Kathleen E. McKeon, MD is a board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopaedic surgeon who specializes in hand and wrist surgery. A large majority of Dr. McKeon's time is dedicated to sports injuries, fracture care, nerve surgery, joint reconstruction and microsurgery.
Dr. McKeon has also received the Subspecialty Certificate in Orthopaedic Surgery of the Hand, which is for board-certified orththopaedic surgeons who have demonstrated qualifications in hand surgery beyond those expected of other orthopaedic surgeons by virtue of additional training and a practice characterized by volume and diversity of cases in hand surgery or have made significant contributions to this field.
In her eight years at Andrews Sports Medicine, Dr. McKeon has received numerous accolades, including: Top Women in Medicine (B-Metro Magazine, 2021- 2017), Rising Stars in Health Care (2016-Birmingham Business Journal). In addition, Dr. McKeon has been recognized by her colleagues as one of Birmingham's Top Doctors in two categories: Hand Surgeon and Hand Surgeon-Pediatrics (from 2015-2021). The peer-review survey was completed by Birmingham-area physicians asking whom they would recommend, other than themselves, if in need of professional care or advice.
As a hand specialist, Dr. McKeon treats carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, arthritis, finger/hand/wrist fractures, nail bed injuries, nerve lacerations, soft tissue injuries, Dupuytrens contracture and ganglion cysts to name just a few. She serves as the team physician for Bessemer Academy.
Dr. McKeon's research interests include sports-related injuries of the hand and wrist. She has published numerous peer-reviewed scientific articles, review articles and book chapters over the past several years. She's also given poster and podium presentations at several national meetings. She was a recipient of the Resident Research Award at Washington University in St. Louis in 2013 as well as a Leonard Goldner Award semi-finalist at the AOFAS meeting in 2011.
Dr. McKeon earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Yale University, graduating with honors. While at Yale, she was a four-year varsity letterman in springboard and platform diving. Following graduation, she earned her medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, finishing with Alpha Omega Alpha honors for academic achievement. She completed a residency in orthopaedic surgey at Washington University in St. Louis and a fellowship in hand surgery at Vanderbilt University in Nashville.
Dr. McKeon says she chose to specialize in hands because they are vital for performing everyday tasks both at home and at work. "Being able to restore function to patients' hands and give them back their ability to work, care for their families and do the activities that they enjoy is immensely rewarding."
Born in Birmingham, Dr. McKeon's family moved to Atlanta when she was 2-years-old. Dr. McKeon enjoys cooking, jogging, and spending time with friends and family, especially her husband, Nick, 10-year-old twins, Finn and Chloe, and a 6-year-old son, Will.
Comeback Stories
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Learn MoreIn November of 2022, we were approaching the end of our pro season race, and I was leading in the National Series. I was training for a race in Atlanta, GA and I crashed. This happened about 3 weeks prior to the BMX National Championship. I was worried I wouldn’t be able to race.
Barry Nobles | Wetumpka, AL
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In March of 2021, I was riding a horse that I owned, he was spooked, and I was bucked off. I fell on my left wrist, and it was very messed up. My fingers were swollen as well. I came to Andrews Sports Medicine and saw Dr. Kathleen McKeon. She performed a left distal radius ORIF and long finger PIP joint closed treatment without manipulation.
Mike Burford | Calhoun County, AL
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I am a rising junior on the Samford University Women’s Golf Team. I experienced two separate surgeries on my left wrist and many back injuries over the years prior to being treated at Andrews Sports Medicine. During my freshman year at Samford, I re-injured my wrist at a college tournament. I knew my wrist was injured, but I refused to make it official with a doctor. Finally, our Samford University athletic trainer told me, “You can either see this as another setback, or…"
Allison Howard | Newton, AL
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As a high school varsity softball pitcher, I constantly work to improve my game. Everything began to change for me on a Saturday in the Fall of 2019. I was pitching in a tournament and my elbow started bothering me with an onset of pain.
Gracen Kirby | Doniphan, MO
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I’ve had rheumatoid arthritis for 15 years along with fibromyalgia and osteoporosis. Over time, the combination of these three conditions made my feet turn and twist. It got so bad I couldn’t even wear shoes, instead wearing Crocs most of the time. For years, I felt like I was walking on rocks and oftentimes my pain level was a 10 out of 10.
Sherrill Sawyer | Lincoln, AL
Media Center
In this edition of PA Spotlight, we introduce you to Kara Smola, PA-C. Kara shares about her role working alongside Dr. Kathleen McKeon, growing up in Alabama and attending Auburn University, and what she enjoys doing outside of work with her family.
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StyleBlueprint.com featured Dr. Kathleen E. McKeon in their FACE of Birmingham series in September, 2021.
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Team Affiliations
PROFESSIONAL
- SEC Orthopaedic Team of the Year (2020 - University of Alabama Athletics)
- Selected for ASSH Young Leaders program (2020)
- "Top Doctor - Hand Surgeon" selected by local physician peers for B-Metro: The Magazine of Metro Birmingham Living (2015-2021)
- "Top Doctor - Hand Surgeon-Pediatrics" selected by local physician peers for B-Metro: The Magazine of Metro Birmingham Living (2015-2021)
- “Top Women in Medicine”, awarded by B-Metro: The Magazine of Metro Birmingham Living (2017-2021)
- “Rising Star in Health Care”, awarded by the Birmingham Business Journal (2016)
- Resident Research Award (Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University in St Louis, 2013)
- ASSH/AFSH 2012 Annual Meeting Scholarship winner to attend the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and 30th Adrian E. Flatt Residents and Fellows Conference
- Leonard Goldner Award Finalist for best basic science paper, AOFAS annual meeting 2011, for “Vascular supply to the ankle syndesmosis.”
- Leonard Goldner Award Finalist for best basic science paper, AOFAS annual meeting 2011, for “The intraosseous and extraosseous arterial anatomy of the adult navicular.”
- Alpha Omega Alpha (Washington University in Saint Louis School of Medicine, 2008)
- Glasgow-Rubin Citation for Academic Achievement (Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine, 2008)
- Four-year varsity letterman; springboard and platform diving (Yale University, 2000-2004)
