Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery

Orthopedic surgery can be challenging for kids and families. Here, our pediatric orthopedic surgery team, ranked among the best in the nation, partners with families and with our orthopedic and rehabilitation medicine specialists to develop individualized treatment plans targeted to each patient’s needs.

In fact, we often recommend a non-surgical approach where possible, such as bracing or casting for infants with scoliosis. However, if surgery is the best option, our experience and innovative approaches make us one of the safest, most effective pediatric orthopedic surgery teams in the nation.

Watch this video to learn what to expect from orthopedic surgery at Children's Colorado:

Why choose Children's Colorado for pediatric orthopedic surgery?

Our 14 dedicated pediatric orthopedic surgeons perform more than 3,500 procedures a year in operating rooms specially designed for young patients. Our large, highly specialized team has a lot of experience with even very rare injuries and conditions, allowing us to design the most effective treatment approach possible. In fact, our pediatric orthopedic surgery team is one of the most experienced in the country.

Our surgical team plans and performs each procedure in partnership with our pediatric orthopedic doctors, physician assistants, rehabilitation medicine specialists and nurses. This entire team is specially trained and experienced in caring for young patients before and after surgery, from the basic to the very complex.

We see children from all over the region, from the Dakotas to New Mexico, for broken bones and sports injuries. We're also a national referral center for complex surgeries addressing spine, hip and hand conditions; bone tumors; and neuromuscular conditions like cerebral palsy.

What makes our orthopedic surgery program unique?

Kids’ bones grow. That’s why, when it comes to kids, pediatric orthopedic specialists and surgeons are so important—the way they care for kids today has to anticipate not only where they are now, but where they’ll be five or ten years down the road.

Our team understands kids’ growth and developmental stages, and we design each pediatric orthopedic procedure and rehabilitation plan with an eye toward how each child will grow. For complex patients with long-term needs, we offer continuity of care into young adulthood and help them transition to an adult provider when they’re ready.

Innovation and technology in orthopedic surgery

Our Orthopedics Institute offers access to innovative surgeries and technological resources to improve kids’ quality of life. Our focus on innovation means our patients get the most promising, up-to-date treatments available:

• We are one of only a few national centers offering VEPTR surgery, an implanted device used to treat patients with scoliosis and thoracic insufficiency syndrome. Thoracic insufficiency syndrome is a disease marked by severe deformities of the chest, spine and ribs that prevent normal pulmonary development. Though rare, our team sees many patients with thoracic insufficiency syndrome each year, and we actively participate in multi-institutional research aimed at optimizing care for these children.
• Through our Sports Medicine Center, we offer the full range of orthopedic surgical therapies for common sports injuries, including ACL reconstruction, meniscal repair and arthroscopy.
• Our dedicated orthopedic oncology surgeons not only remove tumors, but also offer innovative surgical options for limb preservation and reconstruction in order to maximize functional outcomes. One of our unique options is the Van Ness procedure.
• Our Cerebral Palsy Program’s dedicated pediatric orthopedic surgeons and rehabilitation medicine physicians have vast experience in treatment options for children with neuromuscular conditions, including femoral varus derotation osteotomies (VDRO) and tendon transfers.
• All of our patients have access to the Center for Gait and Movement Analysis, which uses 3D motion capture to collect data used to plan and evaluate treatments and surgeries.
• We offer multiple surgical options for kids with lower extremity limb differences including guided growth plates, limb lengthening nails and hexapods. Learn more about these options in this video:

Lastly, because surgery can be tough on kids and their families, we offer many family-centered support services, such as a monthly spine surgery orientation class and a Welcome Program to introduce families to our facilities and other resources.

Improving orthopedic surgery options and care for kids and young adults

We offer the region’s most advanced pediatric spine surgery options, and we’re continually working to improve quality and patient outcomes through innovative processes.

• We offer a conservative non-operative approach for children with early onset scoliosis, correcting or slowing progression of the curve through casting instead of surgery.
• Our team developed a streamlined process for patients with cerebral palsy needing spine surgery, which has led to improved surgical success rates and decreased length of stay. They published this process in the Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics.
• We routinely use state-of-the-art spinal cord monitoring (overseen by a neurophysiologist and neurologist during surgery) to ensure safer outcomes for patients.

Schedule an orthopedic surgery appointment

To schedule an orthopedic surgery appointment at Children's Colorado, call 720-777-6600.

See a full list of orthopedic conditions we treat.