Daniel R Stephenson, MD
ORTHOPEDIC SURGERY
Sports Medicine Specialist
Board Certified & Fellowship Trained
Dr. Stephenson pursued orthopedics after becoming injured in his freshman year of college. As an NCAA Division I water polo player and swimmer, he was eager to return to athletics after the incident. He remembers his doctors and therapists as being incredible during the whole process, successfully helping him get back to sports.
Since that time, Dr. Stephenson has steered his career in orthopedic medicine to focus on patients with complex knee problems, joint preservation needs, shoulder injuries, and sports medicine issues. This includes ACL, PCL, and multi-ligamentous knee injuries; meniscal repair, meniscal transplants, and cartilage transplants; autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI); DeNovo grafts; osteotomies of the knee; patellofemoral instability; shoulder injuries; robotic partial and total joint arthroplasty; arthroscopic management of injuries; and more.
Although he is one of the area's top surgeons, Dr. Stephenson works closely with each of his patients before beginning any treatment regimen. He feels it's important to start with non-surgical treatments whenever possible because everyone has their own goals and lifestyle needs.
Dr. Stephenson completed his fellowship in orthopedic sports medicine at the University of Kentucky in 2010. During this one additional year of intense training and experience, he had the opportunity to serve as a team physician to professional athletes, as well as student athletes from three universities and many high schools. Today he sees patients of all ages and from all sports and activity levels.
He joined Coastal Ortho Advanced Orthopedics in 2015 because of the reputation they have in the South Bay for caring so much about their patients. Dr. John Stratton, a founding partner of the practice in 1971, was one of his favorite role models early on. Dr. Stephenson's renowned expertise, bedside manner, technical skill, and compassion made him a great fit for the state-of-the art practice that Coastal Ortho has become since then. He was born and raised in Manhattan Beach, so staying local was another key influence. He deeply values getting to know so many of the wonderful people in the area.
I'm here to listen and help accomplish what each patient decides will improve their lives. Sometimes that includes surgery, but in most cases it doesn't.
Credentials
Board Certification
Orthopaedic Sports Medicine (ABOS), 2015
American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery, 2012
Fellowship
University of Kentucky Orthopedic Surgery and Sports Medicine,
Sports Medicine, 2009-2010
Residency
Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center
Orthopaedic Surgery, 2005-2009
Internship
Los Angeles County/USC Medical Center
Orthopaedic Surgery, 2004-2005
Doctor of Medicine
Keck School of Medicine at USC, 2004
Bachelor of Science
Bucknell University, 1998 (minor Biochemistry and Philosophy)
Study abroad: University of Auckland (Auckland, New Zealand), 1997
Memberships
Fellow, American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS)
Active Member, American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine (AOSSM)
Active Member, Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA)
Member, Western Orthopaedic Association, Los Angeles Chapter
Awards
Best Basic Science Research Paper (2009): Effects of humeral component version on impingement in reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, USC Graduate Orthopaedic Society, 2009
Best Clinical Research Paper (2007): Molding index for pediatric forearm fractures, USC Graduate
Orthopaedic Society 2007
