Limb Difference Clinic

What To Expect at Our Clinic

Young people with limb differences often require frequent adjustments in equipment, adaptive strategies, and physical and occupational therapy techniques. As they grow and use their affected limbs for new activities, patients will need periodic adjustments and even new orthotic or prosthetic devices.

The Limb Difference Clinic offers a care team that can follow patients for the long term, get to know each child’s individual needs, address family questions and concerns and make recommendations based on longer visits — at least 30 minutes — with the doctor.

You can expect:

• Time with an athletic trainer at the start of your visit to cover introductory questions and review some basic exercises targeted for your limb needs
• An in-depth evaluation with Clinic Director Jonathan Napolitano, MD, including discussion about the impact of limb loss, short- and long-term expectations, physical therapy and other treatment options, and an overall management plan
• An extensive consultation with the clinic’s community prosthetist and orthotist, who will collaborate on your child’s prosthetic or orthotic device needs. If you already have an established provider, we will communicate and consult with that professional on your child’s behalf.
• Guidance for your long-term follow-up, information for any needed referrals, and instructions for at-home exercises and limb care

A Team of Experts

Young people with limb difference grow and start new activities, and their equipment and adaptive strategies need to change along with them. The Limb Difference Clinic offers a care team that can follow patients for the long term and get to know each child’s individual needs as they evolve.

Meet the Director

Jonathan Napolitano, MD, has dual appointments in both Sports Medicine and Orthopedics at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and is an Assistant Professor of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at The Ohio State University. He serves as the Director of the Adaptive Sports Medicine Program and Limb Difference Clinic at Nationwide Children’s.

Board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation with subspecialty certification in sports medicine, Dr. Napolitano is uniquely prepared to care for patients and athletes of all ages, experience levels, and physical abilities. He is a key physician team member of the Honda Center for Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement (GAME) at Nationwide Children’s.

His research interests include care of athletes with disabilities, gait and motion analysis, and the use of emerging technologies in evaluation and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries.

Prosthetics and Orthotics Experts

To ensure that our patients have access to the best resources for prosthetic and orthotic fittings and adjustments, we work with skilled professionals in the community. These prosthetists and orthotists have expertise in working with young and growing patients and their families.

If you are interested in prosthetic or orthotic evaluations or care, you can expect:

• An in-depth consultation with a board-certified and licensed expert from the community
• Proper evaluation for devices to simplify the prescription process
• Personalized fitting assessments and adjustments, as well as follow-up assistance with devices as needed
• Education on a wide range of device options based on your needs and preferences
• Periodic reassessments to ensure the device continues to offer proper function and fit

The Power of a Specialized Multidisciplinary Team

In addition to Dr. Napolitano and professional prosthetists and orthotists who specialize in pediatric care, patients have access to the program’s broad clinical team, which includes experts in pediatric limb differences from the following disciplines:

• Physical and occupational therapy
• Functional rehabilitation
• Psychology
• Sports medicine
• Orthopedic surgery

Together with the patient and family, the team creates a care plan to enable children and adolescents to achieve their ultimate potential function and comfort.

Specialized Resources

We provide a full spectrum of long-term care for children and adolescents with limb differences. Our program offers referrals to a wide array of highly specialized community and hospital resources.

Our Network

Patients of the Limb Difference Clinic have access to many hospital services and community resources for young people with limb differences, including:

• The Adaptive Sports Medicine Clinic, which offers full-spectrum athletic training and injury care for young people with limb differences and deformities
• The Honda Gait Analysis and Mobility Enhancement (GAME) Center, which offers advanced video recording techniques and 3D motion analysis cameras, force platforms and electromyography to evaluate patient movement, abilities and limitations. The center also provides opportunities for research within pediatric orthopedic medicine, injury prevention and rehabilitation
• Orthopedic Oncology
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Community orthotics and prosthetics experts
• Community adaptive activity programs and support organizations

Additional Resources

• Amputee Coalition
• Association of Children's Prosthetic-Orthotic Clinics
• Community Adaptive Sports Calendar - View upcoming adaptive sports activities in our community.
• Limb Loss: Adapting to the Challenges and Reaching Milestones - A limb difference involves accepting the appearance, battling body image concerns and learning to use adaptive prosthetic equipment.
• Nub Club of Central Ohio

Leading Research

Our clinic’s care team conducts forward-thinking research in children and adolescents with limb differences. In addition, we collaborate with experts in many related care disciplines at Nationwide Children’s and beyond to help craft the future of limb care.

Research interests and current projects or collaborations include studying quality of life among young people with congenital and acquired limb differences, examining the use of prosthetics in young people and evaluation of targeted muscle reinnervation for pain control and functional enhancement.