 1984. In 1983, he served as a Christine
M. Kleinert Hand Fellow and was later certified by the American Board of Surgery and the
American Board of Plastic Surgery. Currently, Dr. Harter is an Assistant Clinical
Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery with the University of Louisville and has
served as past President of the Jefferson County Medical Society. He is a Fellow of the
American College of Surgeons and is a member of the American Society for Surgery of the
Hand.
Dr. Napolitano graduated from the University of Florida College of Medicine in 1993 where she received the Outstanding Student Plastic Surgery Department Award. She completed a general surgery residency in 1998 at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. She then completed a plastic and reconstructive surgery fellowship at the University of Florida Department of Surgery in 2000 followed by a hand and microsurgery fellowship at the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery, Inc. in Louisville, Kentucky.
Dr. Napolitano is certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support, Advanced Burn Life Support, and Advanced Cardiac Life Support, and is board certified in general surgery. She is a member of the American College of Surgeons, American Medical Association, Interplast, Kentucky Medical Society, and American Society for Surgery of the Hand.
Her special interests include general plastic surgery and hand surgery.
Dr. Moreno graduated from the Colombian School of Medicine “Bosque University” in 1993. He then completed a residency in Orthopedic and Trauma surgery where he received a National Research Award. In 2001, he completed a one-year fellowship at the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery in Louisville, Kentucky then continued as a Senior Fellow until 2004 and ultimately as Hand Scholar.
In February 2004, Dr. Moreno joined Kleinert Kutz as staff. In addition, he accepted the appointment as physician to the Commission for Children With Special Health Care Needs. He was appointed Assistant Clinical Professor with the University of Louisville Department of Surgery, Division of Hand Surgery.
His special interests include distal radius fractures, elbow pathology, and congenital surgery.
Dr. Ozyurekoglu graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey in 1994. He completed Orthopedics and Traumatology residency in Ankara Emergency Care and Traumatology Hospital in 1998 and is certified by the Turkish Ministry of Health. He completed a hand and microsurgery fellowship at Manus Hand Surgery Center, Istanbul, Turkey. He also completed a hand and microsurgery fellowship at the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery, Louisville, Kentucky in 2001. Later he served as a senior fellow in 2002 and 2003.
Dr. Ozyurekoglu was awarded an education grant by Danish Government during his residency and completed a fellowship in Hand Surgery at Rigshospital of Copenhagen University, Copenhagen, Denmark. He also received the basic science research grant award of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand in 2001.
He is a clinical instructor in Hand Surgery, at the Department of Surgery, University of Louisville. His special interests include the reconstruction of the wrist and elbow joint, sports and traumatic injuries, microsurgical reconstruction of upper extremity defects.
Dr. Tien graduated from Chung Shan Medical University Taiwan in 1986. He completed Orthopedic residency at Taiwan Provincial Tao-Yuan General Hospital in Taiwan. He served a one-year fellowship as a clinical fellow with the Christine M. Kleinert Institute and one year as a senior fellow. He then completed a residency at University of Louisville School of Medicine in General Surgery, the final year serving as Administrative Chief Resident. He is Board Certified in General Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery and Hand Surgery in Taiwan, and is Board Certified in General Surgery and Hand Surgery in the United States.
He is currently clinical assistant professor at University of Louisville School of Medicine. He is also a member of AO Musculoskeletal Trauma “Hand” Faculty.
His special interests include trauma, microsurgery, and entrapment syndrome.
Dr. Thirkannad graduated from Bangalore Medical College, India in 1991. He subsequently completed his Residency in Orthopedic Surgery in 1996 where he was awarded the Lupin Gold Award and Natarajan Gold Medal. He obtained a Masters Degree in Orthopedic Surgery in 1996 and was certified by the National Board of Examinations in 1997. He completed a Fellowship in Hand and Microsurgery from the National University of Singapore in 2003 and from the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery in 2004.
Prior to his arrival in Louisville, Dr. Thirkannad was an Assistant Professor and Board Examiner in Orthopedic Surgery at the Rajiv Gandhi Health University, Bangalore, India. He is currently Assistant Clinical Professor in Hand Surgery at the University of Louisville, a member of many Orthopedic and Hand Societies, a member of the American Association of Hand Surgeons, and has served on the Executive Council of the Indian Society for Surgery of the Hand. He has published articles in peer reviewed journals and has authored chapters in text books, including Sabiston’s Textbook of Surgery.
His special interests include wrist injuries, rheumatoid arthritis, congenital hand deformities and microsurgery.
Dr. Palazzo graduated with two degrees in engineering from the University of Illinois and received her medical degree from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 1999. She then completed a residency in General, Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at St. Louis University, followed by a Fellowship in Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery of the Breast at Georgetown University in Washington DC. In 2006, she completed a one-year fellowship at the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery in Louisville, Kentucky.
In September 2006, Dr. Palazzo joined Kleinert Kutz as staff and was appointed Clinical Instructor with the University of Louisville Department of Surgery, Division of Hand Surgery.
Her special interests include cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the breast, body contouring, fat injections, hand rejuvenation, and soft tissue injuries and tumors of the hand.
Dr. Banegas graduated from the National University of Rosario, Argentina School of Medicine, in 1994. He then completed a residency in Orthopedic Surgery at Hospital de Emergencias Clemente Alvarez in Rosario, Argentina. In 2007, he completed a one-year fellowship at the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery in Louisville, Kentucky then continued as a Senior Fellow and ultimately as Hand Scholar.
Dr. Banegas is member of the Argentina’s Society of Hand Surgery, a member of the International Society for Peripheral Nerve and Brachial Plexus Injuries, as well as, candidate member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand.
In July 2008, Dr. Banegas joined Kleinert Kutz as staff. He was appointed gratis faculty, hand surgery clinical instructor, at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
His special interests include brachial plexus and peripheral nerve injuries, microsurgery and upper extremity fracture and soft tissue reconstruction.
Dr. Atasoy graduated from the University of Istanbul, Turkey in 1956,
and received his postgraduate training at the University of Louisville. He served as a
Christine M. Kleinert Hand Fellow for one year in 1966. Dr. Atasoy is currently an
Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Louisville. He is an active
member of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and received the certificate for
Added Qualifications in Hand Surgery in January 1989. In addition to general hand surgery,
Dr. Atasoy has a particular interest in upper extremity nerve compression, especially
thoracic outlet compression syndrome.