K. Donald Shelbourne, MD

Helping Patients Get Back to Life

Helping patients get off the sidelines and back to living, working and playing has always been Dr. Shelbourne's goal. Treatments at Shelbourne Knee Center focus on what works best, based on 40+ years of research and follow-up with the Center's patients.

Continually Improving Results Through Research

Dr. Shelbourne began doing research based on his patient outcomes early in his career, after the mother of a 15-year-old girl whose torn ACL he had rebuilt asked him a question he couldn't answer. She wanted to know what would happen to her daughter's knee in 20 years. So Dr. Shelbourne developed a research program to answer questions like this and to learn:

• What works best in treating knee injuries.
• What problems related to treatment of knee injuries could be solved.

Since then, Dr. Shelbourne has been collecting data on his patients and using the results to continually improve care for other patients with knee injuries and conditions.

Developing Innovative Treatments for Knee Problems

Dr. Shelbourne has developed many advanced treatments for knee injuries, including:

• A way to rebuild a torn ACL using a tendon from the non-injured knee that results in faster recovery and better, more predictable results.
• An accelerated ACL reconstruction rehab program that helps injured athletes return to sport safely and faster. Physical therapists around the world use this program.
• Pre-op rehab (physical therapy), which helps patients get stronger before surgery, have a better result from the procedure, and recover faster after surgery. Many patients with knee arthritis who thought they needed a knee replacement don't need surgery after completing physical therapy.
• Better surgical treatment and physical therapy for meniscus tears.

Establishing Shelbourne Knee Center

In 2004, Dr. Shelbourne established Shelbourne Knee Center, the only orthopedic practice in Indiana that focuses exclusively on knees.

Shelbourne Knee Center offers doctor's appointments, X-rays and physical therapy onsite. Dr. Shelbourne and Dr. Rodney Benner work as a team with the physical therapists and athletic trainer to develop the best treatment plan for each individual patient. The Shelbourne Knee Center research program tracks patient outcomes and studies factors related to those outcomes to determine how to improve treatment for knee injuries and conditions. Members of the research staff include a research manager/medical writer and two research coordinators. Physical therapists and the athletic trainer also participate in research.

Dr. Shelbourne and Dr. Benner perform surgery at Community Hospital East, which is part of Community Health Network, central Indiana's leader in providing convenient access to exceptional healthcare services.

Dr. Shelbourne has published more than 150 journal articles and 40 book chapters. He also shares his knowledge with orthopedic surgeons worldwide through presentations and speeches.

Specialties

• Orthopedic and arthroscopic knee surgery
• ACL reconstruction
• Other knee ligament reconstruction
• Patella (kneecap) realignment
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation

Education

Practice and Teaching

Activities and Honors