Find a Top Orthopedic Surgeon Near Me in San Clemente, CA – Book an Appointment Instantly

Braden McKnight, MD, is an orthopedic surgeon and fellowship-trained spine surgeon at Ortho 1 Medical Group in La Jolla, San Diego, and Coronado, California. 

A native of San Diego County, Dr. McKnight completed his undergraduate education at the University of California, Los Angeles, before receiving his medical degree from the University of Southern California. He remained at USC’s prestigious Keck School of Medicine for his orthopedic surgery residency.

With enthusiasm for continued education, Dr. McKnight relocated to Ohio to complete a combined neurosurgery and orthopedic spine surgery fellowship at one of the top hospitals in the country, the Cleveland Clinic. Here, he trained in the most cutting-edge, complex, and minimally invasive techniques in the field.

Dr. McKnight specializes in the surgical treatment of all back and neck disorders. He is particularly interested in minimally invasive surgery, robotic surgery, complex revision surgery, and adult spinal deformity. He authors numerous peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters and consistently presents his research at top meetings throughout the country. 

While highly experienced in surgery, Dr. McKnight believes surgery should be a last resort for patients with back and neck problems. He prioritizes optimizing non-operative care for his patients and encourages this treatment path should always come before considering surgery. If surgery is necessary, Dr. McKnight ascribes to the “less is more” mentality, where the least invasive operation is considered first, avoiding fusion whenever possible. He aims to get patients back to being active and feeling better while minimizing recovery time. This multi-specialty approach is the safest and best way to treat back and neck problems, working with physical therapists, primary care physicians, and physiatrists for a holistic approach to spine care.

When not in the office, Dr. McKnight is an avid tennis and pickleball player and enjoys spending time with his family. He is thankful to call the city of San Diego home.

Chris S. Pallia, MD, is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon on the team at Ortho 1 Medical Group specializing in knee and shoulder disorders. Practicing in La Jolla and Coronado, California, Dr. Pallia is committed to helping his patients find pain relief and maximizing function through non-operative techniques and surgical correction for injured or diseased joints, tendons, ligaments, and muscles. 

Dr. Pallia approaches every patient as an individual and looks at every problem as important. He earned a degree in Bioengineering from UC San Diego, which has given him a unique appreciation of the structure and function of the human body. He was exposed to the top minds and thought leaders in medicine while studying Medicine at UCLA. 

After becoming board-certified in Orthopedic Surgery, Dr. Pallia‘s sub-specialty training and board certification in arthroscopy and sports medicine have provided him with the tools to optimally care for injured and degenerative joints (knee, shoulder, ankle, elbow).

Dr. Pallia has taken a keen interest in knee joint preservation, using the latest techniques to avoid joint replacement, such as biologic resurfacing with cartilage cells, joint realignment, and even bone fortification for stress reaction due to arthritis. He holds himself to the highest standards and treats everyone with the utmost courtesy and professionalism. Continually acquiring new knowledge and skills, Dr. Pallia uses all the latest techniques and equipment. He finds joy in helping all of his patients achieve their goals in life.

A native of South Africa, he completed both his undergraduate studies and his medical degree at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Dr. Tradonsky went on to complete his Orthopaedic Surgery Residency at Mt. Sinai Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio. He then did a fellowship in Sports Medicine and Arthroscopic Surgery at Rush Presbyterian St. Luke's Hospital Center, Chicago, Illinois. 

Brandon A. Ortega, MD, is a fellowship-trained orthopedic spine surgeon who provides comprehensive and personalized spinal care to adults in Torrance and Long Beach, California. His dedication to helping each patient regain mobility, reduce pain, and improve their quality of life has earned the respect of everyone in the community struggling with neck and back pain.

Dr. Ortega received his medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. He stayed at USC to complete his orthopedic surgery residency, where he served as chief resident.

He pursued specialized training in spine surgery, completing a fellowship at the prestigious University of California, Davis. During his fellowship training, he learned traditional, minimally invasive, and image-guided techniques for treating complex adult and pediatric spinal deformities.

Dr. Ortega specializes in diagnosing and treating all cervical (neck), thoracic (mid-back), and lumbar (lower back) conditions. His areas of interest include motion-preserving and minimally invasive surgery and using advanced technologies like navigation, robotics, and endoscopy to improve patient safety and outcomes.

He has published many peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters and presented his research at national and international medical conferences. 

Taking a compassionate and patient-centered approach, Dr. Ortega believes in treating each patient as a person and tailoring treatment to meet their specific needs and goals. 

He creates treatment plans that integrate nonoperative interventions, including lifestyle and activity changes, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and pain management. His whole-person approach addresses each patient’s spine condition, optimizing conservative treatments and helping them avoid surgery whenever possible.

Dr. Ortega welcomes new patients and looks forward to providing ongoing care to his current patients, working with them to restore an active, healthy life.

Allan M. Delman, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon who has been providing expert orthopedic care at his private practice in San Pedro, California, since 1983. His areas of specialty include orthopedic joint replacement surgery (hip, knee, and shoulder replacement), arthroscopic surgery of the knee, shoulder and ankle, sports medicine, spinal conditions, and general orthopedics including trauma.

Dr. Delman received a Bachelor of Arts from the State University of New York at Buffalo where he graduated Magna Cum Laude and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa. He then earned his Doctor of Medicine from Albany Medical College of Union University in Albany, New York where he was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society.

He then completed his internship at New York University/Bellevue Hospital in New York City before moving to Southern California for his residency training at UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles. Following his residency, Dr. Delman returned to New York University to complete a one-year fellowship in spine surgery and spinal deformities and then moved back to California to open his practice in San Pedro.

Dr. Delman’s interest in orthopedic surgery began when he played Division I basketball and baseball while at SUNY Buffalo. When he’s not caring for his patients, Dr. Delman enjoys playing golf, exercising, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Kushagra Verma, MD, MS, FAAOS, is a board-certified orthopedic spine surgeon at Advanced Spine Care in Los Alamitos and Marina Del Rey, California. He is fellowship-trained in complex spine surgery and has many years of experience. He offers surgery when it’s the best option to ensure the highest quality of life for his patients.

Dr. Verma earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Cornell University School of Engineering in Ithaca, New York, and a master’s degree in molecular biology from the NYU Graduate School of Arts & Sciences in New York City. He completed medical school at NYU School of Medicine in New York City.

Dr. Verma also completed an orthopedic surgery residency at Thomas Jefferson University’s Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and an adult and pediatric spine fellowship (with a focus on spinal deformities) at the University of California at San Francisco. 

Dr. Verma has been recognized many times for his expertise. He was selected by The Leading Physicians as a Top Orthopedic Surgeon of the Spine. He also received the Top Doctor Award in Los Alamitos and numerous other professional recognitions for his excellence. 

Dr. Verma is an experienced college educator with experience at the University of Washington in Seattle, Long Beach Memorial in Long Beach, California, and the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, California. 

He specializes in treating spinal anomalies, including spinal stenosis, scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, disc herniation, and flatback syndrome. Dr. Verma is a member of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) and the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS). He has contributed to nearly 50 peer-reviewed publications. 

Dr. Verma spends as much time as patients need to ensure they feel heard with all of their questions addressed. He fully explains their diagnoses, thoroughly reviews all imaging results, and discusses detailed treatment options — always giving patients a voice in their treatments. He uses the latest technological advances and procedures to ensure long-lasting outcomes.

Dr. Verma welcomes new and existing patients to Advanced Spine Care and looks forward to optimizing their spinal health and overall quality of life.

STEPAN KASIMIAN, M.D.

Stepan Kasimian, M.D., is an orthopaedic surgeon with specialty training in complex spinal reconstruction and minimally invasive spine surgery. His primary interests include degenerative spine disease and spinal deformity. He has extensive experience in treating multiple spine disorders including disc herniations, spinal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, kyphosis, scoliosis, tumors, and spinal trauma in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spine.

EDUCATION

Dr. Kasimian received his undergraduate degrees in Microbiology & Molecular Genetics and History from the University of California, Los Angeles. He completed his internship and residency in orthopaedic surgery at the Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. After residency, Dr. Kasimian obtained further training in complex spinal reconstruction surgery at Cedars-Spinal Medical Center, Institute for Spinal Disorders.

RESEARCH

Dr. Kasimian has presented his research at the International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques and has written a chapter on endoscopic thoracic disc herniations in a prominent spine textbook.

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS/AFFILIATIONS

He is a member of the American Medical Association, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society, North American Spine Society, and the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. In order to better serve his patients, his practice is located in Beverly Hills, Glendale, and Rancho Cucamonga and he maintains privileges in numerous hospitals including Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and Glendale Adventist Medical Center.