Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine

Orthopaedic Surgery and Sports Medicine at Children's National 

Our orthopaedic surgeons are leaders in a wide range of subspecialties, including spinal deformities, bone health, and hip preservation. We consistently offer innovative treatments, meaning your child receives the most effective care. This includes the most effective medications, least invasive procedures, and care that is more efficient. Our expertise, coupled with a depth of experience from treating more than 27,000 patients per year, helps us consistently achieve excellent outcomes.

Our program specializes in helping children who have conditions affecting the structure or function of their joints and skeletal system, from head to toe.

Highlights of our program include:

• Pediatric expertise. Children's National is the only child-focused orthopaedic program in the region. We are the only pediatric hand and upper extremity program in the Washington, D.C., area and also the only pediatric program for hip disorders. Our team of fellowship trained pediatric orthopaedists treats everything from broken bones to spinal deformities.  Meet the team.
• Prioritizing bone health. The Children's National Bone Health Program specializes in caring for healthy children, children with inherited (genetic) bone conditions, and children whose bones have been damaged from illness or poor nutrition. Our program uses precise diagnosis and advanced treatments to improve our patients’ bone health and reduce the risk of future fractures .
• Growth-plate sparing treatments. We appreciate that children are not simply miniature adults. We are experts in treating conditions or injuries near special growing areas of your child’s bones (growth plates). Our team of experts are members of the Scoliosis Research Society, and we are one of 25 hospitals around the globe that are working to improve care for early onset scoliosis. 
  • Scoliosis is a deformity of the backbone where the spine has a side-to-side curve. Our Scoliosis Traction Program is the only program in Washington, D.C. that offers preoperative halo gravity traction, a treatment that can help gradually straighten patients’ spines over time and decrease the size of their spinal curve prior to surgery .
• Minimally invasive techniques. When surgery is necessary, we strive to use the least invasive technique possible. Minimally invasive surgery means less pain and a shorter recovery period for your child. We perform more procedures than any other program in the Washington, D.C., area. 
• Level 1 Surgery Verification. We have attained Level 1 Surgery Verification from the American College of Surgeons, a distinction that recognizes surgery centers that have improved surgical quality, prevented complications, reduced costs and saved lives.
• Innovative care programs: Our Spinal Fusion Surgical Home is the first pediatric program of its kind in the nation. Using a team approach, we deliver safe, effective, and family-centered care to children undergoing spine-straightening surgery (posterior spinal fusion).
• Newer technologies. We are one of few pediatric hospitals in the country to use an EOS^® for imaging. This Nobel prize-winning technology allows us to take better quality, full body images more quickly and with less radiation than traditional X-rays.