During my first career as a therapist, and now my second career as an orthopedic surgeon, I have found opportunity to truly make a difference in people’s lives. Whether treating victims of mangling trauma or treating minor sprains, strains or arthritis, I feel a sense of accountability to my patients, to help them work thru their injury. This has become as a sense of purpose for me, which drives me to do the best job I can – to try to help turn the tide what can be a life-changing injury or event for a patient, into an experience of empowerment to persevere and recover. I am constantly awestruck by the power of patients to recover, and often try to work with patients to find the “glass half full”, even thru devastating injury. I feel extremely lucky to to be an orthopedic surgeon, and feel like I have the best job in the world – we have the ability to help patients heal, return to function and return to their lives, which is an incredibly gratifying gift.

Diane S. Payne, MD, MPT
Director of Hand Trauma
Specialties
- Orthopedics
Board Certifications
- ABMS Orthopaedic Surgery
Fellowships
- Duke University Medical Center
Affiliations
- Emory
Education & Training
- Medical School: University of Kansas School of Medicine
- Residency: Duke University Medical Center
Honors & Awards
2016 American Society for Surgery of the Hand, Young Leaders Program
2018 Piedmont Society, Chairman's Award for best presentation
Publications
Overlapping and Concurrent Surgery: A Professional and Ethical Analysis. Levin PE, Moon D, Payne DE. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2017 Dec 6;99(23):2045-2050. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.17.00109.
Current Trends in the Management of Ballistic Fractures of the Hand and Wrist: Experiences of a High-Volume Level I Trauma Center. Ghareeb PA, Daly C, Liao A, Payne D. Hand (N Y). 2018 Mar;13(2):176-180. doi: 10.1177/1558944717697432. Epub 2017 Mar 10.
Indocyanine Green Angiography: A Helpful Tool for Intraoperative Assessment of Upper Extremity Perfusion. Ghareeb PA, Neustein TM, Fang RC, Payne DE. Tech Hand Up Extrem Surg. 2017 Sep;21(3):101-106. doi: 10.1097/BTH.0000000000000162.
Outcome of intramedullary fixation of clavicular fractures. Payne DE, Wray WH, Ruch DS, Zura RD, Moorman CT. Am J Orthop (Belle Mead NJ). 2011 Jun;40(6):E99-104.
Vascular perfusion of a flexor carpi ulnaris muscle turnover pedicle flap for posterior elbow soft tissue reconstruction: a cadaveric study. Payne DE, Kaufman AM, Wysocki RW, Richard MJ, Ruch DS, Leversedge FJ. J Hand Surg Am. 2011 Feb;36(2):246-51. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2010.10.035.
Cryptococcal abscess imitating a soft-tissue sarcoma in an immunocompetent host: a case report. Gaskill T, Payne D, Brigman B. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2010 Aug 4;92(9):1890-3. doi: 10.2106/JBJS.I.01091.