Pediatric orthopedics

Diagnosing orthopedic injuries and conditions in kids

When you bring your child to see our pediatric orthopedists, we start by gathering all of their necessary medical information to help us deliver an accurate diagnosis. Some orthopedic conditions can be diagnosed with a simple physical examination, and others may need our imaging services to get to the root of your child's symptoms. We use the following diagnostic and imaging services to determine the cause of your child's issue:

• Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis prognostic testing
• Computerized tomography (CT) scan
• Electromyography (EMG)
• Low-dose X-rays and arthrograms
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
• Nerve conduction studies (NCS)
• Newborn hip screening
• Range of motion tests
• Ultrasounds

Nonsurgical pediatric orthopedic treatments

Your child may have an acute orthopedic condition — such as growing pains, ganglion cysts or ankle sprains — that requires minimal intervention. Time is often the best medicine in these cases.

For other temporary conditions, our orthopedists might recommend routine monitoring, over-the-counter (OTC) anti-inflammatory medications, at-home exercise programs and limited activity levels. We also may recommend physical therapy or an orthotic device for congenital or chronic conditions.

Our nonsurgical treatment options include:

• Casts, splints and slings
• Circular fixators
• Joint manipulation
• Pavlik harness
• Prescription pain medication
• Rigid and nonrigid braces
• Rigid hip orthosis

Personalized orthotic devices

The personal orthotic devices we use to support your child's treatment are often tailored to fit them properly as they strengthen their muscles, heal fractures and stabilize joints. Some of these devices include knee-ankle-foot orthotics (KAFOs) and elbow-wrist-hand-finger orthotics (EWHFOs). Your child may also need an orthotic device following surgery or to help correct their congenital condition.

Surgical pediatric orthopedic treatment

Ultimately, some orthopedic injuries and conditions do require surgery. Our talented surgeons have decades of experience performing a wide range of procedures to help your child. Some of the minimally invasive procedures we offer include steroid injections, pars injections and joint aspiration.

Other more complex and condition-specific procedures include:

• Cartilage transplantation
• Extra- and intra-articular ACL reconstruction surgery
• Hemiepiphysiodesis
• Opponensplasty
• Skin grafts
• Spinal fusion
• Spinal stenosis surgery
• Trigger thumb surgery
• Vertebral body tethering (VBT), a fusionless scoliosis treatment
• Web-space reconstruction

Advanced treatment for congenital disorders

Our highly experienced pediatric orthopedic surgeons are skilled in multiple treatment methods. Some children we treat who have symbrachydactyly or mild thumb hypoplasia simply adapt and learn ways to function just as effectively as their peers. For many others who are born with a cleft hand, their function is so exceptional that no treatment is necessary.

We also offer highly specialized, complex surgical procedures for the hands and feet, such as pollicization to treat severe thumb hypoplasia. For children born with a floating thumb or no thumb at all, our surgeons can create one by moving, rotating and shortening their index finger. Our pediatric orthopedic surgeons can also perform a toe-to-hand transfer, which is a complex microsurgery that requires years of dedication and training.

Foot and ankle care

Our specialists can treat common and rare conditions impacting your child’s lower extremities, whether they’re congenital or developed later in life. Many foot and ankle injuries are caused by athletic participation, so our pediatric orthopedic surgeons work closely with our sports medicine physicians to create and execute a personalized care plan. We also have extensive knowledge and experience working with children born with missing or extra toes and club feet.

Hand and upper extremity care

Our teams address conditions that can limit the use of your child’s hands, wrists, shoulders and elbows. We treat common injuries, such as wrist sprains and finger dislocations. We can also address congenital differences, like cleft hands or polydactyly — an upper extremity condition that can cause your child to have extra fingers at birth.

Hip and knee care

Joint care is an essential part of our pediatric orthopedic program. We can help if your child has a knee or hip condition, including a torn ACL or MCL, developmental hip dysplasia, snapping hip syndrome or transient toxic synovitis. Our specialists are here to diagnose and treat your child, whether they were born with an orthopedic condition or developed a sports injury.

Spine care

We are dedicated to treating spinal disorders in children of all ages. To address your child's overall health, it's essential for us to understand their underlying medical conditions and future expectations, including:

• Athletic aspirations
• Lifestyle preferences
• School requirements

We want you to have all the information you need to understand your loved one’s spine condition and our recommended treatments for them. Our doctors also offer advanced, minimally invasive spinal care treatment options. For example, we're able to perform a scoliosis procedure without the need for a spinal fusion.

Sports medicine

The doctors in our youth sports medicine program understand that your child doesn’t want to quit the game they love because of an injury. However, we also want to make sure they can return to the field of play safely and as quickly as possible. We are aware that musculoskeletal injuries in growing children differ from those seen in older patients, so it's important to see our specialists who understand this distinction. We are also highly experienced in talking to children of all ages in a way that’s developmentally appropriate.

Pediatric orthopedic walk-in care

When your child needs quick care for their musculoskeletal injury, our pediatric orthopedic experts are standing by. With no appointment necessary, we offer immediate treatment for acute injuries such as sprains, strains, fractures, dislocations and ligament injuries.

We offer timely services at our pediatric walk-in clinics, including:

• Casting, bracing and splinting
• Comprehensive evaluation with a pediatric-trained orthopedic specialist
• Coordination of care for advanced imaging or surgery if needed
• Diagnostic imaging and low-dose X-rays with no facility or radiology reading fees
• On-call coverage 24 hours a day
• Second opinions