Erdogan Atasoy, M.D., FACS

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.

Warren C. Breidenbach, M.D., FRCS(C)

Dr. Breidenbach graduated from the University of Calgary, Canada, in 1975 and received his postgraduate training at McGill University, Montreal, in plastic surgery. He served a one-year Microsurgery Fellowship in 1982 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 in 1983. He was then appointed the first Hand Scholar with the Louisville Institute for Hand and Microsurgery for a period of two years. In 1988 Dr. Breidenbach received the Senior Award of the ASPRS for his work in blood flow to nerves. 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.

Thomas Harter, M.D.

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.

Michael S. Joyner, M.D.

Dr. Joyner graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine in Washington, DC as a United States Army Health Scholarship Recipient.  He completed his General Surgery Internship at Walter Reed Army Medical Center where he served active duty as a Captain in the United States Army.

After surgical internship, Dr. Joyner served as a US Army General Medical Officer at the Presidio of Monterey Army Health Clinic.  He was the Primary Brigade Surgeon for the US Air Force 311th Training Squadron at the Defense Language Institute from 1996 to 2000.

Dr. Joyner received his postgraduate training in General Surgery at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia.  He served as a Christine M. Kleinert Hand Fellow in 2005 and a visiting microsurgical scholar to Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan in 2006.  His special interests include microvascular reconstruction and the distal radioulnar joint.

Harold E. Kleinert, M.D., FACS

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 1000 surgeons from 50 countries have now trained as Fellows in Hand Surgery.

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.

Joseph E. Kutz, M.D., FACS

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.

P. Stephen Mahoney, M.D.

Dr. Mahoney graduated from Tulane University School of Medicine in 1999.    He did a one-year internship in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Louisiana State University in New Orleans.  He began his General Surgery Residency at Boston University Medical Center and completed his training at Akron General Medical Center in 2005.  Dr. Mahoney is Board Certified in General Surgery.  In 2006, he completed a one-year fellowship at the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery in Louisville, Kentucky. 

In July 2006, Dr. Mahoney joined Kleinert Kutz as staff.  He was appointed Clinical Instructor with the University of Louisville Department of Surgery, Division of Hand Surgery.

Rodrigo Moreno, M.D.

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 and was appointed Clinical Instructor with the University of Louisville. Additionally in 2004, he accepted the appointment as physician to the Commission for Children With Special Health Care Needs and holds a clinic on a quarterly basis at Kosair Shriners.

His special interests include distal radius fractures, elbow pathology, and congenital surgery.

Margaret Napolitano, M.D.

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 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 in Louisville, Kentucky.

Dr. Napolitano is certified in Advanced Trauma Life Support, Advanced Burn Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, board certified in general surgery and plastic and reconstructive surgery.

She is a member of the American College of Surgeons, American Society of Plastic 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.

Tuna Ozyurekoglu, M.D.

Tuna Ozyurekoglu, M.D., graduated from Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey in 1994. He completed an orthopaedics and traumatology residency at the 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 the 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 University of Louisville Department of Surgery.

His special interests include wrist and elbow joint reconstruction, sports and traumatic injuries and microsurgical reconstruction of upper extremity defects.

Michelle D. Palazzo, M.D.

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.

Luis R. Scheker, M.D.

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.

Huey Y. Tien, M.D.

Huey Y. Tien, M.D., graduated from Chung Shan Medical University in Taichung, Taiwan in 1979. He completed an orthopaedic residency at Taiwan Provincial Tao-Yuan General Hospital in Tao-Yuan, Taiwan. He served a one-year fellowship as a clinical fellow and one year as a senior fellow with the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery. He then completed a residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in general surgery, the final year serving as administrative chief resident. He is board certified in general surgery and orthopaedic surgery in Taiwan and is board eligible in general surgery in the United States.

He is clinical instructor at University of Louisville School of Medicine.

His special interests include trauma, microsurgery, and entrapment syndrome.

Sunil Thirkannad, M.D.

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. Between 2004 and 2005, he served as a Senior Fellow at the Kleinert Institute. 

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. In 2004, he was appointed Clinical Instructor in Hand Surgery at the University of Louisville. He is a member of many Orthopedic and Hand Societies 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.

Tsu-Min Tsai, M.D.

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 to his credit and is actively engaged in research at the Christine M. Kleinert Institute for Hand and Microsurgery.

Thomas W. Wolff, M.D.

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.