Dr. Sears joined KOC in 1995 after finishing his orthopaedic training at the University of Virginia and a subspecialty fellowship year in pediatric orthopaedics at Scottish Rite Hospital in Atlanta. Since that time, he has enjoyed working with his partners and East Tennessee Children’s Hospital to develop a comprehensive pediatric orthopaedic service here in Knoxville.

Unlike many of the other orthopaedic subspecialties at KOC, pediatrics does not focus on one area of the body, but on the many complexities of bone and joint problems in the growing child. From congenital problems like clubfoot or spina bifida, to problems that arise later in childhood like scoliosis or growth abnormalities, to injuries that happen anywhere from the playground to the soccer field, Dr. Sears understands the unique differences involved in treating children and their parents.

Dr. Sears grew up in Texas and his wife Nancy comes from upstate New York, but they have happily called East Tennessee their home for over 20 years. Nancy worked as an anesthesiologist at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital for more than a decade, and now enjoys acting in local productions. As the father of three grown children, Dr. Sears knows what it’s like to have a child in a cast and as a surgical patient at Children’s Hospital. As a former collegiate swimmer and now recreational cyclist and triathlete himself, Dr. Sears also has empathy for the various strains and sprains that he treats frequently in younger athletes.