Orthopaedic surgeon, lifelong athlete helps patients maximize athletic lifestyle

For our latest Making the Rounds conversation, we connected with Dr. Austin Stone, a sports medicine physician and orthopaedic surgeon who joined the UK Sports Medicine Clinic at Turfland earlier this year. Stone enjoys taking care of athletes and active individuals of all ages and specializes in the treatment of knee, shoulder, elbow and cartilage issues. He has extensive training in the use of advanced orthobiologics to treat sports injuries and early arthritic disease, which he sheds light on in our interview.

How did you get into sports medicine?

I was an athlete through high school (track and cross country) and college but had injuries in high school that were treated by a very competent orthopaedic surgeon who made a big impact on me. Ultimately, it shifted my focus from business to pursuing a career in medicine.

What is unique about your approach?

A lot of what I do is on the forefront of augmenting any surgical procedure with biologic advances. I think in the future we'll move far beyond a “carpentry” approach to fixing musculoskeletal pathology to actually pursuing disease-modifying approaches. That’s the trajectory that I’m on. I apply that not only in knee and cartilage surgery but also to shoulder surgery and the elbow to maximize the potential for an optimal outcome based on the best evidence available.

What is most rewarding about your work?

I enjoy treating an active population and restoring people’s ability to maintain an active lifestyle within the work force and to also pursue activities that the patient enjoys. It is really important to maximize the quality of the available active years.

What do you like to do in your free time?

I still enjoy running and cycling. I raced competitively on the road for several years and still enjoy road and mountain cycling. I enjoy music, cooking, construction projects and most importantly spending time with my family.

What kind of music do you enjoy?

Everything from rock to jazz to classical. I was a percussionist myself in a previous life.

Favorite concert?

The Dave Matthews Band shortly after the release of Crash. And my most recent concert was Justin Timberlake at Rupp Arena with my wife.

Dr. Austin Stone is a team physician for the athletics programs at Eastern Kentucky University and treats patients at the UK HealthCare Sports Medicine Clinic at Turfland. To make an appointment, call 859-218-3131.