Pediatric Orthopaedics
A pediatric orthopaedist is the best-trained and most experienced doctor to properly evaluate and treat musculoskeletal (bone, joint, or muscle) problems in a child who is still growing. This includes newborn babies through teenagers.
Pediatric orthopaedic surgeons at OSI choose to make the care of children the focus of their medical practice. The unique nature of medical and surgical care of children is learned from advanced training and experience in practice. They are doctors who have:
Graduated from an approved medical school (typically four years)
Graduated from an approved orthopaedic surgery residency program (typically five years)
Completed additional subspecialty training in pediatric orthopaedics and pediatric spinal deformity (typically one year)
What types of problems do pediatric orthopaedic surgeons treat?
A child’s musculoskeletal problems are different from those of an adult. Because children are still growing, the body’s response to injuries, infections, and deformities may be quite different than what would be seen in a full-grown person.
Sometimes, what is thought to be a problem in a child is just a variation of growth that will resolve with time. A good example of this is intoeing in a toddler. Some of the problems children have with their bones and joints that are due to growth do not even occur in adults. And, the evaluation and treatment of a child is usually quite different than for an adult — even for the same problem.
Children with complex pediatric problems are best managed by a medical-surgical team approach. Pediatric orthopaedic surgeons diagnose, treat, and manage children’s musculoskeletal problems, such as:
- Limb and spine deformities noted at birth or later in life (clubfoot, scoliosis, limb length differences)
- Gait abnormalities (limping)
- Broken bones
- Bone or joint infections and tumors